Author Archives: Melissa West

Today I am in Zamora, a city with a cathedral, a castle, and more than 20 Romanesque churches — right up my alley. And yet part of me is very sad, because as it turns out, this is my last … Continue reading →

So we left off at the albergue turistico at Embalse de Alcantara, where the cows were swimming and the peregrinos were plotting like mad generals laying out their campaigns, tables full of maps and guidebooks and printouts and elevation charts. … Continue reading →

OK, so computers on the Via de la Plata are scarcer than hens´teeth, either because it´s less well-traveled, or because everyone now has iPhones and iPads and there´s no need for old’fashioned cyber cafes. A bit of both, I think. … Continue reading →

Anyone who knows what they´re talking about will think I have no idea what I´m talking about. Well, they may be right. I am in Villafranca de los Barros. NOT los Banos. There are no baths here, except for those … Continue reading →

Yes! Here I am in Spain, and finally on the internet. Two words sum up my trip so far: Wow. Ow. I think overall the WOW wins hands-down. Or should it be feet-down? The Spanish country side is absolutely gorgeous. … Continue reading →

As I’ve mentioned from time to time in previous posts, I’ll be walking another pilgrimage trail in Spain this spring. This time, I’ll be traveling on the Via de la Plata, which runs north from Seville through Extremadura and Galicia … Continue reading →