Category: Travel

About a week after returning from most adventures, I post some reflections on that journey.

Three weeks ago today, I arrived in Santiago de Compostela – and headed back to San Luis Obispo two days later.  Only now am I feeling the pull to put my reflections into written words.

Why the delay?  Could it be because my eyes are still – five months post-cataract surgery – incredibly sensitive to light including from my computer monitor?  Could it be because my body, which held up for 700 miles with nary an ache, now speaks to me through lower back pain?  Could it be spending a full week at Live Oak Music Festival, volunteering on set up and tear down while also enjoying a fabulous weekend of music?

Or could it be because the Camino experience was so powerful that finding the words to express the journey is nearly impossible?

When friends ask me about the Camino, I say it was “transformational.”

Having the time and space to BE.  Just BE.  What a GIFT!  A transformative GIFT!

While walking, I realized that the questions I thought I had for the Camino – topics I felt I might consider while putting one foot in front of the other – were not the questions that the Camino answered.  Larger questions about strength, relationships, purpose…those are the answers that percolated.

I also reflected on being “insignificantly significant.”  Opening my lens infinitely wide, we are individually insignificant in the history of the world and the fullness of the cosmos.  BUT we matter here and now.  To ourselves. To those we love and those who love us.  To our communities – local, national, and global.  Being insignificant in the largest sense does not absolve me from being significant to those around me.

Most guidebooks divide the Camino Frances into three sections:  the “Body” – from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Burgos (the Pyrenees and Basque Country); the “Mind” – from Burgos to Astorga (the Meseta); and the “Soul” – from Astorga to Santiago de Compostela (Cantabrian Mountains and Galicia).
I, though, see four sections, splitting the final third into two pieces:  Astorga to Sarria and Sarria to Santiago de Compostela.  The quantity of pilgrims, especially the large groups of teenagers, makes the final 100km different than the preceding 700km.

For purposes of my blog, though, I’m using our rest days to organize my thoughts!

Section 1:  Saint Jean Pied de Port to Logroño 

Although I enjoy walking and hiking, I was quite concerned about the climb over the Pyrenees.  So I trained.  Lots of big climbs, including up Sydney, a local tough hike.  Little did I know that the hike up challenged me less than the slippery and scary hike down into Zubiri!

Stages 1-7: Saint Jean Pied de Port to Logroño

Logroño Rest Day

Section 2:  Logroño to Burgos 

Some of the most beautiful scenery!  The photo at the very top of this post is from Cirueña, just outside of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, where Minke and I had our first “princess moment.”  Our hotel was less than satisfactory in Logroño and even more disappointing in Najera.  Since there is a parador in Santo Domingo, Minke introduced me to the exquisiteness of paradores in Santo Domingo!

Stages 8-12: Logroño to Burgos

Burgos Rest Day

Section 3:  Burgos to León

The Meseta:  A vast plateau between Burgos and León.  A few pilgrims avoid the Meseta for its lack of trees and shade and often stark vistas.  I, however, LOVED walking the Meseta.  The openness, the springtime beauty of the flowers and fields, the time and space allowing one’s mind to wander and ponder….all of it made this part of the Camino a meaningful and powerful experience for me.

Stages 13-21: Burgos to León

León Rest Day

Section 4:  León to Ponferrada

This section had one of my very favorite hikes!  Although long and very challenging, the hike from Rabanal del Camino to Molinaseca amazed me with its flowing creeks, blooming wildflowers, and varied terrain.  Less thrilling:  Molinaseca to Ponferrada!

Stages 22-25: León to Ponferrada

Ponferrada Rest Day

Section 5:  Ponferrada to Santiago de Compostela

Three weeks ago, I completed my pilgrimage from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela.  As Minke and I gripped hands while walking into Plaza del Obradoiro, the home of the Santiago Cathedral, I felt relief, joy, surprise, pride, accomplishment, happiness, gratitude.  Overwhelmed, I burst into tears.  Tears not of sadness but of deeply felt amazement and achievement.

Stages 26-34: Ponferrada to Santiago de Compostela

A few other posts I made on this journey…

Paris: Pre-adventure

Saint Jean Pied de Port Meandering

Obituary: Camembert Francis de Santiago, date of birth unknown, date of death April 29, 2025

Finisterre Celebratory Rest Day

We walked to the “End of the World!”

Well, kinda sorta.  

Minke and I walked from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela.

Heather joined us from León to Santiago de Compostela.

Kayla walked with us from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela.

We four took a bus to Finisterre, called the “End of the World”!  There, we celebrated our accomplishment!  

