The walk Itinerary

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1. Sunday 30th May - Depart from London Stanstead airport for Oviedo - then get to Leon by bus - use this weekend to prepare for the walk and sort out all administration stuff especially the passports
2. Monday 1st June - The moment of truth has arrived - we start our walk from Leon to Virgen del Camino and then on to Hospital de Orbigo. This is about 24 miles on motorway but will obviously be a bit more on our route that takes us through several villages. I guess this first day will tell us what we have let our selves in to. Hospital is lovely and has an amazing bridge, 20 arches, one of the oldest bridges in Spain and a lovely river
3. Tuesday 2nd June - Hospital de Orbigo to Astorga - A shorter walk today which allows lots of time to explore Astorga, with its cathedral its Bishops Palace which is a Gaudi Building. Astorga is also the home of chocolate. I have been told that we musn't miss the ‘Pero Mato’ atop one of the pinnacles of the cathedral also the clockwork figures in Maragato traditional dress who strike the hours on the clock on the beautiful town hall
4. Wednesday 3rd June - Astorga to Rabanal - The wild lavender and heather is apparently amazing. We’ll be going back into the mountains so it may be cool at times. Also in the tiny church opposite the Refuge four monks who have come to the village from Silos sing/chant service during the day and evening, is apparently "magical".
5. Thursday 4th June - Rabanal to Molinaseca - I have been told this is quite tough as quite a bit of climbing then a lot of descending, can be hard on the knees. Foncebadon, the deserted/wild dogs village no longer deserted. The Cruz de Ferro…where Pilgrims by tradition place a stone, Manjarin, not far after Manjarin just below a military station you are at the highest point on the Camino frances (1517m or almost 5000ft). Next is El Acebo, a village with hanging balconies, and then there is the famous medieval forge operated by water and after this begins the beautiful descent through the gorge to cross the Pilgrim bridge into Molinaseca…..lovely river to sit and dream beside.
6. Friday 5th June - Molinaseca to Villafranca del Bierzo - Today we pass through Ponferrada, this is where my daughter Elena spent 1 year working as teacher assistant. Lots of small villages today with views towards the mountains, go through orchards and vines, and I have been told that we mustn't miss the friezes on the wall of the Church in Compostilla and more in Columbrianos.
7. Saturday 6th June - Villafranca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro - This is possibly our biggest challenge as its about 25 miles long but there is also a stretch of about 4kms of a fairly steep (1:6) path with a very uneven rocky surface (through chestnut woods) which when wet is very tedious to go up. If we are lucky we may even be treated to a spectacular sunset, and apparently in the morning the look into the valley which is covered in mist can be quite magical
8. Sunday 7th June - O Cebreiro to Triacastela - Another beautiful walk especially the second part, and we have to stop for a coffee early on at Alto de Poio having passed the massive Pilgrim at Alto de San Roque. Then a beautiful walk/wander through rolling countryside in June the heather is magnificent. En route we’ll pass Fonfria if possible locate Carmen here who makes wonderful crepes. In Triacastela the priest at times doesn’t bother with mass but gives a lecture on the camino instead
9. Monday 8th June - Triacastela to Sarria - This is one of the shorter walks and I guess it will be a welcomed rest after a tough week. The walk via San Xil is apparently very beautiful.
10. Tuesday 9th June - Sarria to Portomarin - We are now in Galicia with lots of Galician green lanes, listen to the frogs, they will even hop across our feet in some places. Portomarin is a new town which was built and inaugurated in 1962, the old town was ‘drowned’ by the waters of the new dam. The Church of St Nicolas was dismantled and rebuilt in the new town.
11. Wednesday 10th June - Portomarin to Casanova (Mato) - Another 20 mile walk of beautiful scenery
12. Thursday 11th June - Casanova to Arzua - Today we’ll pass through Melide, nice little town, which is famous for serving Pulpo(octopus) in all its restaurants, just before it we pass through Furelos (lovely little Roman bridge) also has a tiny little church. After Melide we meet the Eucliptus woods, which will be with us on and off until Santiago.
13. Friday 12th June - Arzua to Arca - Today is the shortest walk (14.4 miles) of our journey but it includes some very steep hills so a nice long siesta would be just what we are looking for.
14. Saturday 13th June - Arca to Santiago de Compostela - if things have gone to plan then our journey is complete but we have allowed a contingency of one day. Today we visit the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and collect our certificates, assuming we had our passports stamped at every town throught our journey.
15. Sunday 14th June - Fly back to England