John Journal

O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela 14.0 Miles/32,915 Steps – (Total 369.3 Miles/857,351 Steps) Today we arrived. Today we floated into Santiago de Compostela after 14 miles that flew by. We didn’t want it to be over, but we made it by the grace of God. And oh what grace it was. I have never […]

Sobrado to Arzuá – 13.8 Miles/32,757 Steps (Total 343.7/798,573) Our arrival in Arzuá was a clear indication that things are about to change. The town is built for pilgrims with alburgues, pension and cafeterias everywhere. They have three souvenirs shops in a very small town center. This is the point where a couple of major

Roxica to Sobrado – 9.4 Miles/23,165 Steps (Total 329.8/764,816) We ended our short day in Sobrado so we could spend some time in the monastery. One of the disappointments of the journey has been the number of closed churches. Our guide books would tell of 12th/13th/14th century churches on our route and most of the

Baamonde to Roxica – 13.6 Miles/31,950 Steps (Total 320.3/741,346) Reading about the Camino last night we learned that in addition to the indulgences that could be earned in the Middle Ages for making the pilgrimage to Santiago, if one were to die en route, they would be granted total remission of sin. We decided to

Arzuá to O Pedrouzo 11.9 Miles/26,231 Steps – (Total 355.5/823,573) Each day on the Camino has had a different character. Usually the landscape is the variable, but today it was the people. Hoards of people. Ok, not hoards, but when you see maybe five or six other pilgrims a day – usually at some watering

Vilalba to Baamonde 12.4 Miles/29,051 Steps – (Total 306.6/709,396) Our entire journey has been spent following the signs that lead us on the path to Compostela. Sometimes they have been simple yellow arrows spray painted on a rock, a fence, a utility pole or on the street. There have been scallop shells whose tentacles converge

Abedín to Vilalba 12.5 Miles/28,850 Steps – (Total 293.4/678,245) We began the day with low expectations about what we would see and where we would go. We had about 12 Miles to cover and it looked from the maps like we would spend the day dodging between the two major roads that have been our

La Caridad to Ribadeo 14.9 Miles/33,231 Steps – (Total 251.5/580,122) Today really was our last day along the coast. We have traveled 250 miles on foot from Bilbao to Ribadeo, and now we turn inland over the hills. I have been struck by how vast the ocean seems. We would look out from where we

Luarca to Caridad 18.3 Miles/40,678 Steps – (Total 235.8/544,359) We left Luarca under the cover of darkness because we had a long way to go. Today’s journey was the longest planned segment of our journey. The sun came out to light our way. As Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet

Ribadeo to Lourenzá 16.4 Miles/37,912 Steps – (Total 268.7/620,450) We woke early on a Sunday morning with nothing to do – besides covering 16 miles through the hills just off the coast of northern Spain. As two priests on a Sunday we figured we had to have a service. So we did a complete Eucharist while walking. Hymns, readings,