Ceri: This has been the least enjoyable day of the whole trip (except my sick days). I was heartened when Neil claimed it was the worst cycle ride of his life!! Mostly because we had to cycle along the hard shoulder of an extremely busy road, and this wasn’t even in error! The rain made it really slippery for Neil on his skinny tires and he told me there were sections where he was really scared. One skid and it could all be over. For me, it was just a ‘grin and bear it’ boring ride. Cold, wet, loud and unpleasant. 

The walkers kept mostly to paths through the woods then would emerge to cross our busy road in groups, clad in long ponchos with huge humpbacks or backpacks smothered in brightly coloured rainproof covers. Tour buses whizzed past us carrying their main luggage, alongside 

the thundering lorries. 

Half way along we spotted a loggers track, so followed it to find the perfect log for a picnic away from the noise. Peace! 

It was a short ride but still, seeing our lodgings was a relief. And the best part for me was to discover our room and a bath…. WITH A PLUG! Luxury! So that was me settled for the next hour. We’ve plenty of time to kill.

Most of my evenings have been spent finding accommodation for the next day or so. I read all the reviews! But now I’ve booked everything between here and home! There’s nothing to do except write this blog. 

Our journey from Santiago de Compostela to Santander proved to be a bigger problem than anticipated. The train was 12 hours, 2 long trips with a 4 hour wait in the middle. The buses won’t accept electric bikes and we found it incredibly difficult to find a car big enough to carry our bikes. On and on I researched. I can tell you the cubic capacity of most SUVs in Spain!! Finally I found a great big Volvo XC60 with a one way drop off which should do the trick. 

So now I’m twiddling my thumbs while Neil enjoys his bath.

Neil: We are in Galicia. Think of a crumpled bit of A4 paper. This describes the ride today. Brakes full on down a steep hill then up the other side. After the exertions of yesterday we are both a bit slower than usual! As we travel towards S de C we pass so many Peregrinos walking. We must have passed 300 in ones, twos and groups . 5km up hill followed by 7km downhill. On one up hill section we meet a Dutch couple who are truly inspiring. He had a spinal infection rendering him partially paralysed. He has a recumbent but tows his wheel chair behind for when he stops . His wife has a big trailer with all sorts of disability gadgets he needs. Yes they have  battery power but we are both in awe of what they have accomplished since they left The Hague. Later on we meet a young lady pushing a buggy with a 6 year old also doing the Camino . Stopping for a beer we meet a load of school children who are excitedly chattering away a bit like our youngsters doing 10 tors . It’s the last hilly section today. The economy of this region is dependent on the peregrinos as otherwise there is little else . It reminds Ceri and me of Devon

Ceri: What a great day! Tough though, but sunshine all day. We waited for the temperature to reach 8° before setting off and wound our way upwards from 500m to 1305m, regularly crossing paths with the walkers. It was a long, long slog. Even at the top there were more hills with one reaching 1337m before the long descent. But the views have been spectacular all day and everyone seems to have been buoyed by the sunshine, especially after yesterday’s downpours. 

Neil had to push occasionally, it was so so steep and long. We passed a young Cuban couple on e-bikes. The poor girlfriend was in tears with exhaustion so her boyfriend cycled both bikes up: one first, then walk back, then the other etc, while she walked. My heart went out to her as I’ve been in that situation with Neil in the past! But it made me realise I must be fairly fit as she was less than half my age with a light pannier.  We can barely lift my panniers! 

We stopped at a bar near the top of the main hill and joined a group of really entertaining Irishmen sipping beers, one of whom decided to steal my bike for a laugh. I saw the Cuban girl arrive and gave her a long hug.

On we continued, up and down, to another pub at the highest point. A beer… of course. And I plugged my battery in for a top up, just in case. At the start of our descent, we passed a helicopter evacuation of a hiker who’d had a suspected heart attack. Neil cycled past as he was being carried into the helicopter and said he looked fairly OK. Lots of worried onlookers. Then down and down we coasted, mile after mile with a few cruel uphills towards the end which finished Neil off. Gosh he’s tough. Thank heavens for my e-bike. I didn’t need the extra charge but it was good to know there was plenty left. 