Smiles, tears, hugs, stories, laughter…all of it!!!  We are Camino sisters.  Forever. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Best dinner:  In Villafranca del Bierzo, we stayed at La Llave Guesthouse, owned and operated by former South Carolinian, Jeff.  Not only did he warmly welcome us and share his experiences on the Camino and buying and creating this relaxing space, he made us a FABULOUS dinner!  Grilled Moroccan vegetable salad with mushroom risotto!  One of the very best meals we’ve enjoyed on this adventure.  Villafranca itself boasts a river, friendly plazas, and sites aplenty – definitely a place to stay more than one night.

Most foggy morning:  In O Cebreiro, we woke to fog blanketing the mountaintop.  Both beautiful and eerie, the walk started differently than many other mornings. 

Best cheesecake:  We ate the most delicious cheesecake in Filloval!

Most amazing new life:  Out of Sarria, we noticed a cow eating something that didn’t look like grass.  It was afterbirth!  She had just given birth and was devouring the placenta.  We watched, mesmerized, as the cow cleaned up from the birth and licked the limp calf.  Finally, the calf stood and searched for its first meal. New life!

One of the most beautiful forest trails next to a river:  On our way to Sarria, we were fortunate to walk in a forest next to a flowing river surrounded by the sounds of water falling.  Perfection!

Best bed:  In Arzúa, we had the pleasure of staying at Lar da Mota, a gorgeous guesthouse with the absolutely most comfortable beds!

Most meaningful Sefirot:  While pondering how to turn this oftentimes Catholic/Christian pilgrimage into a Jewish spiritual experience, I realized that my Camino coincided with Counting the Omer.  Two of the three most holy days on the Jewish calendar are Passover, when the Israelites left bondage in Egypt, and Shavuot, when Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.  During these 49 days, Jews may reflect on their lives to improve themselves, their communities, and the world.  This year, the Omer period began just a few days before I left for the Camino and ends a couple of days after I return.  I found a wonderful document which offers a prayerful reflection for each of these 49 days.  Often with my Camino sisters, I would share each day’s prompt.  While walking, we would sometimes discuss our personal reflections based on the prayer.  Other times, we would reflect privately and hold our thoughts within ourselves.  At the beginning of the final week of Counting the Omer, I read the following excerpt, written by Rabbi Shifra Tobacman.  It spoke to me so powerfully – a summation of the Camino itself – that I stopped walking, asked my Camino sisters to join me, and read this passage to them – with tears flowing:  “When we invoke awareness of the Shekhina during the last week of counting the Omer, I like to think that we are grounding ourselves for receiving whatever wisdom or insight will make its way to us, whatever personal Torah is ours to learn. We listen to the world and to the people around us, and we listen for the still small voice within that reminds us of… something … whatever that something is for each of us, whatever that something is that we need to glean, or ask, or know – whatever it is we are needing to receive as we approach Shavuot, the pinnacle of our seven-week journey.”

Best day:  Absolutely, the best day was when we arrived in Santiago de Compostela!  I will share some of my thoughts and reflections when I get home, but I think this video, recorded by Kayla, sums up my experience and emotions.

Below are Relive videos from our final days of walking the Camino de Santiago.

Stage 26:  Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo (17 miles)

Stage 27:  Villafranca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro (18 miles – two videos…tracker stopped in Las Herrerías…)

Stage 28:  O Cebreiro to Triacastela (15 miles)

Stage 29:  Triacastela to Sarria – Kayla joined us in Sarria ❤️!  (17.5 miles)

Stage 30:  Sarria to Portomarin (15.7 miles)

Stage 31:  Portomarin to Palas de Rei (16.7 miles)

Stage 32:  Palas de Rei to Arzua (19 miles)

Stage 33:  Arzua to Amenal (15 miles)

Stage 34:  Amenal to Santiago de Compostela (11 miles)

The walk into Ponferrada was … gorgeous at the start … exhausting by the end.  My Camino princess sisters and I stayed not at the accommodation Camino Ways had reserved for us but rather at the AC Hotel Marriott.  The upgrade made for a much nicer, more pleasant, and more relaxing rest day!

Although for this section of the Camino, we “only” walked for four days between resting in León and now in Ponferrada, the four days took us from the flat quiet Meseta to the mountainous varied Cantabrian Range.

A treat for Minke and me:  our friend, Heather, joined us in León!  She’ll be walking the rest of the Camino with us. ❤️

Here are a few of my reflections and thoughts for this section…

Being Jewish on the Camino:  For some, the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela can be a Catholic/Christian experience.  For me, it is a Jewish one.  My Judaism is innate in me; it is part of my essence.  There are a few ways I’m personalizing this Camino into my own Jewish experience.  One of these is to find Jewish symbols, stories, or artifacts wherever I can find them.  The opening photo is from León’s Plaza Mayor.  Shaped in the form of the Iberian Peninsula is a small brass plaque with the Hebrew word Sefared, the Jewish name for Spain, marking the original Jewish barrio in León before the Jews were expelled in 1492.

