Casa Santo Estevo

You’re going to Ourense? The route you are on now is the French route and that heads further north than Ourense. Or have we missed something?
http://www.mundicamino.com/ingles/rutas.cfm?id=15
They are forecasting snow for the mountains between Castile Y Leon and Galicia but by the time you are close to the boarder should be gone.
Maybe contact the following Galician newspaper. They are quite good in publishing stories like yours.
http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/portada/index.htm
Good luck

TheLostPhotographer

I'm taking several diversions en-route to visit interesting people and interesting places. Recording photographic documentaries, photo-essays, videos etc to publish on my blog at a later date.

I've been trying to follow the old pilgrim route from Granada to Santiago via Ourense to the truest possible path that a pilgrim would have walked a thousand years ago. Making good progress despite many diversions. I've walked over 900KM so far!

From Santiago I will continue walking along the Camino Frances to Lugo, then take a diversion northwards to a place that sounds like Spain's Lindisfarne. From there I'm very much on an open plan. Working on new sponsorship ideas to continue raising money for charities (and justify my Two year long 'holiday' ). I may head south and walk from Sevilla to Barcelona along the coast. All sorts of reasons that could change my plans at a moments notice. I'm trying to visit as many friends as possible as I travel.

anabella

Rub it in, will you... that's my home town!! I hope you are spending time in "El Humedo" area and drinking cortos! Tapas are great in Leon ... When you get to Rabanal aim to go to the local church in the evening, they sing "Cantos Gregorianos", which I didn't know while I was there... I'm sad I missed them it's something I've always wanted to see (I'm not religious at all, just in case you are wondering)...

Are you finding that El Camino gets prettier the more you walk?

anabella

I think you mean Finisterre= the end of the land...

jdr

This must be bringing back memories for you ana and nice to know the area he is in.

TheLostPhotographer

I'm finding it gets much colder. -7 forecast for Thursday. Some of the more basic albergues have no heating facilities, or hot water.


I meant Playa de las Catedrales. Someone described it to me explaining that you could only walk around the cathedrals when the tide is out. Hence my reference to Lindisfarne. However, a bit of Googling reveals that they're not actual cathedrals, but huge natural rock formations and caves on the beach. Not a lot available in English on the web.

One of the best things about walking, travelling slowly and sketching in the streets is that you meet so many people. Everyone wants you to visit their favourite place and sketch, or paint that, so I get told about 'secret' villages and local tourist attractions that aren't promoted in Tourist Information offices.

Very impressed with Leon, but the weather is a bit shyte!

Casa Santo Estevo

Also wondered where you meant when you said somewhere like Lindisfarne.
Sorry to bring you some bad news but there is nothing like Lindisfarne in Northern Spain. There are no large holy places placed on an island. You may find one or two small chapels but nothing very holy and famous.

Playa de las Catedrales is just a rocky out crop, which is access able during low tide.
Here are some photos for you to see.
http://images.google.es/images?q=Pla...+Catedrales&ie
There are only a few rocks that make up this tourist sight. Going this time of year may prove challenging when looking for accommodation.

TheLostPhotographer

My lack of Spanish and over romanticising artists imagination Still looks worth a visit mind.

I was in a very small derelict village not far from yourself just last week. A good friend moved there about 6 months ago. Stunningly beautiful place high in the mountains.I shall return for a few weeks at some time after New Year. Incredibly friendly and helpful people in those parts. I didn't ask for anything and found people bending over backwards to help me. Fascinating (and very difficult to find) village called Villarbon on the Galicia/Leon border.

Casa Santo Estevo

Just to let you know what is coming your way, we took a photo of the high peaks between C. y L. and Galicia today.
In the newspaper earlier today that the snow will go, however reading tonight they now say the snow level is coming down to about 700 meters. It was about 1000m at the time of the photo.

TheLostPhotographer

Very pretty and very brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I've been incredibly lucky weather wise so far. Only been caught in the rain on Three occassions since setting out. However, I don't expect my luck to last and I'm now kitted out with a quality body warmer, some parachuters trousers, long johns and gloves. Layer after layer and about 200 pockets.

I don't start walking again until Sunday. Maybe there will be a change in weather by then.

TheLostPhotographer

I've almost reached Santiago already! Planning my next charity walk - most probably Alicante to Santiago via Toledo.

Galicia is just like Wales, but better and wetter. They speak wobbly here also. It's very beautiful, but it isn't what I want from Spain. I'm heading south

Plan to arrive in Santiago on Sunday afternoon to collect all my free passes to heaven and €10,000 for charity. Yay!

jdr

Excellent news.

Casa Santo Estevo

What you do not realise is you are in Heaven!

Congrats on getting this far.

anabella

Congrats !

TheLostPhotographer

Yay! Made it. And, what a fantastic little city (despite the rain).

Hoping to stay here for a week at least before planning my next move. Things gradually got more difficult as winter edged in and the wet and windy weather of the north spoiled sketching opportunities, but it really wasn't that difficult walking wise. One really tough day over a mountain pass in blizzards. Other than that, it's been a very enjoyable adventure and a decent amount of money raised for charity.

Can't recommend the Via de la Plata and Camino Frances walks highly enough. Even if you only do a day, or Two it's great way to explore Spain. I think Merida to Caceres remains my favourite stretch. Galicia is undoubtedly very beautiful, but I'm not so keen on wind and rain.

Still planning my next trip. Most likley going to be Alicante to Santiago via Toledo and Salamanca.