Day Six - Our Final Camino

Day Six, Friday, September 30th. Our final day on the Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James) before leaving for Barcelona. We started out early in the morning on the 16 kilometers walk from Sagüeiro to Barcelona. We felt excited.

The hike wasn’t strenuous, compared to those of days before – some uphill, but not steep over any long distance. Again, it was on trails through forests and along streams –

although for the first time we walked occasionally alongside the road. Sometimes we were very close and that was a little scary.

Despite the proximity to the main road, we felt the most like peregrinos on this our final walk – more connected to past pilgrims, more alone with our thoughts, more contemplative, more serene – although at times we gave in to the urge to sing (and a good thing no other peregrinos were nearby!).

.

We have been hearing and reading about the film The Way, recently released, which takes place along the Camino Frances. It will be interesting to see it and compare it with our experiences.

Now, you may have been wondering from time-to-time what the medieval peregrino wore. Well – the costume included a brown long cloak, a broad-brimmed hat, a staff, and a scallop (cockle) shell, which was used for back then food and water. When we walked the Camino Francés four years ago, we sometimes saw a modern pilgrim dressed in the traditional costume

Our camino guide gave pretty good directions, although we didn’t rely on it too much – the waymarks were very good. So we walked and walked, trying to keep up at least a 3 1/3 kilometer/hour pace. (Now we know that’s slow but, in our defense, it takes into account stopping for photos, water, bathroom breaks, and all the uphill climbs. In any event, we just had to accept that we weren’t as fast as we’d like to be.)

So we kept walking and walking and looking at our watches from time to time – we’d started at 10:00 a.m. more or less, and we hoped to be in Santiago by 3:00 p.m. But by 12:00 noon the guidebook indicated we’d only come 4 or 5 km. Very discouraging.

Well, a trail miracle occurred. When we emerged from the woods at the first café, it turned out we had really walked 12 kilometers, not 8! Only 4 left. We’d make it in by 3:00 p.m. for sure. We were good to go for the remainder of the trail.

Walking into cities is generally less than pleasant because the route wends through light-industrial suburbs and areas of blight. But this camino had only a minimum of that. Before we knew it, we were in the medieval heart of Santiago de Compostela.



We caught our first glimpse of the spires of the cathedral,




then continued downhill through modern housing – where a marker announced we only had 1.635 kms to go – a park,

across a square where we had another pilgrim to show us the way, and






finally down a narrowing pedestrian path which emerged onto the Rúa de San Francisco.



We followed the rúa under the archway where a street singer entertained us with arias onto the Plaza del Obradoiro, where we gazed upon the magnificent Cathedral with its 18th century Baroque façade.


Entering through the Pórtico de la Gloria (Doorway of Glory), we followed the traditional pilgrim path.

First we touched the pillar beneath the figure of St. James in token of our safe arrival. (In fact, so many peregrinos have touched the pillar that finger marks can be seen worn into the stone.)







Second, we climbed behind the high altar giving that statue of St. James the traditional abrazo (hug) in gratitude for a journey well made. And third, we descended to his tomb to give thanks for everything encountered and learned during the journey.

We paused to look around at the Romanesque interior of the Cathedral (which dates from the 11th-13th centuries as differentiated from the façade).

And, then, finally, we went to the Pilgrim’s Office to receive our compostelas! We had done it!

Our passports were filled with sellos by the time we entered Santiago.

There is a Pilgrims’ Mass every day at noon in the Cathedral, and it was jam packed the day we attended (as was the city of Santiago itself). During the Mass (conducted in Spanish), a priest announced all the cities and countries from which peregrinos had arrived during the last 24 hours. It was quite amazing how far people had traveled – Australia, South Africa, Chile, to name only a few places.







At the end of the Mass, we were very fortunate to see the Alcachofa lit. Pilgrims gasped as this large silver incense burner swung higher and higher spitting out sparks and filling the air with incense. (Here's the link for the video. https://picasaweb.google.com/110847682186133122154/LaAlcachofa?authkey=Gv1sRgCNKv3oLeyfTfmQE#5657458501629526850. We tried unsuccessfully to put the video directly into the blog.)

Watching the Alcochofa was an uplifting end to our camino -- a journey more difficult and challenging -- on several levels -- than we had anticipated, and more rewarding. It was vale la pena (worth it)!

