It’s less than 10 hours now until my flight leaves Sydney, and I’m starting to wonder exactly what I’ve gotten myself into here. Maybe I’ve just done too much stalking of the long-range weather forecasting websites for various northern Spanish towns while gazing out the window to see yet another gorgeous Sydney day. But still, I’m just so excited to be getting back there and boarding that dinky little train at Bayonne for the spur line down to St Jean Pied de Port. I just hope it’s air-conditioned this time.
In terms of preparation, I’ve completed some solid practice walks with the new Merrell boots and the backpack (usually full of books) over the last few weeks. They ranged from a few laps of the Bay Run walking track in the inner west of Sydney, to a 30 kilometre hike along the coast track in Sydney’s Royal National Park (where I lost my trusty pedometer - got a fitbit now), to last week's incredible 20 kilometre trek through volcanoes on New Zealand’s Tongariro Alpine Crossing. It’s reputedly the best one day walk in the world, and I’m not about to disagree. Simply amazing. I’ve done these walks alongside the final weeks of training for the Auckland half marathon (which didn’t go as well as I’d hoped, but that’s another story) so after all that, I’m feeling in reasonable shape.
Through it all, the feet held up remarkably well and the new boots have performed brilliantly. The only minor concern is a twinge in the left knee but I’ll leave it until the walking starts in earnest in Spain to work out whether I need to do anything more about it.
Packing is almost complete with not too many changes from my summer Camino. After some prolonged debate with myself, I’ve decided to leave the sleeping bag at home and just go with the liner I used last time, the blanket I’ll borrow from Etihad airlines at the end of my flight over, and whatever blankets happen to be at the albergues I stop at. I thought that the sleeping bag was just too heavy and bulky and the blankets look efficient enough. And I’m just going to have to learn to deal with cold.
The key additions to my summer packing list are a full poncho, a couple of fleece tops, shaving gear, a hair brush (I decided not to shave my head this time), and a pair of long walking trousers. I took quite a few colder and wetter weather items in July which I never used, but I expect to be seeing a whole lot more of them this time around.
So there it is. I’ll let you know how it all went.
Monday 7 November 2016
Tuesday 25 October 2016
Return to the Camino
Well, as foreshadowed in my last post, I can confirm that the flights, bus and trains have been booked and that I’m headed back to St Jean Pied de Port to do it all again.
I fly into London on Wednesday 9 November 2016, then leave for Paris the next evening, before jumping on the TGV there at 8:23am Friday 11 November headed south. Assuming I make all the connections and the relevant transport workers stay on the job, I’m aiming to walk out of St Jean on the morning of Saturday 12 November on the Camino Frances to Santiago de Compostela. I’ll stop there to collect my compostela hopefully sometime in mid-December, and then it’s on a bus straight to Porto, where I’ll turn around (after a day or so exploring what seems to be a very pretty town) and walk the Camino Portuguese back to Santiago - arriving on Christmas Day.
It’s here that I’ve pre-booked my only accommodation of the journey (the Parador Hotel in Santiago, that huge place adjacent to the cathedral) for Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
After I’ve loaded up on Christmas pudding, the plan then is to head out to Finisterre and Muxia, arriving back in Santiago - for the third time - on New Year’s Eve.
A few weeks wandering around Europe and England in the January sunshine will close things off before I head home at the start of February to thaw out in the remnants of a Sydney summer.
It actually sounds quite simple and straightforward when written like this, so I hope I’m not sounding disrespectful of the magnitude of what I’m about to attempt. Fifty days on the camino in the middle of winter is going to be one tough assignment. And the more I read about the hardships endured by previous winter pilgrims, and my lack of any real experience of walking in (or generally experiencing) atrocious weather, the greater my trepidations.
While I’m excited to get going, to seeing some of these places covered in snow, and to navigating tracks that will have turned to mush, I will miss the summer experience of sitting in outdoor cafes munching on salads and drinking tea under a shady umbrella. This time, I expect I’ll be consuming most of my meals huddled around a heater or fire of some sort.
And loving it!
Finally, a procedural note. As with my blog on “Camino 1”, I’ll be writing up my story of “Camino 2” and “Camino 3” as I go along, but I won’t post it all until I get back to Australia. So something to look forward to, folks!
But I will post one last time before I leave with a summary of my training, a packing list, and some other bits and pieces. See you then.
I fly into London on Wednesday 9 November 2016, then leave for Paris the next evening, before jumping on the TGV there at 8:23am Friday 11 November headed south. Assuming I make all the connections and the relevant transport workers stay on the job, I’m aiming to walk out of St Jean on the morning of Saturday 12 November on the Camino Frances to Santiago de Compostela. I’ll stop there to collect my compostela hopefully sometime in mid-December, and then it’s on a bus straight to Porto, where I’ll turn around (after a day or so exploring what seems to be a very pretty town) and walk the Camino Portuguese back to Santiago - arriving on Christmas Day.
