In 2014, when I walked the Camino de Santiago solo, I got very lost trying to find my way out of Ponferrada. Some things never change…
We woke up and headed out of the city, leaving later than we’d have liked. We had 15 kilometers to walk to Cacabelos, so not too far, but still, we wanted to get in before the heat of the day.
We walked for an embarrassing amount of time before we realized that we hadn’t seen anyone else, and there were no yellow arrows in sight. Google Maps told us we were walking in the correct direction, but a quick search on a camino app showed the trail a couple kilometers away.
We paused to debate what to do. If the sidewalk continued, the path we were on would have saved a lot of time. On the other hand, if the sidewalk ended, we would be next to the highway, and we would be forced to turn around.
We decided to cut our losses and find the Camino, rather than risk the sidewalk ending. It took us an hour and 15 minutes to get to the Camino from the time we left our hotel. Once we found the Camino, we googled the distance to our hotel… a 10 minute walk.
Once on the Camino, though, the day was smooth sailing. The path was mostly paved and both girls were able to ride in the stroller, giving Sandra a break from carrying Eloise.
We found a cafe with seats in the shade and a little playground out front and we let Addie stop to play for awhile, while we enjoyed some cold water and croissants. Spain has little 1 euro toy machines, and each time we encounter one, Sandra lets Addie buy a little trinket, and she took her new toy with her to the playground.
As the day wore on, we started to regret our late start… and our morning delay (and the extra kilometers walked). The heat quickly climbed. We stopped for drinks and a snack 5 kilometers away from Cacabelos, and I wondered if we should take a taxi. It was hot out, with a predicted high of 34 degrees Celcius. 5 kilometers would be doable with the girls in the stroller and a flat trail. It would take about an hour and then we’d be done. But rocky trails or an uncooperative toddler could extend that hour significantly.
We decided to continue on, armed with bottles of cold water, and we were glad we did. The trail was beautiful and partially shaded. It was a quiet, smooth path through vineyards. Despite the heat, it may have been our favourite day of walking.
We walked into Cacabelos and received a free glass of wine with check-in. We had a delicious lunch in a shaded garden, and then settled into our hotel.
In the evening, we stocked up at the grocery store and went to dinner, where we ran into our friends, Tony and Pat, a couple from the UK who we’ve been keeping pace with from the start. We hadn’t seen them since León, and we were so excited to find them in the restaurant here.
After dinner, Addie played with some children at the playground across the street, and we were all tired and happy by the time we came in for the night.
Today felt like what we imagined the Camino would be: good walking, good food, good company.
I’m so glad that when you get lost, you have found your way back. That would freak me out and I would be wandering around probably forever! And then that the day turned out so well, i can see you doing the happy dance. May you enjoy the rest of the walk like you did today, you are so close! And I want to know what little thing is in those trinket things, looks like fun.
Sounds like you and me getting lost in Thialand and Singapore. Great you found a nice part of the trail after some tough directional decisions. Well deserved !
A great post chronicling a great day. Continue to be inspired by your ability to write in such positive manner. We too experienced those “Oh Shit” moments when it dawned on us that there were no other pilgrims, no trail markers. The backtrack was known as “The Walk Of Shame” Moreso when we (actually I) forgot my poles at various stops. Interesting reactions as I encountered pilgrims while walking in the opposite direction to them.
Glad you are hitting your strike both literally and figuratively!