Most welcoming hospitality:  Camino Ways booked us into a beautiful renovated flour mill, Molino Galochas in Villavante.  Mercedes, the hostess, greeted us with a hug, a glass of wine, and a snack.  Her warm welcome, along with her gorgeous home, created a sweet respite.

Story with greatest connection to Martin Sheen and the movie The Way:  Mercedes told us about Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez, and Emilio’s son, Taylor.  While they were filming The Way, Taylor met his now wife, Julia.  Julia’s mom is one of Mercedes’ best friends.  The cast and crew from The Way enjoyed their stay at Molina Galochas as much as we did!

Part of me I’m not leaving on the Camino:  The Camino challenges pilgrims to reflect, think, and consider…whatever comes to mind while walking.  It is so much more than just a “walk!”  With the time and space to connect with oneself and one’s Camino community, there are many opportunities for growth.  A part of myself that I cherish and will not leave on the Camino is “Mama Lisa.”  Mama Lisa represents my nurturing, caring, and empathic traits.  I thought of this yesterday at the Cruz de Ferro (Iron Cross) at one of the highest points between the towns of Foncebadón and Manjarín.  Seeing someone I met at Molina Galochas, a man around my age who was walking with his 28 year old son, I saw the man become quite emotional when he put a stone at the cross.  When he approached where we were standing, he looked tearful and sad.  I said, “May I give you a hug?”  He accepted and thanked me, with another hug, later that day at our lunch cafe.  On the Camino, many people come for the adventure and the allure of walking for many miles over many days.  Others come for some deep personal reason.  I love hearing others’ stories and have many times offered a hug, which has been frequently and warmly accepted.

Best prayer for the Camino:  The Shehecheyanu, a Hebrew blessing recited in Judaism to express gratitude for being alive, for being sustained, and for having reached a special occasion or moment.  At times of joy, surprise, and pleasure, this powerful prayer speaks to me.  I have recited and sang it many times on this journey.

Best hike:  Although long and very challenging, the 32 km hike from Rabanal del Camino to Ponferrada amazed me with its flowing creeks, blooming wildflowers, and varied terrain.  We climbed from Rabanal del Camino to the highest point of the Camino, up about 1,200 feet to nearly 5,000 feet. From there, we descended over 3,000 feet to Ponferrada.  The slate and rocks made for a treacherous descent.  Thank goodness the weather cooperated!  No rain and cool temperatures!

Here are my four videos from this section’s stages.

Note:  Our next rest day isn’t until we complete the Camino in Santiago de Compostela.  We only have nine more stages…

Stage 22:  León to Mazarife (15 miles)

Stage 23:  Villavante to Astorga (18 miles)

Stage 24:  Astorga to Rabanal del Camino (14 miles)

Stage 25:  Rabanal del Camino to Ponferrada (22.4 miles)

A day to rest and explore the many intriguing sites of León, while meandering another 6.6 miles. 

The Meseta:  A vast plateau between Burgos and León.  A few pilgrims avoid the Meseta for its lack of trees and shade and often stark vistas.  I, however, LOVED walking the Meseta.  The openness, the springtime beauty of the flowers and fields, the time and space allowing one’s mind to wander and ponder….all of it made this part of the Camino a meaningful and powerful experience for me.

Some of my many thoughts considered while meandering on the Meseta:

Favorite hill climb on the Meseta:  When I first really got into hiking, I HATED hiking up hills.  I consoled myself by thinking that I could stop anywhere at any time to catch my breath before continuing the climb – and that there would be a summit soon.  As I became a stronger hiker, hills weren’t my favorite but I managed to do fine on them.  On this Camino, I ADORE hills!  It began on the final hill heading into Los Arcos.  Now, I become the Energizer Bunny on a hill, smiling the whole way up.  The climb up to Alto de Mostelares, just after Castrojeriz, was dreaded by some – and loved by ME!  Who woulda thunk it??!!

Best blister care:  Compeed and a safety pin!  My legs and body feel very strong and not sore at all.  My feet, though, developed a few blisters after the first week or so of walking.  One day, the blister on my left second toe hurt so much it began annoying my big toe.  The tape in my head kept reminding me that one should never burst a blister as an infection may ensue.  However, I used my safety pin to terrific relief and now firmly believe in the power of Compeed PLUS safety pins to relieve blister pain.