It’s here that I’ve pre-booked my only accommodation of the journey (the Parador Hotel in Santiago, that huge place adjacent to the cathedral) for Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
After I’ve loaded up on Christmas pudding, the plan then is to head out to Finisterre and Muxia, arriving back in Santiago - for the third time - on New Year’s Eve.
A few weeks wandering around Europe and England in the January sunshine will close things off before I head home at the start of February to thaw out in the remnants of a Sydney summer.
It actually sounds quite simple and straightforward when written like this, so I hope I’m not sounding disrespectful of the magnitude of what I’m about to attempt. Fifty days on the camino in the middle of winter is going to be one tough assignment. And the more I read about the hardships endured by previous winter pilgrims, and my lack of any real experience of walking in (or generally experiencing) atrocious weather, the greater my trepidations.
While I’m excited to get going, to seeing some of these places covered in snow, and to navigating tracks that will have turned to mush, I will miss the summer experience of sitting in outdoor cafes munching on salads and drinking tea under a shady umbrella. This time, I expect I’ll be consuming most of my meals huddled around a heater or fire of some sort.
And loving it!
Finally, a procedural note. As with my blog on “Camino 1”, I’ll be writing up my story of “Camino 2” and “Camino 3” as I go along, but I won’t post it all until I get back to Australia. So something to look forward to, folks!
But I will post one last time before I leave with a summary of my training, a packing list, and some other bits and pieces. See you then.
Sunday 11 September 2016
Dramatis Personae
Before I go, I thought I might share some memories of just some of the people I encountered along the way.
I understand that a pilgrimage has connotations of a largely solitary endeavour, but in many ways, it's the people you meet and connect with that really makes the Camino. A shared, arduous experience is a great environment in which to really get to know someone and so it proved on my journey.
It’s probably not as apparent as it could be from the daily blog entries, but I was lucky enough to share the path with many, many incredible folk during my Camino. Sometimes for only a short time, many for hours and a few for many days. All were interesting, engaged, good people, many with extraordinary life stories, who were living in the moment and who seemed to be having the time of their lives. It was inspiring and humbling to share their space. I can only hope that I was able to enrich their individual experiences by a fraction of the amount that they enriched mine.
In keeping with the general anonymity of this blog, I’ve made up the names of the (very real) people I talk about below. But it makes no difference.
Miss Lithuania - who was probably the fastest walker I've ever seen. I first came across Tatiana early on in the journey but got to know her a little better when I saw her one morning ahead in the distance when she had fallen and injured herself on a bitumen road. When I caught up, she was bleeding from a large graze on her leg. After a while, and with some first aid, she had recovered sufficiently and was on her way. On the few occasions in subsequent days that I did manage to stay with her long enough to have a chat, or sit down with her for a drink, she seemed a fascinating person with a story I would love to have gotten to know more about. But it was not to be - she was a lady in a hurry!
Don from Sicily - It wasn't his actual name (I don't think), but he was a very charming, friendly, enthusiastic, older guy who I saw a few times along the way. We always greeted each other very warmly. I certainly made sure I did - he seemed more than capable of making you an offer you couldn't refuse…
Romeo and Juliet (an Italian/Venezuelan couple on their honeymoon) - Two beautiful people who I first met in Sarria and who got me out of a potentially difficult situation there when I arrived at the hotel I'd booked into but which wasn't actually where I was staying. They arrived soon after and his Spanish skills helped explain and resolve the mix-up. We also saw them later along the track a few times, by which time she had suffered a painful leg injury and was walking very slowly. Later, they suggested the name of that great pulpo restaurant in Melide, and I finally saw them as they were just about to enter pilgrims square, having taken several hours longer than us on that final day to make it there. But they still had those cute little smiles on their cute little faces.
Pedro from Spain, the Paris to Dakar man - We first met at the Sarria albergue where he was starting his walk. I learned through his broken but enthusiastic English that his main aim was to complete the "Paris-Dakar" in Santiago. He was not a motor sport fan, but a drinking fan, with Santiago evidently renown for the 22 bars between the first (the Paris bar) and the last (the Dakar bar). Completing the Paris-Dakar meant having a drink in all of them. When I arrived in Santiago, I couldn't see either of those bars, but I was assured by a few of the other less-abstemious pilgrims that such a challenge existed and they, too, were up for it. I came across Pedro a few times along the way, including at dinner one night and as we entered the pilgrim square in front of the Cathedral. He was always infectiously happy and friendly. I’ll bet his own Paris-Dakar must have been something to see.
Maribel and Ruth from Spain - I also met Maribel and her friend in the Sarria albergue and we arranged to have dinner when we met again in Portomarin. We also managed to catch up briefly in pilgrims square on the last day. Maribel was a lovely person who worked in a hospital in the south of Spain and had a giggle when I asked her if hospitals also shut down for siesta, as just about every other place in Spain did. Thankfully, the answer was no.
Giuseppe and Maria from Italy - Another beautiful mother and son couple who were my dorm-mates in Ruitelan and who expressed amazement that someone from as far away as Australia would come all this way to walk the Camino. Every time I saw Maria subsequently, she said 'Australia!' in amazement and gave a warm welcome. Guiseppe had walked it before and this time was taking his elderly Italian mother, who fit perfectly - in the nicest possible way - the stereotypes of elderly Italian mothers. He must have had the patience of Job to do what he did. It was great, too, to catch up with them in the Cathedral at Santiago having accomplished their mission.
