26. day Camina – Villafranca del Bierzo – Vega de Valcarce

by mmasinca | Apr 29, 2025 | Camino

170 km to Santiago

This morning, there was still no electricity. We had a cold breakfast in our room. Then, at 7:10, the lights flickered back on. Power had returned. We quickly charged our phones as much as possible and set out on the trail.

Leaving Villafranca del Bierzo, the path mostly runs squeezed between the A Coruña highway, the local road, and the Valcarce River.
There was no coffee anywhere – all the bars were still closed.

Our first hope for coffee was in Pereje, but the village felt abandoned. Even the albergue where I stayed in 2014 had been closed for two weeks. Asphalt, asphalt, and more asphalt.

There are barely any new photos today – just what little battery life we had left.

Villages passed by one after another. Finally, we found a small tavern offering coffee. Later, we realized they still had no electricity – they boiled the water over gas. Not the best coffee, but it was warm.

We continued on and enjoyed a proper cold beer in Ambasmestas.

We debated where to stay for the night and decided on the municipal albergue in Vega de Valcarce (under the highway). The village has everything we need: ATM, restaurants, and two markets.

Now, everything feels good again. We replenished supplies, cooked ourselves a meal, and washed our clothes.

We are slowly approaching the border between Galicia and León. After that, only about 160 km to Santiago.

We are doing well – and it keeps getting better.

Warm greetings to all,
Martina & Ive

The Camino is calling: preparations for the 800 km long pilgrimage route

by mmasinca | Mar 31, 2025 | Camino

After ten years, the Camino has called me again. In 2014, I walked 500 kilometers of the Way of St. James – from Burgos to Santiago. My number of vacation days at work was limited, but quietly, I wished that one day I would walk the entire Camino Francés.

Last year, my partner and I made the decision to walk this path together this year. Now, the time has come. Preparations are underway.

You set off on the Camino with minimal gear and well-worn shoes – and we began our preparations back in November. We’ve been walking regularly every day, as long as the weather wasn’t too dreadful.

I ordered the pilgrim’s credential here in Slovenia, from the Association of Friends of the Way of St. James. I also bought the updated guidebook The Spanish Way of St. James. We’ll be carrying the recognizable symbol of pilgrims – the scallop shell – on our backpacks. We bought the shells, ate the contents, cleaned them, and Ive made holes so we can hang them.

Of course, finances are an important part too – for food, accommodation, and transport. We spent the whole year saving two-euro coins, putting them into a piggy bank that can only be opened with a can opener. Just recently, we exchanged them and were pleasantly surprised. Wow… we saved a lot! Of course, we’ll still need to add a bit from other sources, but the basics are covered. Finances – check.

Now it’s time to finalize our gear: hiking clothes, shirts, shoes – all from what we already have. Medicines, band-aids, and other essential items are already prepared.

The plane ticket is booked – we’ll be flying from Venice to Bordeaux, and then taking a train to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, where the Camino Francés begins.

And now – it’s time to hit the road.

They say the Camino has to accept you. If it accepts us, we have 800 kilometers of walking ahead to Santiago, and more than 100 kilometers beyond that to Finisterre. I can’t wait for it to begin.

This is just the beginning.
I’ll also share with you highlights from the trip.

Martina