Spain By Foot | Camino De Santiago Day by Day, Pt. 2
two weeks ago Rocky and I flew to Paris rode a train to Spain started the Camino Francis walked a lot took a detour to bilb got sick and now we were waiting for the [Music] results uh I got strip throat so that’s been fun the doctor said Camino cough is common but this strep throat took me out thankfully we got some antibiotics and could take a few days off and lay on to recover however after our detour to bil Bao and the time spent sick in a hotel we needed to Jump Ahead slightly to finish the Camino in time but before we left we spent a day learning about lon’s Roman history and visiting its 13th century Cathedral AAL while there we learned the Leon Cathedral has one of the largest collections of medieval stained glass in the [Music] world today we’re taking the train to estorga to hopefully get back on track outside of my voice sounding like this everything else seems okay so fingers crossed what did we do in aor we went to a chocolate Museum and saw all the like old machines and stuff they use to make chocolate aoga was one of the first European cities to taste chocolate thanks to Spanish explorer hernand Cortez who brought it from the new world in the 16th century today ASA celebrates its chocolate Heritage with traditional chocolateers and this Museum dedicated to the history of the Beloved [Music] treat after the history of chocolate in the area we toured an ancient Roman prison that housed the collection of artifacts from an even earlier history in astorga the history of the Camino is evident in every footfall but never more present than when encountering relics and artifacts from another time each step imbued with Echoes of the people who journeyed these paths for centuries leaving behind traces of their suffering Faith stories and the enduring cultural tapestry that defines this iconic pilgrimage the next morning we left the old town of astorga behind and continued our journey East to the city of Santiago de compostella on our first really cold morning of the trip [Music] we spent the day climbing this really beautiful mountain range and it was windy and we didn’t have reservations at a place just the one day we didn’t it’s pretty tough Li out for the day the view is pretty cool I do this little it almost felt like like a like a German ski town or something yeah and we so we went to the first alberg a they had a vacancy we took it and um how was it there it was a m the um well first we got in there and it’s like oh maybe it’s just us and then Andrew’s like I think it’s just us I think we got lucky it’s just us there’s four other bugs yeah four empty beds in our room in our rooms this group of people come in and one of them was a swep so they had like hacking calls all night yeah we both woke up many times throughout the night Rocky was had worse sleep than I did [Music] yeah so we left the mountain town to head to Pon verada and it’s a long day I’m like 18 miles or something at the Camino Fran’s High Point the Cru def pharoh sits a top a mound of Pebbles stones and dirt for years many who walk the Camino carry a piece from their homes or a significant place along their journey and place it here symbolizing leaving their burdens behind lightening their load and letting go yeah another pretty day it was a hard day though lots of downhill the the same hill we went up we had to go down but yeah we had lunch at this really cute little town by the river and uh made it to bonada yeah and a lot of cat sides oh yeah cats I touch them well I only touched R and then I tried to touch another one and that one that I touched started using at all of them so I think it owns me now and then when we got to Pon forado we saw a castle Yeah Knights of Templar crazy St the F came to our [Music] [Music] the next day we walked through town through fields and Vineyards past ancient buildings and modern [Music] homes as it slowly started to sink in that we were closer to the end of our Camino than to its beginning [Music] we had a really steep day yes and it ended up being about I don’t know 18 19 20 miles yeah it was like 18 Mi by GPS but 20 mi by our watch is the days were long yes but they brought with them Discovery Wonder mesmerizing scenery and [Music] Beauty we’re now headed downhill and that’s going to feel great on our knees I am weing my patella or is a p like the double air my knee burn my knee my tendon [Music] tendonitis Rocky’s got some knee and hip tendinitis no I don’t know what my hip is it’s been hurting since the first day and I can’t lift my leg off a certain height like after honestly if it’s higher than um walking that’s is real good this real good for me to do BL for the next week basically we all have much easier mileage days until the second to last day so 21 miles which is it I mean this is the thing this whole TI I go oh what’s elevation or what’s it is it l is it is there a lot of ups deeps and downs and Andrew’s like oh no look at the first day the first day was the worst cuz it’s like this big massive it was like 4,000 ft of elevation gain and loss apparently this is a 800 year old chestnut tree it’s 800 years I’m not sure if it’s [Music] Chestnut what you doing do this [Music] we left Tria Stella and headed into our final week on the Camino [Music] made a friend oh he’s met and made a new friend he’s coming now you have [Music] dog I guess we have a dog now keeps walking with us do you like the dog yeah no go home son eventually he left and went home and we encountered another town taken over by its pets [Music] [Music] the weather was starting to warm up again so we got back in the habit of waking early and walking our first few miles in the coolness of the morning to avoid the heat of the afternoon sun and even in the early hour there were many others on the trail well it’s definitely got more crowded today