Sondra and Kristina from Belgium - Two more beautiful people from Belgium who also started at St Jean. I didn't meet up with them until after Leon, and we lost each other again after Sarria. But it was great spending several days with them at various albergues and along the way. As luck would have it, while I was at Santiago airport just about to board the first of my flights home, I spotted Kristina who, with Sondra, was there preparing to take their direct flight back to Brussels. Happily, we were all able to take the time to wish each other the best and say our farewells properly.
Volunteers at Rabanal - This was probably the best albergue I stayed at along the way, due largely to the friendliness of the English volunteers who were running it for a two week shift before the next team came in. They organized a great afternoon tea where all the pilgrims gathered for a chat, and then a wonderful breakfast early the next morning. They also went above and beyond in helping Kristina and Sondra with a nasty bed-bug problem. A wonderful experience.
Hiroki, the Japanese barefoot walker - I first saw this guy walking barefoot on the paved road into Carrion de los Condes. It was early afternoon and the air temperature must have been mid-30s, so it's anyone's guess what it was on the ground. I thought he was absolutely crazy and so I walked up to him, shook his hand and told him so. Hiroki smiled a wistful smile in acknowledgement and continued on his way. His general appearance and the faraway look in his eye suggested he might have actually started his walk in Japan. I saw him several times after that, the last being just out of Sarria. Each time, I made sure I shook his hand and said he was crazy. But it was clear he understood my admiration for, and amazement at, his efforts. What a man!
Ned from Brazil - He was a dorm-mate in Hontanas when I first met him. I admired his beard, his gently disparaging nature toward his home country, his friendliness, and his general presence. He later connected with my Belgian and Czech Camino buddies and we spent a bit of time together toward the end. A great guy.
Sofia from Bulgaria - We were dorm-mates in Portomarin and decided to walk the next day to Palas de Rei, although she wanted to press on to Melide. That was one of the best morning walks of the whole journey with the mist hanging eerily over the forest and we both really enjoyed it. I didn't see Sofia again after our farewell lunch at Palas de Rei, but she was a great walking companion on a wonderful day.
And, finally, of course, my wonderful, incomparable, Belgian and Czech Camino buddies - Kim and Martina. It was uncanny, or perhaps fateful, how early on we just kept meeting up - especially in Leon on that wonderful evening. Spending the amount of time I did with them and engaging as closely as we did in the final week or so, was a highlight of my Camino. If any two people on this planet deserve happiness, it's those guys.
I want to round out this blog with some final thoughts and reflections, which - a few weeks after returning home - I am still trying to put into some sort of coherent form. I also wanted to try and answer a great question that Martina asked of us during dinner in Molinaseca, which I couldn’t really do then. It was - what did you learn from the Camino? (My main response now is that I learned I really, really, loved it. So much so, that I’ve booked to go back and do the Camino Frances all over again in November and December 2016 - followed by the Camino Portuguese from Porto, and finishing with Christmas Day in Santiago! And this time, the only place I plan on booking in advance is the very impressive-looking Parador Hotel adjacent to the Cathedral in Santiago for Christmas Day and Boxing Day.)
Anyway, I thought the priority should be to post the stuff I was writing along the way, which I hope has been of some interest to you as you think about, or plan, your own Camino or use this to reflect on your experience.
I’ll get back with those remaining comments later …
I understand that a pilgrimage has connotations of a largely solitary endeavour, but in many ways, it's the people you meet and connect with that really makes the Camino. A shared, arduous experience is a great environment in which to really get to know someone and so it proved on my journey.
It’s probably not as apparent as it could be from the daily blog entries, but I was lucky enough to share the path with many, many incredible folk during my Camino. Sometimes for only a short time, many for hours and a few for many days. All were interesting, engaged, good people, many with extraordinary life stories, who were living in the moment and who seemed to be having the time of their lives. It was inspiring and humbling to share their space. I can only hope that I was able to enrich their individual experiences by a fraction of the amount that they enriched mine.
In keeping with the general anonymity of this blog, I’ve made up the names of the (very real) people I talk about below. But it makes no difference.
Miss Lithuania - who was probably the fastest walker I've ever seen. I first came across Tatiana early on in the journey but got to know her a little better when I saw her one morning ahead in the distance when she had fallen and injured herself on a bitumen road. When I caught up, she was bleeding from a large graze on her leg. After a while, and with some first aid, she had recovered sufficiently and was on her way. On the few occasions in subsequent days that I did manage to stay with her long enough to have a chat, or sit down with her for a drink, she seemed a fascinating person with a story I would love to have gotten to know more about. But it was not to be - she was a lady in a hurry!
