Memoir: Camino 2023 Spain

A Camino of Cities, Mountains and Deserts

Contrasts are found on each of the Spain’s hiking camino trails. Contrasts stimulate thought and reflection. In May of 2023, Deb and I started in Barcelona on the Caminos Barcelona - Catalan, wondering what we would experience over the next month.

After two days in Barcelona, visiting cathedrals, museums, resting and avoiding rain, Deb and I left this cosmopolitan city behind by following the Río Llobregat inland.

Montserrat

On day 3 of through-hiking, on the advice of a local, we avoided trudging up the road to Montserrat, and instead climbed just under 2000 feet up the backside of the mountain to reach the Abbey. Rather than guard rails, we had gorgeous views over the mountain cliffs. The reward was the Mediterranean far on the horizon.

Several days later, at the pilgrim rest house, Albergue Sant Jaume in Jorba, one of the few on the Camino Catalan - the parish priest and hospitalero, was surprised at our next goal of Zaragoza. 

We had to  cross the Los Monegros desert, which he described as the most sparsely populated area of Spain,  with daily hikes of about 15 miles 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. 

Truck stops would be where we sleep, and gas station mini-marts would replace 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 other trails in Spain have support structures for pilgrims, Deb and I had only each other mile after mile. When gas stations on the national highway are your support system, it changes the hiking experience. 

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. 

Atlantic Ocean

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 walked through cities, desert, forests and along the Atlantic Ocean. With such contrasts to excite the senses, such time for thinking, and such time for leaving the world behind, Deb and I were tired but happy, and looking forward to our next hike next year.

Memoir: One of our days in Los Monegros

Thirteen days ago, Deb and I arrived in Madrid to through-hike the Caminos Catalán and Aragon, just under 200 miles. Between cosmopolitan Barcelona and historical Zaragoza lay the Los Monegros desert - Spain’s least populated part of the country.

Today we start out from Lleide, which dates back to the Bronze age. Our stage is an impossible 22 miles, ending in Fraga. Yesterday’s problems don’t matter much at this point, and by noon, the overhead sun eliminates any shade.

The Los Monegros receives very little rainfall, suffers frequent droughts and bakes under high temperatures, but the amount of greenery is astonishing, due to the extensive irrigation. Still the land is brown, sun-baked and where barren, the rocks stick out. We can not imagine how this land was farmed thousands of years ago.

The Los Monegros is achingly beautiful. Between the highway and the heavily irrigated farms, it is sandhill after sandhill along the trail - truly, a different world.

The summer desert’s beauty is indescribable. Walking here is a mystical experience. We find life everywhere: lizards scurrying along the arroyos, and rabbits darting in and out from among the plants and shrubs - all scratching out an existence in the arid land. After nine miles and four hours, we find a bar in Alcarás, sling off the backpacks and order lunch: Tortilla con patatas, empanadas con pollo, café, carbonated water and orange juice.

We break after a further four miles. It’s around 2:30 in the afternoon. So far we’ve covered 13 miles, but it’s still ten miles to Fraga. Our only option is the truckstop at the Poligono Industrial along the traffic-heavy National II (two) route. It is the last option before Fraga, and it would be stupid to press on in the desert.

After checking-in, showering and eating, we put a good face on. Deb and I take a date-night to the gas station mini-mart, where we spend time shopping together for supplies. Sometimes necessity is more romantic than flowers.

During the evening, we sit on the patio enjoying the sunset and breeze. We ignore the highway a few hundred feet away. The feral cats are accustomed to the pickings in the trash cans. They jump from the ground to the lip of the can, balance themselves and then somehow scrounge through the contents for whatever. One of them has a gorgeous white-coat with the cutest face. But he won’t come close to us.

It’s dark now and time for bed. Tomorrow will be another day for thought and reflection as we get up early to beat the sun and heat of the Los Monegros on the walk to Fraga.