Best hiking shirt:  It’s a tie between Minke’s Patagonia hooded, long-sleeved, thumb-hole shirt and my magic blue breathable, adjustable sleeved hiking shirt!

Sentence completed before it even started: For dinner, we often have the Pilgrim Menu, consisting of a starter, a main dish, a dessert, bread, wine, and water.  Trout is sometimes offered as the fish main course.  I enjoy eating trout, but I don’t like to see its head on my plate.  Minke and I are so in-sync after traveling the Camino together for nearly 400 miles (adding in Paris, rest days, and wandering), that we not only are able to complete each other’s sentences but, when I silently hand her my trout plate and look away, she removes the head and returns my plate.  ❤️

Most bells:  In Carrion de los Condes on May 8 at about 6:10 pm, I was lying on my bed reading a book, when the bells at the church outside our window kept ringing – nonstop.  Curious, I looked at my phone and saw that the smoke was white – a new Pope was chosen!  Minke hopped out of the bathtub (her favorite place to relax after a day’s walk when a tub is available) and threw on some clothes, so we could walk around the village to watch and listen to bells tolling throughout the small village.

Most interesting translation:  According to Google Translate, Calzadilla de la Cueza means “cook’s underpants.”  Perhaps not surprisingly, Calzadilla de la Cueza provides the worst coffee we’ve had so far on the Camino.

Best communal lounging area:  In the sweet town of Castrojeriz, we stayed at La Posada de Castrojeriz, a small hostal with a beautiful covered atrium and comfortable chairs, a  perfect place to read, relax, and/or chat.

Most annoying on the Camino:  Oftentimes, the Camino is shared by both walkers and cyclists.  Annoying and a bit scary are cyclists who quietly sneak up on you without either a verbal or bell warning.

Warmest welcome:  Upon arriving in León, we were cordially greeted at a tent by friendly senior volunteers, wearing neon vests with shirts festooned with official patches.  They stamped our Pilgrim passports, gave us a lollipop, and provided directions on a paper map to our hotel and local attractions.  What a sweet welcome!  

Now, it’s time for a rest day to relax, refresh, and enjoy this beautiful city!

Stage 13: Burgos to Hornillos del Camino (14.3 miles)

Stage 14: Hornillos del Camino to Castrojeriz (14.7 miles)

Stage 15: Castrojeriz to Fromista (16.9 miles)

Stage 16:  Fromista to Carrion de los Condes (14 miles)

Stage 17:  Carrion de los Condes to Calzadilla de la Cueza (12.8 miles)

Stage 18:  Calzadilla de Cueza to Sahagun (14.7 miles)

Stage 19:  Sahagun to El Burgo Ranero (12.7 miles)

Stage 20:  El Burgo Ranero to Mansilla de las Mulas (15 miles)

Stage 21: Mansilla de las Mulas to León (21.3 miles)

Camembert Francis de Santiago was born to a French mother, Belle Poulet, who encountered “the love of her life” during a free range vacation in northwest Spain.  Although his mother took the name “de Santiago,” CF de S never met his father.

Camembert, or “Cam” as his friends called him, was a noble rooster – or coq (in French) – and enjoyed a distinguished academic career writing several books, including the well-known masterpiece El Gallo et Coq Galuois:  Rooster Symbolism in Spain and France in the Middle Ages.

While he shunned politics in general, he briefly led the ill-fated campaign to free the caged chickens of Santo Domingo de la Calzada.

Toward the end of his life, he sought to explore his Spanish roots. In Saint Jean Pied de Port, France, on Monday, April 21, 2025, he began to travel the Camino with two human companions. 

Finding sympathetic ears in these and many other pilgrims, he shared stories of his colorful, at times difficult, youth.  Often following a long and arduous day’s journey on the Camino, Cam’s best stories were enhanced by a drink or two (or three…).

On the morning of his surprising death, he tumbled from a cafe chair, losing his head and his life.  A coroner’s investigation, required due to allegations of nefarious misconduct, determined cause of death as accidental.

CF de S never married.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Belle Poulet, and is survived by his twin brother, Roquefort Leon de Santiago. CF de S  is sorely missed by his Camino family, Lisa, Minke, Stephanie, Lisa #2, Jill, Maggie, and many others.

In lieu of flowers or donations, please consider walking a Camino in his name.

RIP, Camembert Francis de Santiago

(Written primarily by guest author Minke, with photos and a bit of input from Lisa.)

After spending the first third of our Camino in the Pyrenees and Basque Country, we now relaxed and walked about seven miles in the gorgeous city of Burgos to rest up before entering the Meseta, the plateau with its open fields of grain.