Author: Dan Triggs

Today was another cool, humid, hazy Galician day on the Camino. You can feel that we are getting closer to Santiago – there are more pilgrims on the road, there are more bars and roadside stands along the way, and there is a noticeable air of anticipation. We passed by more cows, corn fields, eucalyptus groves, corn cribs, open fields, and tiny villages. I noticed, for the first time, buds on the grapevines. After what seemed like no time at all we arrived at our albergue. Only 3 days and about 30 kilometers to Santiago. It’s a little hard to believe.

Those of us who are old enough will remember things like letter carriers on foot and milkmen making their deliveries. A similar institution is alive and well here in Spain. Panaderia trucks go through the villages and along the country roads stopping along the way to sell bread for today’s needs. And, of course, socializing seems just as important as the bread itself.

We made a special point to stop in the village of A Calle at Casa Tia Dolores for their speciality, churros con chocolate. Oh, what sweet deliciousness! (Thank you, Fr. Kevin, for the recommendation!) 

Day #27

Salceda 

Population ? / Elevation 400 meters

Albergue Alborada

Distance walked today 11.0 km 

Weather cool, humid, and hazy.

Because yesterday got uncomfortably hot, we decided to get a really early start today. It was early enough that we used our phone lights to see our way for the first little while. It was cool but extremely humid with heavy fog. We did not see a single other pilgrim until we stopped for our first breakfast six kilometers into our walk. The only sounds were the birds and the roosters. As with the last couple of days, we passed through a variety of wooded areas, small fields (many planted in corn), and small villages. The path, however, was hillier today with plenty of fairly steep ups and downs, plenty of work for the calves and knees. We enjoyed downtime in a central Arzúa park and still arrived at our albergue before they opened. Once we got in and settled, we had plenty of time for finding lunch, showering, doing laundry, resting, exploring, planning tomorrow’s walk, and choosing a place for dinner. And as is our custom in the larger towns, we capped off the evening with some delicious ice cream. It has turned out to be a much cooler day than yesterday, almost chilly.

When we stopped at a village bar for our second breakfast this morning, I noticed something I had seen in a couple of other bars, a set of stainless steel containers suspended from the ceiling. This time I found out what they are – tanks for storing beer. In the States we are used to beer being supplied in small kegs. In this case the beer is delivered in a bulk truck and pumped into the overhead tanks. Spain has a reputation for taking its wine seriously – it is also obvious that they take their beer quite seriously as well.

Day #26

Arzúa

Population 6,300 / Elevation 425 meters

Albergue da Fonte

Distance walked today 14.3 km 

Weather foggy and mild early, overcast and cool all day.

Another beautiful day again for walking, however it got the warmest we’ve experienced so far. We stopped several times along the way, for breakfast and for lunch and to visit a couple of churches, and got to our albergue in the early afternoon.  We are now over half way from Sarria to Santiago. We only have 55 more kilometers to Santiago. It is hard to believe how far we’ve come since leaving St. Jean and how close we are to Santiago.

Today is Sunday, the feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist. It was fiesta day in at least two of the towns we passed through. In Lobreiro local women were decorating the path from the cross at one end of town to the church at the other end with flowers, petals, and greenery. In the village of Furelos, local musicians in traditional dress performed near the church of San Juan. 

For the last several days, we have been noticing unusual looking structures near many rural homes. These are about 3 or 4 feet wide by maybe 12 to 16 feet long, and mounted on pedestals well above ground. One of our fellow pilgrims told us that these are corn cribs, that they are designed to let air circulate but keep vermin out. I was a little skeptical until I saw one today with a corn cob hanging on it.

Day #25

Melide

Population 7,500 / Elevation 475 meters

Albergue O Cruceiro 

Distance walked today 15.1 km 

Weather clear and mild early, very warm later (upper 80s F.)

Today was another absolutely gorgeous day for continuing our pilgrimage. For the first couple of hours we walked in a dense, dense fog. Then it gradually cleared off into bright, warm sunshine. All in all a nice quiet day in the Galician countryside. We reached our destination a little before noon and found a comfortable albergue for our stay tonight. Again, we had plenty of time for resting, exploring, eating, and the pilgrim mass. What could be better?

One of the most iconic landmarks along the Camino is the Cruz de Ferro where pilgrims traditionally leave stones they have brought from home. The stones represent different things to different people – often a moving on from past things in their lives. One tradition is that the stones represent the sins that the pilgrim has committed and that leaving them behind plays a part in the process of absolution. Unfortunately we missed the Cruz de Ferro when we took the train from León to Sarria. At Fr. Kevin’s suggestion I decided to leave them at one of the many crosses along the Camino, and that I would know the right one when I found it. Well, today I found it. As we approached the Iglesia Santiago de Lestedo we heard the bell ringing. It was not announcing the time; it was not for a mass or a funeral; it was not for any reason that I could determine. There was an elderly gentleman ringing the bell – two rings, then a pause, then two more rings, another pause, and so on for the longest time. All I could guess was that possibly it was to honor the dead who are buried in the surrounding cemetery. It was such a powerful experience that none of us pilgrims who were there spoke a word until we finally moved on. Emotionally I was absolutely certain that this was the right place to leave the stones.

Day #24

Palas de Rei  

Population 3,600 / Elevation 575 meters

Albergue Castro 

Distance walked today 12.0 km 

Weather cool with dense fog until mid-morning (less than 100 meters visibility), clear and warm later.