When we arrived at our accommodation, we were welcomed by a group of American ladies enjoying a wine at the entrance to our accommodation. I’d chosen a pretty apartment overlooking the river with plenty of bars, and I saw that “I need a beer” look on an exhausted Neil. He’d looked after me the last 2 days, so it was my turn. I left him settling in with the ladies and set off to find a supermarket. Our rather special apartment had a decent kitchen, and it’s relaxing to eat ‘at home’ occasionally. When I returned with my groceries, Neil was surrounded by the group of American ladies which had tripled in size. He was completely recovered and I joined them a while before we all went our own ways. We both love these random meetings. 

Neil: Dawn breaks with good English drizzle! It was a long drag through industrial roads to finally leave Ponferrada. As we get closer to S de C we see more and more walkers. While peddling along we pass them. They all wear ponchos which protects their rucksacks but i am not sure I would wish to wear one as I’m sure you must get sweaty in one. This really is the most international of Pilgramages. Most people are solo or in twos usually a couple. As cyclists we pass the walkers regularly. Sometimes we say ‘Buen Camino ‘ it’s a sort of hello really. Lots of films about the Camino. We watched ’ Paths of Life ‘ last night . A lovely film about a French girl walking from Strasbourg to S de C. She introduced herself to walkers and interviewed some. They all had a similar feeling about wanting to switch off from modern life and enjoy the isolation but also the friendship that abounds on the Camino. 

      As a brief list we have met , French, Irish , Icelanders, Americans ( lots), Canadians , Spanish, Germans, South Koreans, Brazilians , Colombians, Australians , New Zealanders, South Africans, Polish, Chinese, Italian and of course a few Uk too . 

        Today’s ride highlights would be all Ceri really. She was in the sort of condition as we started that I could easily have given her a week sick note in GP land ! I can only say chapeau a plenty too her. She has plenty of pluck to undertake the ride at all and still not eating. Rain hail wind and hills were the recipe today . Although when the sun came out a bit I managed a little tipple of Vino Tinto . We have risen a couple of hundred metres . A big long hill tomorrow. Hopefully everything will have dried out then

Ceri: We were sad to leave Leon. There was a calmness about the city, probably because the whole of the centre is pedestrianised – although the bars at night aren’t peaceful! The Spanish have such a vibrancy about them with Camino travelers wandering through. We cycled out past the museum and the adjoining Parador which are beautiful buildings. It’s 13degC and raining as we set out for Astorga but clears. 

As the day progressed, I felt more and more unwell and I was so grateful to check into a welcoming hostel in Astorga. I went straight to bed and stayed there until morning. The hostel provided the most delicious evening meal with Camino walkers sitting around a big table exchanging tales. I’m told Neil kept many entertained with his extraordinary stories while I was either on the loo or in bed upstairs. I missed the food and the fun, but met them all at breakfast. What an interesting group of people. 

Unfortunately next morning I was too weak to cycle, so we booked tickets for the train. Every cloud has a silver lining as we missed hours of torrential rain early morning and used the following sunshine to visit the stunning Bishops Palace in Astorga, designed by Gaudi. I’m in such awe of his creativity. We both are. 

It’s been a beautiful train journey. The landscape has  become much richer and more interesting. The train wound its way through numerous tunnels in and out of the mountains we would have been cycling over. It’s been such a contrast to the plains we’ve cycled across. 

We’re settled in our apartment. I’m resting watching TV/ sleeping and Neil’s been out chemist and grocery shopping. We’ll have a QNI (quiet night in) with me under the care of a wonderful doctor, and hopefully we’ll both be back on our bikes tomorrow. 

Neil: Our first rest day . León was the old capital of Spain before Madrid. A little history….The Moors had conquered all of Spain except a small part of Asturias. From there the reconquista as the Spanish call it saw them gradually evicted from Spain between AD 722 and 1492 . It took a long time ! The apostle James was seen in a vision which became Santiago Matamoros ( St James the Moor-slayer) . This iconic figure is celebrated all along the Camino as the land was cleared . This together with the bones of St James ( more in a few days ) founded the Pilgramage which we are on . Lots to see in León with its cathedral and wonderful stained glass. We spent the morning though in one of Gaudi’s amazing constructions. Such a talented man . His tutor was said to say “ he’d either become a brilliant architect or a madman”.  He was certainly brilliant. 

We can begin to see the end now maybe 8-9 days more . We decide we will stay in a Parador at the end for two nights and then negotiate how to get back to Santander! we have been so lucky with the weather, raining a little today but hey we are not cycling!

