Back Home Again
| Date | Jun 29th ( Wednesday ) |
| Total This Camino: | 277 miles |
| Total 2023 Caminos: | 277 miles |
| Total All Caminos: | 2000 miles |
| Total Lodging: | $ 1280 |
| Planes: | $ 1350 |
| Total Planes: | $ 1350 |
| Total Buses / Trains / Taxis: | $572 |
| Total Food: | $ 680 |
Contrasts are found on each of the caminos. Contrasts stimulate thought and reflection. In May of 2023, my partner, Deb, and I started in Barcelona on the Caminos Barcelona - Catalan. We wondered what contrasts we would experience over the next month.
After two days in Barcelona, resting and avoiding rain, we left this cosmopolitan city behind by following the Río Llobregat inland.
On day 6 of the trip (3rd day of hiking), we followed the advice of a local. Instead of trudging up the road, we climbed just under 2000 feet up the backside of Montserrat. The gorgeous views in a serene environment sans traffic were the reward for hiking on mountain trails, over big rocks, and along steep cliffs.
At the Albergue Sant Jaume in Jorba, one of the few on the Camino Catalan - the parish priest and hospitalero, was astonished at our goal of Zaragoza.
He described the Los Monegros desert, the most sparsely populated area of Spain, as long stages with very few services, towns and/or people.
Deb and I “huddled” immediately, preparing for the next five days thru-hiking the desert. Two of the stages exceeded 22 miles / day with “nothing” in between. Taxis would divide each super long stage into something doable.
Truck stops would be lodging, and gas stations would be supermarkets.
Under constant sun, we prayed for lots of cloud cover. The low 80’s required lots of hydration. The shopping list made our backpacks a lot heavier: salami & cheese, protein bars, peaches, bananas, fiber wafers, flan, chocolate and six bottles of Aquarius mixed with water.
While the Meseta has pilgrims and support structures, Deb and I had only each other mile after mile. When gas stations on the national highway are your support system, it changes the camino.
Yet in many places the desert was achingly beautiful. We found life everywhere: plants and shrubs, lizards and rabbits - all scratching out an existence in the arid land. Between the highways and heavily irrigated farms, it was a different world.
Reaching Zaragoza we had a well-deserved rest.
Then we headed for Galicia’s lushness. Walking the path to Finisterre and Muxia through the forests and along the Atlantic Ocean was breath-taking.
In three weeks we had cities, desert, forests and ocean. Such contrast, such time for thinking. Such time for leaving the world behind.
Los Monegros Desert