Don from Sicily - It wasn't his actual name (I don't think), but he was a very charming, friendly, enthusiastic, older guy who I saw a few times along the way. We always greeted each other very warmly. I certainly made sure I did - he seemed more than capable of making you an offer you couldn't refuse…
Romeo and Juliet (an Italian/Venezuelan couple on their honeymoon) - Two beautiful people who I first met in Sarria and who got me out of a potentially difficult situation there when I arrived at the hotel I'd booked into but which wasn't actually where I was staying. They arrived soon after and his Spanish skills helped explain and resolve the mix-up. We also saw them later along the track a few times, by which time she had suffered a painful leg injury and was walking very slowly. Later, they suggested the name of that great pulpo restaurant in Melide, and I finally saw them as they were just about to enter pilgrims square, having taken several hours longer than us on that final day to make it there. But they still had those cute little smiles on their cute little faces.
Pedro from Spain, the Paris to Dakar man - We first met at the Sarria albergue where he was starting his walk. I learned through his broken but enthusiastic English that his main aim was to complete the "Paris-Dakar" in Santiago. He was not a motor sport fan, but a drinking fan, with Santiago evidently renown for the 22 bars between the first (the Paris bar) and the last (the Dakar bar). Completing the Paris-Dakar meant having a drink in all of them. When I arrived in Santiago, I couldn't see either of those bars, but I was assured by a few of the other less-abstemious pilgrims that such a challenge existed and they, too, were up for it. I came across Pedro a few times along the way, including at dinner one night and as we entered the pilgrim square in front of the Cathedral. He was always infectiously happy and friendly. I’ll bet his own Paris-Dakar must have been something to see.
Maribel and Ruth from Spain - I also met Maribel and her friend in the Sarria albergue and we arranged to have dinner when we met again in Portomarin. We also managed to catch up briefly in pilgrims square on the last day. Maribel was a lovely person who worked in a hospital in the south of Spain and had a giggle when I asked her if hospitals also shut down for siesta, as just about every other place in Spain did. Thankfully, the answer was no.
Giuseppe and Maria from Italy - Another beautiful mother and son couple who were my dorm-mates in Ruitelan and who expressed amazement that someone from as far away as Australia would come all this way to walk the Camino. Every time I saw Maria subsequently, she said 'Australia!' in amazement and gave a warm welcome. Guiseppe had walked it before and this time was taking his elderly Italian mother, who fit perfectly - in the nicest possible way - the stereotypes of elderly Italian mothers. He must have had the patience of Job to do what he did. It was great, too, to catch up with them in the Cathedral at Santiago having accomplished their mission.
Sondra and Kristina from Belgium - Two more beautiful people from Belgium who also started at St Jean. I didn't meet up with them until after Leon, and we lost each other again after Sarria. But it was great spending several days with them at various albergues and along the way. As luck would have it, while I was at Santiago airport just about to board the first of my flights home, I spotted Kristina who, with Sondra, was there preparing to take their direct flight back to Brussels. Happily, we were all able to take the time to wish each other the best and say our farewells properly.
Volunteers at Rabanal - This was probably the best albergue I stayed at along the way, due largely to the friendliness of the English volunteers who were running it for a two week shift before the next team came in. They organized a great afternoon tea where all the pilgrims gathered for a chat, and then a wonderful breakfast early the next morning. They also went above and beyond in helping Kristina and Sondra with a nasty bed-bug problem. A wonderful experience.
Hiroki, the Japanese barefoot walker - I first saw this guy walking barefoot on the paved road into Carrion de los Condes. It was early afternoon and the air temperature must have been mid-30s, so it's anyone's guess what it was on the ground. I thought he was absolutely crazy and so I walked up to him, shook his hand and told him so. Hiroki smiled a wistful smile in acknowledgement and continued on his way. His general appearance and the faraway look in his eye suggested he might have actually started his walk in Japan. I saw him several times after that, the last being just out of Sarria. Each time, I made sure I shook his hand and said he was crazy. But it was clear he understood my admiration for, and amazement at, his efforts. What a man!
Ned from Brazil - He was a dorm-mate in Hontanas when I first met him. I admired his beard, his gently disparaging nature toward his home country, his friendliness, and his general presence. He later connected with my Belgian and Czech Camino buddies and we spent a bit of time together toward the end. A great guy.
Sofia from Bulgaria - We were dorm-mates in Portomarin and decided to walk the next day to Palas de Rei, although she wanted to press on to Melide. That was one of the best morning walks of the whole journey with the mist hanging eerily over the forest and we both really enjoyed it. I didn't see Sofia again after our farewell lunch at Palas de Rei, but she was a great walking companion on a wonderful day.
And, finally, of course, my wonderful, incomparable, Belgian and Czech Camino buddies - Kim and Martina. It was uncanny, or perhaps fateful, how early on we just kept meeting up - especially in Leon on that wonderful evening. Spending the amount of time I did with them and engaging as closely as we did in the final week or so, was a highlight of my Camino. If any two people on this planet deserve happiness, it's those guys.