Much Love,
Elsa and Dale

Onward - Camino Days Three, Four, and Five

Friday, September 23rd, Day

Three, Mino to Betanzos to Cos – a long walk for us of nearly 12 miles. The walk from Mino to Betanzos was quite delightful with well-marked trails, lovely woods, sunny early morning skies, and running streams.

Drinking water was present in several fuentes (fountains) along the way that were clearly marked as potable – and we drank freely of the clear cold wonderful tasting liquid.
















As we left Betanzos we bought some jamón york y queso bocodillas (ham and cheese sandwiches) for the remainder of the day’s journey. The initial path, as at Pontedeume, was uphill and demanding. It was, however, a beautiful walk.

Whoever engineered these routes – whether they literally adhere to the medieval routes or not – has endeavored to keep peregrinos off the roadways and on scenic dirt paths through forests and farms and along brooks. Frequently we could hear the sound of cars on a motorway – but there was no car in sight. And, as you can see above, we had a fellow peregrino to direct us!

Instead we saw farming, vegetable gardens, or reforesting – from logs on the ground to five saplings to small plantings. Nice to see. It was a good camino.








We had our day of rest. But, unfortunately, we began to have stomach issues that continued for a week. Stomach pains and diarrhea were the symptoms, and walking was clearly affected. Although we’re not sure, we think water from those wonderful drinking fountains we’ve shown photos of was the problem.

Day Four. Our goal was Hospital de Bruma/Meson do Vento at the top of the tallest mountain – ok, not a mountain in the California sense of mountains, but more in the Maine sense (don’t be offended, our Maine friends) – between Ferrol and Santiago de Compostela. Everyone we had talked to about the Camino Ingles had told us about this climb, and they were correct. The countryside is beautiful with many small villages, small farms with animals, and rolling hills, so we had something to look at as the route rose 1,000' in less than two miles. It was quite a hike!

Yet, the previous days’ walking had prepared us . . . we huffed and puffed but didn’t stop as often as we did during Day Two.

We found an apple on the ground -- delicious!

We stopped at a cafe for bebidas (drinks) and they gave us tapas of beans with bacon. Yummy -- and our new friend thought so too.

We met another friend who seemed happy to share his space with many flies.


Well, the trail finally did flatten out, although periodically there was yet another very steep incline.

Bruma turned out to be a few houses including an albergue (pilgrim’s house along the trail where people can rest, take a shower, eat, talk with other pilgrims, and sleep. If you were a really serious pilgrim, this would be the place for you.) In fact, we walked through the village of Bruma and didn’t even realize that we’d been there/done that – so of course we were a little off the camino for a short time again.

It was only a small delay on the way to our final destination, Meson do Vento, where we rested at the bar pictured above. Meson do Vento is a small town at the top of the mountain, a stopping point, but not much more than that. But we were there, happy and relieved. We were apprehensive to begin the day and exhausted at the end, still suffering from the touristas. We'd done it, but could we do the next?

Our plan had called for us to walk every other day, so we were supposed to set out again on Tuesday, but we decided we needed another day of rest to recuperate. Then Wednesday it rained -- manna from heaven. Of course, we couldn't possibly walk that day.

Thursday, September 29th arrived. OK, so we only had two days left before leaving for Barcelona, and two days of hikes remaining. Not our plan. But, on the plus side, we were feeling better. Time to hike again!

After the steep ascents of the previous days, Day Five was pretty much downhill -- literally, not figuratively -- through farmland and forests, along streams.

We have not found many peregrinos on the camino -- in fact, until today, we met three walkers the Day one and one biker on Day Four! Today, there were a few more on the trail but, compared to the Camino Frances where there were always people in front and in back, this camino had a different sense. Much more alone -- more peaceful...different.

There was the occasional camino-side cafe to stop out for a rest and a bebida.

We continue to be intrigued by the waymarks and how creative they are -- some more than others, such as the one here with the arrow drawn in rocks on the ground.

We ended the day 16 kilometers from Santiago de Compostela in the decidedly unglamorous suburb of Siguiero, but that didn't matter at all. We were feeling stronger and more confident.




Tomorrow, Friday, September 30th -- our last day -- Santiago de Compostela or bust -- here we come!

On the Trail -- Days One and Two

After a light dinner at the Parador and a good night’s sleep, we were up and ready to begin our walk of the Camino Ingles. Or so we thought.

