Walking Into the Sky

Daily miles: 28.84 | Total miles: 14,602.52

I got up at 6am. Hot coffee, getting ready, and out the door by 7. It was still dark as I made my way through the old town, passing beautiful buildings in complete quiet. Almost no one was around—everyone still asleep.

I left Peñafiel with the castle high up on the hill behind me and continued west. Not long after, I met Francesco. We talked for a bit, but after some time I told him I really needed to keep going. I think he could have talked all morning.

The sun slowly rose behind me as I walked on. The morning was cool—I even put my gloves on for a while—but as the day unfolded, it turned warm and pleasant.

Vineyards stretched out endlessly to my left and right, thousands of grapevines lined up in quiet order. In the second half of the day, I climbed two hills and spent some time on higher plains. Up there, the sky felt incredibly expansive, almost as if I could walk straight into it.

The land was covered in green fields that looked like soft carpets stretching far into the distance. But I know by now—that softness is often just an illusion.

About six miles before my destination, I heard many voices coming from a restaurant. It sounded lively, so I thought it would be the perfect moment for an espresso. Inside, it was filled with men—many of them—and the sound of their conversations reminded me of birds chatting all at once. I had my quick caffeine shot and moved on.

The second hill led into a steep descent, carrying me all the way down into Renedo de Esgueva. The town is made up of many terraced houses, with a beautiful church and a charming old center.

I stopped for groceries and then checked into the hotel. No Wi-Fi in the room, so I got some work done in the lobby.

And now I’m finishing up.

Thanks for checking in, Andrea