Today’s walk was quite a climb, mainly quite gradual, gaining over 350 meters in altitude over the 12+ kilometers covered. It started out crossing back across the Rio Miño, then quickly rising through more lush forests and farmlands. It was so humid again this morning that the haze almost completely obstructed any views of the mountains and valleys. Our destination today was Ventas de Narón, just a tiny place with a pair of albergues with bars. Unlike our stops in the larger towns, there is virtually nothing to do except rest – not that rest is a bad thing. 

We did explore a bit after a nap: There is the nearby Capela da Magdalena that was constructed in the 1800s from some of the stones from a former 13th century Templar hospital. We got sellos (stamps) for our credencials from the welcoming custodian. On the way back to the albergue we ran into a friendly “Camino” dog and watched sheep graze. How relaxing.

Day #23

Ventas de Narón 

Population ? / Elevation 700 meters

Albergue Casa Molar

Distance walked today 12.6 km 

Weather cool and humid, mostly cloudy early, clearing later.

Another gorgeous walk through the lush Galician countryside. Today’s path was short and easy, mainly downhill, and very quiet with few other pilgrims in sight. We got to Portomarín so early that the albergue would not be open for a couple of hours allowing for plenty of time to check out Iglesia San Pedro (closed) and Iglesia San Nicholás (open). I had a wonderful opportunity to meditate and offer thanksgiving in this ancient and still living church.

Many of you know that Fr. Kevin is here in Spain at the same time as us. He walked the Camino Primitivo to Santiago, then headed this way on the Camino Francés, the Camino that we are walking. We met this afternoon, had a wonderful dinner, attended mass, and had a delightful time just sharing time together, and sharing Camino stories. We will continue toward Santiago in the morning while he continues toward the east. The next time our paths will cross will be in early July back at St. Matthew.

Day #22

Portomarín 

Population 2,000 / Elevation 330 meters

Albergue Portomarín

Distance walked today 8.8 km 

Weather mostly cloudy and mild (humid) early, sunny later.

Another gorgeous walk through the lush Galician countryside. Today’s path was short and easy, mainly downhill, and very quiet with few other pilgrims in sight. We got to Portomarín so early that the albergue would not be open for a couple of hours allowing for plenty of time to check out Iglesia San Pedro (closed) and Iglesia San Nicholás (open). I had a wonderful opportunity to meditate and offer thanksgiving in this ancient and still living church. 

(I have poor WiFi again tonight. I will  add more info and photos later.)

Day #22

Portomarín 

Population 2,000 / Elevation 330 meters

Albergue Portomarín

Distance walked today 8.8 km 

Weather mostly cloudy and mild (humid)

Compared to walking in the meseta, walking in Galicia is like being in a hilly rainforest. High humidity and lush flora. Today’s path took us up about 250 km in altitude, but the climb was generally easy and gradual. My foot is doing quite well with not much pain, actually surprisingly little discomfort. Vast flat fields of grain have given way to farmsteads with livestock and a variety of row crops. Tile roofs have been replaced with slate roofs. We registered at our albergue and I took a wonderful 2-hour nap. After showers and laundry, we took a short walk to the village church and nearby bar. The small Romanesque church is especially unusual in that it is actually surrounded by the village cemetery. The bar is a tiny out of the way family-run place complete with a beautiful chubby 10-month old baby girl playing outside in a kiddy pool under the watchful eye of her grandmother. Our waitress, the baby’s mother, told us that she really likes to eat, especially pan (bread). We had the usual pilgrim menu, only the pasta with cheese was the best we’ve had so far, the bread was amazing, and for the first time, we had cheesecake for dessert. We were almost too full to make it back up the hill to our albergue. What a delightful ending to a great day.

Day #21

Ferreiros 

Population ? / Elevation 650 meters

Albergue Casa Cruceiro 

Distance walked today 13.7 km 

Weather sunny and mild (humid)

One of my goals for my visit to Sarria was to find, Jose Luis García Moreira, the woodcarver who did the sculpture of St. Matthew that is on display at church. I met the woman that runs the albergue that is located with the wood shop and she does not speak any English to amount to anything, and I don’t speak any Spanish to amount to anything. In a few minutes we were able to communicate the fact that she is the wife of the woodcarver, and that he had created a large sculpture of St. Matthew that was sent to the United States, and that it is our church in the United States. You would have thought that we were old friends when we compared notes, it was so exciting. She and I had the best time doing the selfie that you see below. I bought a small carving of Santiago Peregrino which I will carry in my backpack and will treasure for the rest my life. She and I hugged and must have exchanged at least a dozen “Buen Caminos” and “Graciases”!

Up at 5:00 a.m. and out at 5:50. My dependable navigator, Isabella, got us to the ‘renfe’ train station in plenty of time for a quick breakfast and a bit of texting before boarding our 7:05 train. My foot is amazingly better after a day of not hiking and a couple of doses of good drugs. The train ride from León to Monforte de Lemos was absolutely gorgeous, into the mountains with lots of beautiful views and many, many tunnels. During our wait for the connecting train to Sarria, my dependable translator, Isabella, handled ordering lunch for us at a nearby bar. We arrived in Sarria in the early afternoon and registered in a really nice little albergue that feels like somebody’s historic home. After walking probably 2 or 3 kilometers today my foot feels wonderful, not perfect, but wonderful. I am so excited to be “restarting” the Camino in the morning.

Day #20

Sarria

Population 13,500 / Elevation 455 meters

Albergue Casa Peltre

Distance traveled today 194.9 km (train)

Weather sunny and mild.