The first task on Monday (September 19th) was to get a “pilgrim’s passport” – a document to collect sellos (stamps) along your route to record where you’ve walked (to receive your compostela). We were told there was an Office of Tourism on the Plaza de España so we set off on the 15-minute walk with enthusiasm and excitement. After cruising the square once and not seeing the office we wanted, we went into a typical Spanish café, ordered a café con leche, and proceed to ask where the Oficina was. That question set off much discussion, and several answers to the question were provided. We finally decided who to believe and again set off to find our destination. No luck...and this was only a square we were looking around.

A homeless lady on the street heard us ask again and, even given her plight and apparent lack of mental acumen, she – and only she – directed us accurately to the proper place. We got the pilgrim’s passport, maps, directions, etc. and we headed out of the city at 10:30 a.m., not exactly a good time to start a full day’s walk.

Pictured here is the more decorous passport we obtained at the English Church in town the next day.

Because Ferrol is on a river and the river runs into many bays, the entire area is picturesque with estuaries and waterways all over the place. This offers great visual images, but also increases the distance to walk because the trail was developed well before there were bridges. So we walked around the waterways through what now are light industrial areas – much of which was pleasant, but not really what you might image ancient pilgrims encountered. (And we did wonder why, given that Santiago is almost due south, the pilgrims didn’t ride the boats they came in on just a bit further south – thus shortening their journey – and ours – by many kilometers. But, you know, who are we to ask such a question?)




The major “modern monument” we saw was a very sleek McDonald’s.





It seems that the Camino Ingles is not nearly as well known as the Camino Frances so people along the way did not really know where to direct us when we got lost. Our major guide book (Pilgrim Guides to Spain: The Camino Ingles), we have discovered, is much better in the countryside than in cities. So by 12:00 noon we were finally headed out of central Ferrol, but not out to the countryside, for of course we became lost again – you know, lost in the suburbs. (We didn't mind -- it's part of the adventure.)

“Estamos perdidos” (we are lost), we said fairly often. Asking lots of folks – getting lots of advice – and even a map! Really, leaving town, even when you want to, is harder than you think!





A sidebar here about the people we’ve met on the trail. Everyone we’ve talked to has been very friendly and eager to help – really, they go the extra mile. And we are not afraid to ask – we have done it frequently. But, most people here do NOT speak English. Without some Spanish, this trek would be really hard to do.


Once out of greater Ferrol,
we had some pleasant walking through lightly forested areasand then to Naron and Neda – twin small suburbs that almost qualify as “one street towns.” Our guide book suggested the Hotel Kensington in Naron was a good spot to have lunch so we stopped there, ate, relaxed, and rested at around 2:00 p.m. All along the way, we stopped frequently at cafes to collect our sellos, and our more glamorous passport began to take on the character of our walk because each establishment has its own distinctive stamp.

Now we headed out from civilization toward Fene, our destination for the first day. The walk was beautiful through the forest with rolling hills and gentle slopes. Once in Fene, we found the bus stop where we caught the 4:30 p.m. bus back to Ferrol. We smiled as we settled into the first two seats of the bus – despite the delays in leaving Ferrol and the long day of walking, we had successfully completed the first day of our walk of the Camino Ingles.

All along the way there are "waymarks" -- mounted on stone markers (some unfortunately defaced), on building tiles, painted as yellow arrows on the ground or walls, or more creatively on someone's propane tank -- all these pointing peregrinos in the rght direction. We'll show you more along the way. No matter how they look, we are always delighted and reassured to see them.

Wednesday morning, September 21st (our plan being to walk 10 miles/day on alternating days), we were off again, back to Fene, to resume our adventure, first to Cabanas and Pontedeume. The trail was initially uphill and then we headed down into the two resort cities.




The panoramas were quite beautiful with broad streets and tall trees in Cabanas leading down to the bay, and white buildings scaling the mountainside in Pontedeume overlooking the water.

There used to be 116 arches on this bridge, along with a chapel.



After a quick “Coca Cola lite y cana” we were off again – this time to meet our first real climbing challenge. The lovely mountainside city of Pontedeume was indeed picturesque, but it also was on the side of a pretty big hill.


To leave Pontedeume, we went up steeply for about 2 miles, and we felt it. The higher we got, the better the view as we looked back down on Pontedeume. Trust us, we had plenty of time to look at the view!

We finally reached the summit and then headed through the trees to Mino, our destination for the second day. Along the way we stopped for a refreshing drink at one of the fuentes the guidebook recommended as safe for drinking.


At this one, the spigot was stuck, so Dale needed to use his foot to open it. Well worth the effort!

Day Two is done. Hard climbing -- sore feet -- tired backs -- but a good day.