I want to round out this blog with some final thoughts and reflections, which - a few weeks after returning home - I am still trying to put into some sort of coherent form. I also wanted to try and answer a great question that Martina asked of us during dinner in Molinaseca, which I couldn’t really do then. It was - what did you learn from the Camino? (My main response now is that I learned I really, really, loved it. So much so, that I’ve booked to go back and do the Camino Frances all over again in November and December 2016 - followed by the Camino Portuguese from Porto, and finishing with Christmas Day in Santiago! And this time, the only place I plan on booking in advance is the very impressive-looking Parador Hotel adjacent to the Cathedral in Santiago for Christmas Day and Boxing Day.)
Anyway, I thought the priority should be to post the stuff I was writing along the way, which I hope has been of some interest to you as you think about, or plan, your own Camino or use this to reflect on your experience.
I’ll get back with those remaining comments later …
Epilogue (Wednesday 10 to Saturday 13 August 2016)
I woke on Wednesday actually feeling quite healthy. The hotel breakfast was befitting the quality of the rest of the place and at 9:30am, I was queuing outside the Cathedral to pay my respects to the man himself - St James. Once inside, I found the brief moments placing my hand on the Apostle statue, and then viewing the silver coffin itself, to be strangely moving.
Then it was the wait for the traditional noon pilgrim mass, where I'd arrived very early to secure myself a front row seat. Unfortunately, like yesterday, there was no swinging of the fabled botafumeiro, but it was a good show nonetheless. I think I understood a couple of words (like, 'no flash photography'), but that was about it.
The rest of the day was spent pottering around Santiago souvenir outlets, and a couple more substantial places, including a few final, wistful, moments in the pilgrims square, before returning for a quiet night at the hotel.
Come Thursday, with my pilgrim days quickly receding, my long-distance flier days were just about to start. They turned out to be as tedious as I had anticipated - via taxi from the hotel to Santiago airport, then to Madrid, to London, to Singapore, to Australia. From start to finish, it was a mind-numbing 39 hours spent in aeroplanes or in, getting to, or getting back home from, airports. And to add to the tedium, my backpack didn't make the transfer at Madrid. I was faithfully promised at Heathrow that, once located, it would be sent on to Sydney and likely arrive in a few days. Hmmmm.
My touchdown at Sydney airport, and the train and bus home on a chilly but sunny Saturday morning, provided a welcome relief.
P.S. Remember how I mentioned in one of my first posts that I planned to run the City to Surf race in Sydney (from the CBD to Bondi Beach) the day after I got back, and suggested that “By that time, I imagine I’ll probably have to remind myself not to take my walking poles to the start line.” Well, I didn’t have to worry about the walking poles - they were part of my lost luggage. It turns out my difficulties were much more elementary. I managed to sleep through the alarm the next morning and missed the race entirely!
Then it was the wait for the traditional noon pilgrim mass, where I'd arrived very early to secure myself a front row seat. Unfortunately, like yesterday, there was no swinging of the fabled botafumeiro, but it was a good show nonetheless. I think I understood a couple of words (like, 'no flash photography'), but that was about it.
The rest of the day was spent pottering around Santiago souvenir outlets, and a couple more substantial places, including a few final, wistful, moments in the pilgrims square, before returning for a quiet night at the hotel.
Come Thursday, with my pilgrim days quickly receding, my long-distance flier days were just about to start. They turned out to be as tedious as I had anticipated - via taxi from the hotel to Santiago airport, then to Madrid, to London, to Singapore, to Australia. From start to finish, it was a mind-numbing 39 hours spent in aeroplanes or in, getting to, or getting back home from, airports. And to add to the tedium, my backpack didn't make the transfer at Madrid. I was faithfully promised at Heathrow that, once located, it would be sent on to Sydney and likely arrive in a few days. Hmmmm.
My touchdown at Sydney airport, and the train and bus home on a chilly but sunny Saturday morning, provided a welcome relief.
P.S. Remember how I mentioned in one of my first posts that I planned to run the City to Surf race in Sydney (from the CBD to Bondi Beach) the day after I got back, and suggested that “By that time, I imagine I’ll probably have to remind myself not to take my walking poles to the start line.” Well, I didn’t have to worry about the walking poles - they were part of my lost luggage. It turns out my difficulties were much more elementary. I managed to sleep through the alarm the next morning and missed the race entirely!
Day 34 - A Rua to Santiago de Compostela (Tuesday 9 August 2016)
Overnight - Hotel Virxe da Cerca
The final day.
I think by now I've accepted that this thing is soon going to end and I'm at peace with that. Doesn't mean I'm very happy about it. Just that I'm at peace with it. Today is all about getting to that square outside the Cathedral and drawing the curtain on my pilgrim life.
Kim and I left A Rua just on dawn with a view to possibly making the famed noon pilgrims mass at the Cathedral. As the morning wore on, and with various recuperative stops, I think we'd resigned ourselves to missing it and settling for tomorrow instead.
The walk itself was again unexpectedly pleasant with long stretches through the woods. Even the section past Santiago airport was fine, unlike that less than satisfying trudge into Burgos past that town's airport all those days ago.
The final few kilometres through the outskirts of Santiago were full of anticipation. Perhaps because it was later in the morning, the crowds were less than I’d thought they would be. But there were still plenty of backpacks (or - more accurately - daypacks) ahead into the distance so there were zero chances of getting lost.