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Ceri: Last night we stayed in such a strange hotel on the outskirts of Sahagun. It reminded us of the Jack Nicholson film The Shining. Long empty corridors with no one around. Huge empty banqueting rooms with no sign of staff. When we arrived we stood in the huge space rather bewildered, when suddenly, up pops Manuel from Fawlty Towers, jumping all over the place to welcome us. He had very little English so between us we found a rather strange looking receptionist with staring eyes, who seemed to appear suddenly from a cupboard. Neil reckoned she was the wicked lady in a Bond Film with deathly spikes in her shoes, but actually, she was really nice and helpful. Those 2 were the only staff we encountered during our stay in this enormous hotel. At breakfast, we met 2 other couples who’d made exactly the same comparison with the film. We were all on our way to Santiago and our laughter must have echoed through the vast breakfast room. Manuel (we never got his real name) continued to charge around happy to please everyone. We all adored him. Most of the walking Peligrinos stayed in the centre of town but this was the only hotel room we could find late in the day. We ended up swapping numbers with a lovely New York couple over breakfast. We hope we meet them again, but who knows?

Our road followed the walking path. I knew it was an extremely popular challenge, but seeing so many people striding out was a unique experience. Short, tall, old, young, slim, big, all on their individual journeys. Mostly singles or couples and I’d say 70-80% were our generation from all over the world. Many had strapped knees. Hats off to every single one of them. It’s a tough walk. 

We met a charismatic Brit , probably aged 60ish, walking in bare feet! He entertained us with endless stories. The walkers keep bumping into each other along the way and friendships form. It’s lovely to watch and we’re having a great time meeting them. 

The cycling to Leon was easy, although misty and chilly when we set out. Now we have 2 nights in Leon which appears to be a fascinating city. It will be our first day in 3 weeks in which we haven’t mounted our bikes which are safely locked away. (I’ll probably add to this post later this evening. )

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Neil: Our first day on the Camino proper . The clientele is from all over the World . It’s on the bucket list of many people I think . At breakfast I play at doctors and help a Dutchman with shin splints. They will take a taxi to the next place and get some insoles . 

Here are the statistics from 2023 

• Walking – 404,175 pilgrims

• Bicycling – 22,881 pilgrims

• Blank entry – 5,726 pilgrims

• Horseback – 606 pilgrims

• Sailing – 276 pilgrims

• Wheelchair – 198 pilgrims

Today we started in mist. The cycle route follows the walkers for a few miles. In ones and twos they walk, some have started a long way away like us, some just doing a section at a time. We met two cyclists today an Austrian lady who was travelling quickly and a lovely lady from Utah who was on her own who had hired a bicycle for a few days. She had a terrible pump and poor pressure in her front tyre. So an international group set about helping taking in turns with my mini pump. Two Aussies father and son and a gentleman from China got the required pressure in. She was very grateful. We met her later for lunch on a bench in a small village. We exchanged WhatsApp numbers. I remember from walking the West Highland Way and the Dales Way those lovely conversations that flow easily with people you will probably never meet again. The meseta or plains are a joy to cycle almost no cars with distant vistas . Occasionally a deserted church reminds you that you are treading in the path of Pilgrims that have walked this way since the tenth century. Whether secular or spiritual I don’t think it matters, it’s the journey. I think it’s in the moments of peaceful silence with the hum of a wheel that I feel a real connection with the surroundings . Ceri might be ahead by 200 metres( usually up a hill!) or I get in the big chain wheel and power down a slope . The hills at the moment are all very gradual, the miles roll by . Our legs now are well used to most terrains. We tend to stop for a break every hour or so, a glass of wine or a beer mid afternoon for me is a stimulus. I caught myself thinking this afternoon, should I have a white wine or red or a beer. The first wins and now we are in our village for the night. It looks as if the day is over but one more twist awaits. Ceri tells me our hotel tonight is 6 km out of town. Strange I think as I have seen a sign for a hotel as we come into Sahagun. We duly cycle the distance and turn right into a field ! Seemingly cut and paste into google maps has played a trick on us and we have to walk along a bramble track under a motorway to get back to the hotel I had seen an hour ago. The hotel is a bit like ‘ The Shining’ minus the cold weather! All the hostals were full. We spend an hour booking a few more days worth . The craic is certainly not here ! One of our advantages over the walkers is that we can always go off piste. Egg and chips awaits !

