The Way to Land's End





• Beginning Point: Carrión de los Condes
• Ending Point: Ledigos
• Daily distance: 14.48 miles (23.3 km)
• Total distance: 241.51 miles (388.67 km)

The moon hung like a suspended silver dollar in the twilight as we departed Carrón de Los Condes this morning. We chased it towards the horizon and watched as the sky changed from deep purple to lavender to periwinkle to light blue  to baby blue, and finally, to bright blue. 

It was a glorious morning, but soon I was feeling defeated or rather “de-feeted”. The trail today included a long stretch of 10 miles with no services…no water, no bathrooms. So, I had to carry extra water which added an extra pound of weight.  My knees could feel ever bit of that extra pound. Then, I could feel my new blister become irritated. First, I stopped and changed into thicker socks. That didn’t seem to help, so I stopped again and changed into my hiking sandals. The sandals provided instant relief but changed my gait, leading to the introduction of a new ache in the hip joint. The long stretch seemed interminable. The straight road ran off to the edge of the horizon, appearing to drop over an edge. There are no buildings in sight and I am loosing faith that I’m getting any closer to the next town. 

Soon, a horse drawn carriage overtakes us. Riding in the back are some fellow pilgrims we know. One shouts out “See you for coffee in 5 minutes”. Huh? Does she know something I don’t? A glimmer of hope sparks in my chest. Within a few minutes we round a slight hill and there sits the town in a shallow valley. I am elated!

We rest for about half an hour and set off on the final 4 mile stretch for the day. My body always seem to throw a tantrum the last couple of miles of the day. Every step takes effort and involuntary moans travel from deep inside my muscles to my mouth. When we eventually get to our room, I collapse into bed and take a two hour nap. This was one of my hardest hiking days yet. 

At dinner I met an interesting woman from Wales who began walking the Camino two years ago and basically hasn’t stopped. She was a business consultant, started walking it to find a new direction in her career but instead found a new way of life. Her dream is to one day open her own albergue on the Camino. 

I loved hearing her story but today I’m struggling with homesickness. The transitory nature of this journey is starting to take its toll. Imagining two years of traveling the Camino without a permanent home, while adventurous and exotic, doesn’t sound appealing. I miss my space. I miss my sofa, my bed and other creature comforts. I miss cooking and sitting on my back porch with a cup of coffee. And I really, really miss my husband, kids and pets. I’m having the time of my life, learning so much about myself and people and life. But I also miss my life, which this trip has caused me to have much more appreciation for.