Finally we made it to the edge of the old town, then it was down through narrow laneways housing souvenir and tattoo shops with the occasional bar.
And then the short tunnel leading into the square came into view. On the way through it, I warmly greeted some Camino buddies from a few days ago who had now finished and were heading back to their accommodation.
Down through the tunnel and out into the light and there it was. The extraordinary edifice of the Cathedral (even surpassing that in Leon) was to our left, and pilgrims were resting on their backpacks or hugging and high-fiving all over the large square.
Arriving there really was a special moment.
After a while, a few of us agreed to catch up later, and I stayed in the square for over three hours watching the passing parade of new and familiar faces. It had it all. Chanting and flag waving from proud groups of identically dressed walkers, champagne bottles popping, boots tossed in the air, and all manner of selfies. There was even a marriage proposal which - judging from the sustained applause and the smile on the face of the beaming female recipient - seemed to have been accepted.
A contemplative Swiss woman who I'd met while sitting there after she had arrived earlier in the day said to me that it was only an hour or two between being a pilgrim and being a tourist (she had changed from her walking clothes and looked as if she was on a simple day trip to Santiago). I quite liked being a pilgrim so the comment prompted me to extend my stay there for a time with my boots on and resting on my backpack.
The rest of the afternoon was spent at the very impressive (pre-booked) hotel Virxe da Cerca - my most luxurious accommodation of the journey - on the edge of the old town. Then it was off to get the compostela at the pilgrims’ office, where the wait was short and the handwriting of the volunteer behind the counter exceptional. I paid extra to get the optional certificate of distance, and a handy tube to keep them both in.
The night closed with a final dinner and drinks with my beloved Camino buddies, interspersed with a short tour of some very interesting parts of Santiago, guided by a former local who was staying at one of the albergues.
And then it was over.
After maybe a half drink too many, I wandered tentatively back to the hotel, anxious about how my head might feel in the morning.
Weather - Yet another spectacular day in Spain, although the wind picked up quite strongly while I was loitering outside the Cathedral, and it worked to cool things quite a bit.
Health - I finished the walk nursing my lone blister, which was getting rather annoying. But, physically, everything else was fine. Given this was the final day, though, my mental health was suffering a little. But it’s OK.
Food - Pot of tea and yoghurt etc; Can Coke Zero; Gelato; Pastries and baguette; Dinner at Santiago (burger, chips, drinks); Drinks at Santiago bar
Expenses - Accommodation - 75.00; Food/Drink 44.20; Other (Optional distance compostela - 2.00; Tube to hold certificates - 3.00) Total - 124.20
Walking time - 5 hours, 10 minutes (start 6:45am, arrive at Cathedral 12:05pm)
Brierley distance - 21.6km (total 780.2km!!!)
Daily Steps - 31,467
Total Camino steps - 1,240,007!!!
The final day.
I think by now I've accepted that this thing is soon going to end and I'm at peace with that. Doesn't mean I'm very happy about it. Just that I'm at peace with it. Today is all about getting to that square outside the Cathedral and drawing the curtain on my pilgrim life.
Kim and I left A Rua just on dawn with a view to possibly making the famed noon pilgrims mass at the Cathedral. As the morning wore on, and with various recuperative stops, I think we'd resigned ourselves to missing it and settling for tomorrow instead.
The walk itself was again unexpectedly pleasant with long stretches through the woods. Even the section past Santiago airport was fine, unlike that less than satisfying trudge into Burgos past that town's airport all those days ago.
The final few kilometres through the outskirts of Santiago were full of anticipation. Perhaps because it was later in the morning, the crowds were less than I’d thought they would be. But there were still plenty of backpacks (or - more accurately - daypacks) ahead into the distance so there were zero chances of getting lost.
Finally we made it to the edge of the old town, then it was down through narrow laneways housing souvenir and tattoo shops with the occasional bar.
And then the short tunnel leading into the square came into view. On the way through it, I warmly greeted some Camino buddies from a few days ago who had now finished and were heading back to their accommodation.
Down through the tunnel and out into the light and there it was. The extraordinary edifice of the Cathedral (even surpassing that in Leon) was to our left, and pilgrims were resting on their backpacks or hugging and high-fiving all over the large square.
Arriving there really was a special moment.
After a while, a few of us agreed to catch up later, and I stayed in the square for over three hours watching the passing parade of new and familiar faces. It had it all. Chanting and flag waving from proud groups of identically dressed walkers, champagne bottles popping, boots tossed in the air, and all manner of selfies. There was even a marriage proposal which - judging from the sustained applause and the smile on the face of the beaming female recipient - seemed to have been accepted.
A contemplative Swiss woman who I'd met while sitting there after she had arrived earlier in the day said to me that it was only an hour or two between being a pilgrim and being a tourist (she had changed from her walking clothes and looked as if she was on a simple day trip to Santiago). I quite liked being a pilgrim so the comment prompted me to extend my stay there for a time with my boots on and resting on my backpack.