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Ceri: This has been the most enjoyable day so far. We said farewell to our warm friendly hostess. Her hotel was the only one available on our route, in a tiny village with no shops or restaurants for many mile’s around. Supper last night was delicious, mainly produce from her garden. She must keep her meat and fish in a freezer as this place is so remote. We were so grateful to find this accommodation. The next available hotel is 50 miles away so a long day to come.

We cycled up and up out of her village through wind farms shrouded in mist. Soon we were back up to 1000m altitude. The road was silent and empty for mile after mile. Poor villages came and went with abandoned houses and decaying churches. In the mist it was eery and peaceful. A wonderful ride. 

And of course those long straight Roman roads were as far as the eye could see. Privacy for a quick pee stop wasn’t an issue as I could spot a car coming in the far distance from both directions. The road was empty except for flocks of migrating birds swooping around, playing with us, then resuming their travels. Our minds wandered. I imagined Roman centurions leading their armies along miles and miles of scrub,  or architects designing motorways using the topography of the landscape as we cycled below one motorway. Neil said he thought all sorts of random thoughts without a care in the world. Thinking of family, friends, enjoying the countryside flying by as we cycled. 

We came across a fantastic bar in a medieval village Villadiego, with delicious looking tapas which we bought for our picnic. It was 10.30am and many locals were already enjoying a particular local tipple. Neil’s couldn’t resist. I sipped a little. It was potent, delicious and warming. Even as I type this Neil maintains his navigational skills remained unaffected. I set a course out of the village and he reluctantly followed along that long straight road, maintaining his choice of route would have eventually met mine. Sobriety has its advantages!

We enjoyed the most delicious picnic of our trip in the town square in Melgar Fernamental with the tapas, tomatoes donated by our landlady, avocado and fruit from a market in Poza. And of course, a beer. The joy of the straight Roman roads is that we cover distances at a great rate and we’d cycled 35 miles before lunch. 

The afternoon became tough however as the next landscape was barren of life. All we could see from one horizon to the other were bare fields scalped of their hay. Not a car passed us along the vaguely undulated road. It reminded me of the vast American prairies where one could walk for days without seeing a soul. Then finally an oasis of life emerged. Mainly huge hay barns stacked to the gunnels, then a big church and then hotels and restaurants. And tourists! We haven’t seen a tourist in weeks. We hear English spoken for the first time. We’ve arrived on the Camino de Santiago. From now on, every hotel we stay in will have people from all over the world walking the Camino. It’s going to be so different. Exciting days ahead!!

Neil has asked me to add his comments :-

I hope you enjoy our blog. However what it doesn’t say is how gutsy Ceri was today. She has the double whammy of migraine all night (no sleep) and dumping as we set off. Up hill she peddled into the mist . Fighting a headache, exhaustion, sweating and feeling nauseous from a hypo. Gradually both wore off . Chapeau to her and more . Nothing death defying, just sheer Welsh grit got her through . 80kms today as you have read . I am sipping a  lovely Rioja at 5  O clock . Leeds are one up against Cardiff. Doesn’t get much better than this

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Neil: After a lengthy ride yesterday with a punishing finish, I had only one thing in mind a beer in fact I had two, abandoning Ceri ! 

        Today started with a climb up to 1089m. Planning this we thought let’s not go far. This plan worked very well. Breakfast was not provided we have to make up ourselves. We buy milk and use our plastic cups for cereal and use a little element heater in water to make tea. Can’t waste milk so I polished it off! Must have worked well as the 300 metre ascent went well. Poza de La Sal is a fascinating village. As the name suggests it was once under the sea so the whole mountain is full of salt . They pump ordinary water at the top and pick up salt water at the bottom. It’s then dried and sold. I had expected at the top to go down the other side but no onto a plateau. Many many wind turbines. Very easy cycling. Lunch and a snooze and we are soon at our destination. A tiny village, the lady will cook for us. We are making our own Camino but guided by others experience. We have used the book below quite a lot, a hilariously account of 4 people who make lots of mistakes with food and water and probably drink too much. Accordingly we have not really met anyone doing a Camino. Tomorrow we shall be heading towards the main Camino. Not sure how we will feel joining lots of others . Both Ceri and I love not knowing where we are going in terms of scenery and places to stay. We book up a day or two in advance usually

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