Month: June 2018

A great day to just kick back and relax. We slept in late, then headed to the cathedral area. We explored the cathedral some including climbing the stairs behind the high altar to hug the apostle and going down the steps to his crypt in the reliquary chapel below the altar. We must have visited dozens of souvenir shops and stalls, mostly just looking, but actually buying a few things. We kept coming back to the cathedral plaza for people watching and to take in the festive atmosphere.

Ambient sounds:

Day #31

Santiago de Compostela 

Weather overcast and mild, some light rain.

We made it. We started walking this morning just as the day was dawning bright and clear. We made good time, arriving at the cathedral in Santiago with enough time to look around a bit, find and register at our albergue, and still get back to the cathedral early enough to claim a pew fairly close to the front for the pilgrim mass. Then we waited in line for a little over an hour at the pilgrim office to obtain our compostelas. Now back to the albergue to relax and think about food. There will be plenty of time for other things tomorrow . . .

Day #30

Santiago de Compostela 

Population 96,000 / Elevation 260 meters

Albergue Seminario Menor (approximately 1 kilometer from the cathedral)

Distance walked today 10.6 km to the cathedral, plus several kilometers around the area.

Weather sunny and mild.

It was a mostly quiet day on the Camino this morning with occasional stretches filled with boisterous youth groups. As further evidence of how close we are to Santiago, the path winds around the airport and crosses more than one busy highway. A visit to a chapel in San Paio is a welcome break. We pass through more eucalyptus groves and open fields on our way to Lavacolla where we will spend our last night before walking to Santiago tomorrow.

Day #29

Lavacolla 

Population 150 / Elevation 300 meters

Albergue Lavacolla

Distance walked today 9.5 km 

Weather chilly and mostly cloudy.

Today we walked to Pedrouzo, a fairly good size town, basically a suburb of Santiago which is only another 20 kilometers. This was our shortest walk yet, less than 10 kilometers. It was a pleasant enough of a walk, just sort of boring with the usual sendas along busy highways, paths through eucalyptus groves, and roads through villages and farmland, and now the occasional sound of an airplane overhead. Again we arrived at our destination well before our albergue opened so we had some extra downtime for relaxing. While we were waiting, a small flock of sheep came up the street before being led out to the nearby pasture. I’m going through something of a culture shock – this is a modern albergue that accommodates large youth groups, and the noise level is intense, a real contrast to what we’ve become accustomed to.

Day #28

Pedrouzo 

Population 5,000 / Elevation 300 meters

Albergue Turístico Cruceiro de Pedrouzo

Distance walked today 9.6 km 

Weather chilly and overcast, not quite as humid.

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.