The rest of the afternoon was spent at the very impressive (pre-booked) hotel Virxe da Cerca - my most luxurious accommodation of the journey - on the edge of the old town. Then it was off to get the compostela at the pilgrims’ office, where the wait was short and the handwriting of the volunteer behind the counter exceptional. I paid extra to get the optional certificate of distance, and a handy tube to keep them both in.
The night closed with a final dinner and drinks with my beloved Camino buddies, interspersed with a short tour of some very interesting parts of Santiago, guided by a former local who was staying at one of the albergues.
And then it was over.
After maybe a half drink too many, I wandered tentatively back to the hotel, anxious about how my head might feel in the morning.
Weather - Yet another spectacular day in Spain, although the wind picked up quite strongly while I was loitering outside the Cathedral, and it worked to cool things quite a bit.
Health - I finished the walk nursing my lone blister, which was getting rather annoying. But, physically, everything else was fine. Given this was the final day, though, my mental health was suffering a little. But it’s OK.
Food - Pot of tea and yoghurt etc; Can Coke Zero; Gelato; Pastries and baguette; Dinner at Santiago (burger, chips, drinks); Drinks at Santiago bar
Expenses - Accommodation - 75.00; Food/Drink 44.20; Other (Optional distance compostela - 2.00; Tube to hold certificates - 3.00) Total - 124.20
Walking time - 5 hours, 10 minutes (start 6:45am, arrive at Cathedral 12:05pm)
Brierley distance - 21.6km (total 780.2km!!!)
Daily Steps - 31,467
Total Camino steps - 1,240,007!!!
Day 33 - Melide to A Rua (Monday 8 August 2016)
Overnight - Casa O Acivro
It was going to be a long one today so we headed out of Melide just before dawn. It was very quiet early on and even as the day progressed, the crowds weren’t nearly as intense. It probably had something to do with Melide not being one of the ‘end-of-stage’ towns and so presumably most of the Sarria pilgrims would have started the day further along at Ribadiso.
But it was another enjoyable and surprisingly picturesque walk through largely wooded terrain which offered some protection from the weather. Strangely, the final couple of hours of the walk weren’t well described in Brierley's guidebook, and we were never quite sure where we were, or how far we were from possible accommodation.
We stopped for some lunch at O Emplame where we met up with a Chinese girl (who was attending university in Belgium) who I’d first come across in Portomarin. She walked with us until A Rua where we came across a hotel-style place which had a pool and a very nice outdoor space. As the afternoon was wearing on, Kim and I decided just to stop there for the night. While the accommodation was a little more expensive than the average albergue, we decided it was well worth it and booked in.
The late afternoon was spent refreshing in and by the hotel’s large, in-ground pool, with dinner and drinks in the evening at the restaurant adjoining the property.
Weather - It was quite dark for the first hour or so of the journey but the sun emerged soon enough and yet another warm, sunny day ensued.
Health - The blister I mentioned yesterday is still hanging around but it’s not too bad. But it was a long, hot day today and I was fatigued by the end of it.
Food - Salad and water for lunch at O Emplame; Dinner etc at A Rua café adjoining hotel
Expenses - Accommodation - 17.00; Food/Drink - 20.10 Total - 37.10
Walking time - 9 hours (start 6:20am, arrive at accommodation 3:20pm)
Brierley distance - 32.1km (total 758.6km)
Daily Steps - 47,395
Total Camino steps - 1,208,540
It was going to be a long one today so we headed out of Melide just before dawn. It was very quiet early on and even as the day progressed, the crowds weren’t nearly as intense. It probably had something to do with Melide not being one of the ‘end-of-stage’ towns and so presumably most of the Sarria pilgrims would have started the day further along at Ribadiso.
But it was another enjoyable and surprisingly picturesque walk through largely wooded terrain which offered some protection from the weather. Strangely, the final couple of hours of the walk weren’t well described in Brierley's guidebook, and we were never quite sure where we were, or how far we were from possible accommodation.
We stopped for some lunch at O Emplame where we met up with a Chinese girl (who was attending university in Belgium) who I’d first come across in Portomarin. She walked with us until A Rua where we came across a hotel-style place which had a pool and a very nice outdoor space. As the afternoon was wearing on, Kim and I decided just to stop there for the night. While the accommodation was a little more expensive than the average albergue, we decided it was well worth it and booked in.
The late afternoon was spent refreshing in and by the hotel’s large, in-ground pool, with dinner and drinks in the evening at the restaurant adjoining the property.
Weather - It was quite dark for the first hour or so of the journey but the sun emerged soon enough and yet another warm, sunny day ensued.
Health - The blister I mentioned yesterday is still hanging around but it’s not too bad. But it was a long, hot day today and I was fatigued by the end of it.