as we get closer to the end which makes sense in order to receive a compostella the official certificate that says you walk the Camino you have to complete a minimum of the last 100 km 100 km left [Music] tonight we’d be staying in Porto Moren and if you look closely you can see the ruins of an old Roman bridge in the water [Music] below we walked to P Marin quto Marin quto Marin we walk through a bunch of ss stinky manure fields we got ice cream well no what was it gelato we stayed the night high above the river and left early the next morning to continue East [Music] it’s hot it’s hot today [Music] so we’re getting near the end we just have today and tomorrow and then we tomorrow we get to Santiago de compostella how does it feel I know both want to like I’m like okay let’s already be done it’s like those last couple days it’s hard to stick it out you know like you want to just be done with sun things before it’s done and so then you don’t do as good of a job but I know it’s been really pretty these last couple of days each sort of region autonomous Zone whatever they’re called has been different it seems more green more cold although we’ve had a little bit of a hot Street the last couple days yeah but very beautiful lots of oak trees FS eukalyptus just few more days of walking [Music] Rocky and I were now days away from finishing our walk across Spain do you like this hotel we’re in yeah it’s nice did you like taking a bath uhhuh why is this the nicest hotel you’ve ever been in I already said yes fing me yeah the only room we could find in town that night was a fancy Modern Hotel with a giant bad PEB but our tired bones didn’t mind [Music] mind it’s the last day last day perhaps that hotel and all of its amenities was a harbinger of things to come a brief moment of relatively homelike comfort as we stepped ever closer to Santiago [Music] [Laughter] [Music] all around us we saw signs that we were nearing the [Music] [Music] end as we crisscross towns and forests cities and Parks our end point was drawing near we made it to [Music] Santiago we made it to Santiago we’re not quite at the uh the end we still got about 2 miles or less but we made it to the city [Music] congrats we’ll make it up as we go and we’ll drive all night miles from the city and we’ll Close Our Eyes cuz I’ll go where you lead me you all go where you lead me [Music] [Music] got a half mile left almost there 30 days later [Music] we did it we did [Music] it as we stride into Santiago de compostella after our month-long Journey we reflect on moments of awe and adversity from Paris and over the Pyrenees into Spain from bu rustling streets to Serene Trails each step Echoes with the weight of centuries Whispers of pilgrims past guiding our way through illness and health and over 400 miles we’ve tested our body’s limits finding resilience in companionship and solitary reflection as we approach the cathedral’s Towering spires against the sky our arrival isn’t merely a Finish Line but a profound intersection where paths converge history unfolds and our pilgrimage culminates in quiet Triumph [Music] [Music] how you feeling s this crazy walking across the country whole the [Music] country so we left Santiago de castella this morning yes at 4:30 yeah we got a taxi well this like for Cor in E and then we took the uh airplane we flew to Barcelona yes and here here we are here we are Barcelona baby [Music] Barcelona we’re at the Joe Meo Foundation Museum checking out some of the artwork and the here’s high above Barcelona [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] I remember learning about Anton gouty some random day many years ago thinking it might be interesting to one day see some of his work in person but honestly thinking it probably never would happen but getting a chance to see parkwell his experimental residential Concept in person was a highlight as well as touring Las sagata Familia G Basilica that he began work on in [Music] 1882 G’s design is intended to be incredibly symbolic with intricate sculptures and details reflecting various religious themes including the Nativity passion and Glory inside GOI painted with light as the color palette and transparency of the stained glass changed throughout the day as the angle and intensity of sunlight vary creating a unique and contemplative Dimension to the Interior Space anony GTI often hailed as God’s architect crafted with light as his brush upon the canvas of Barcelona glory is light he proclaimed light brings joy and joy is the joy of the spirit in gouty’s hands Stone and glass dance in Symphonies of color each surface a testament to divine inspiration a cathedral in Perpetual Bloom lasaga Familia seems to gather Celestial light filtering it through kaleidoscopic Windows to dapple the sanctuary in Hues of reverent awe as the sun traverses Barcelona’s Skyline gouty structures come alive Whispering secrets of of transcendent Beauty his Artistry transcends mere architecture it is a hymn to light itself Illuminating the soul with the Eternal dance of form and [Music] Radiance we spent the last moments of our short time in Barcelona dipping our toes in the ocean before calling it a night and saying goodbye to Fain [Music] [Laughter] [Music] [Music] walking is not merely a journey of miles but a pilgrimage of the Soul where each step culminates in a symphony of endurance and Enlightenment a combination of those who’ve walked before our separate unique experiences and The Wonder of paths yet traveled [Music] oh [Music] [Music]
Check out Part 2 of Andrew and Rocky’s adventure across Spain on the historic Camino de Santiago. They explore Roman history in Leon, Astorga’s chocolate museum, and scenic towns along the way to Santiago de Compostela. After a quick visit to Barcelona, Park Guell, and La Sagrada Familia, they say goodbye to Spain and head back home.