Food - Salad and water for lunch at O Emplame; Dinner etc at A Rua café adjoining hotel
Expenses - Accommodation - 17.00; Food/Drink - 20.10 Total - 37.10
Walking time - 9 hours (start 6:20am, arrive at accommodation 3:20pm)
Brierley distance - 32.1km (total 758.6km)
Daily Steps - 47,395
Total Camino steps - 1,208,540
Day 32 - Palas Del Rei to Melide (Sunday 7 August 2016)
Overnight - Albergue O Apalpador
I'd arranged to walk with Kim, my long-time Belgian Camino buddy, today. She had taken a couple of days off after Molinaseca but had got back on track and was closing in at about 30 kilometres a day. She arrived in Palas Del Rei just after 9:00am and we set off soon afterwards.
I had thought we had seen the last of her after her break, so it was great catching up again and sharing stories of people and places as we wandered along.
The walk through the outskirts of Melide was fairly depressing but closer to the town centre, we spotted the evidently quite famous Garnacha pulpo restaurant that a nice Italian/Venezuelan couple had told us about out on the track a couple of hours before. We stopped there for lunch and the freshness and taste of the pulpo this time was incredible. As we were leaving, and the crowds queuing for a seat were growing larger, the reason for the freshness became very clear. The pulpo-chef was standing in the window taking one octopus at a time out of a tub of boiling water and snipping the relevant parts straight onto the plates.
We had no real thoughts about where to head tonight. Early in this walk, it's all about charging ahead and getting to places with a real sense of purpose. Now, it's almost like I'm figuring out ways of avoiding this thing from ending.
After assessing our health and the heat, we decided that Melide was going to be the end of today, and we found an albergue nearby. But not before getting my first albergue rejection of the Camino. The place looked quite good, but too many others had obviously thought so too, and it was 'completo'.
We spent the evening chatting away for hours at an outdoor bar with plenty of wonderful tapas and an orchestra rehearsing in the town square just up the way.
Weather - Another sunny day that had reached the early thirties by the time we stopped in Melide.
Health - I got a $&@#%£ blister. I don't know how it happened. By now, I thought my feet had become blister-proof. But it's there and it's annoying. I'll see how it looks in the morning and then work out what to do with it, I suppose. The various bites I mentioned last time seem to be disappearing and the urge to itch incessantly is subsiding. Hopefully that's the last we'll see - and feel - of them.
Food - Pot of tea + tortilla at Palas Del Rei cafe; Pot of tea + slice Santiago cake; Melide Pulpo cafe (pulpo, boiled potatoes, cream/custard desert); Various mixed tapas at Melide bar + Pots of tea x3
Expenses – Accommodation - 10.00; Food/Drink - 30.00 Total - 40.00
Walking time - 5 hours, 10 minutes (start 9:30am, arrive at accommodation 2:40pm)
Brierley distance - 14.5km (total 726.5km)
Daily Steps - 24,229
Total Camino steps - 1,161,145
I'd arranged to walk with Kim, my long-time Belgian Camino buddy, today. She had taken a couple of days off after Molinaseca but had got back on track and was closing in at about 30 kilometres a day. She arrived in Palas Del Rei just after 9:00am and we set off soon afterwards.
I had thought we had seen the last of her after her break, so it was great catching up again and sharing stories of people and places as we wandered along.
The walk through the outskirts of Melide was fairly depressing but closer to the town centre, we spotted the evidently quite famous Garnacha pulpo restaurant that a nice Italian/Venezuelan couple had told us about out on the track a couple of hours before. We stopped there for lunch and the freshness and taste of the pulpo this time was incredible. As we were leaving, and the crowds queuing for a seat were growing larger, the reason for the freshness became very clear. The pulpo-chef was standing in the window taking one octopus at a time out of a tub of boiling water and snipping the relevant parts straight onto the plates.
We had no real thoughts about where to head tonight. Early in this walk, it's all about charging ahead and getting to places with a real sense of purpose. Now, it's almost like I'm figuring out ways of avoiding this thing from ending.
After assessing our health and the heat, we decided that Melide was going to be the end of today, and we found an albergue nearby. But not before getting my first albergue rejection of the Camino. The place looked quite good, but too many others had obviously thought so too, and it was 'completo'.
We spent the evening chatting away for hours at an outdoor bar with plenty of wonderful tapas and an orchestra rehearsing in the town square just up the way.
Weather - Another sunny day that had reached the early thirties by the time we stopped in Melide.
Health - I got a $&@#%£ blister. I don't know how it happened. By now, I thought my feet had become blister-proof. But it's there and it's annoying. I'll see how it looks in the morning and then work out what to do with it, I suppose. The various bites I mentioned last time seem to be disappearing and the urge to itch incessantly is subsiding. Hopefully that's the last we'll see - and feel - of them.
Food - Pot of tea + tortilla at Palas Del Rei cafe; Pot of tea + slice Santiago cake; Melide Pulpo cafe (pulpo, boiled potatoes, cream/custard desert); Various mixed tapas at Melide bar + Pots of tea x3
Expenses – Accommodation - 10.00; Food/Drink - 30.00 Total - 40.00
Walking time - 5 hours, 10 minutes (start 9:30am, arrive at accommodation 2:40pm)
Brierley distance - 14.5km (total 726.5km)
Daily Steps - 24,229
Total Camino steps - 1,161,145
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