Day 20: In Santiago

The Botafumeiro

Santiago is teeming with pilgrims - they are everywhere. You know them because you've seen them on the road, by their heavy bags, and by their limping or tired way of walking. We keep meeting people who walked with us - yesterday evening we met Mark and Susannah from Poland, they are now walking on another 90km to Finistere - today we have met with so many others that we became acquainted with.

First thing this morning we went to the Pilgrim's Office to join a short queue. Each place we had stopped on our Camino had stamped our pilgrim's passport. The office now examined those passports and issued us with a Compostela, or certificate. We bumped into 'the man who collects women' and his entourage so it was high fives all round.

The good natured queue at the Pilgrim's Office

Then we spent some time walking around the old and new cities. After this, we attended the pilgrim's mass in the cathedral - we got there 15 minutes early but we still couldn't get a seat. When mass finished, the dramatic event of the swinging of the giant incense burner, the Botafumeiro took place - see our photos plus look it up on YouTube. This evening we will go out for dinner and hope to meet some more of our fellow walkers. Tomorrow, we fly home.

Crowds leaving the cathedral

So, what was the Camino about for us? It was about people, some we had names for and others we didn't: Pat and John (aka the Beach Boys), Gerry, Shane, Mike, the Beautiful People, the Ice Queen, Charlie, May, the Woman Collector, Miguel Angel Jiminez, Dave, Catherine, the Judge, Mark, Susannah, the Girls From Ponferrada.............

We walked over two years and noticed some differences in the origins of those people. There were much less orientals this year than last, especially Koreans who seemed to be everywhere then. There were also far fewer Canadians. The countries that dominated, in our view, were Spain (of course), Germany, Italy, France and the USA. Statistics show that between 2004 and 2012, Ireland moved from 17th biggest participant to 7th - but we saw few Irish and most of these were after Sarria.

We have no great tips to impart - maybe a few suggestions to any reader who might be thinking of making the trip. Use the albergues to get to know your fellow walkers a little better, or at least use them interchangeably with small hotels. Often the private albergues, for a few Euro more, are better than the municipal ones (though this is not always the case). We would encourage anybody to do the final 100+km stretch from Sarria to Santiago, but if you can, cover all or part of the earlier stretches - places like Los Arcos, Santo Domingo, Najera, Pamplona, Burgos, Hontanas, Leon, Astorga, Villafranca ........ And finally, make sure you have the correct footwear.

So, we'll finish before we bore you. Hope you enjoyed our few notes,

Burn Camino!!!

Botafumeiro again

Exclusive Late Photo

We meet a few friends on Friday evening

Day 19: Arzua to (wait for it!!!) Santiago de Compostela 39km

We've arrived

Yes, we have arrived. Our plan was to walk 34km and position ourselves 5km outside the city. We were on the road for 6.30am, had two half hour breaks, and got to the 34km point by 3.30pm. We could see the city below us and a lot of it was downhill, so we went for it and got to the center by 4.30pm. At 39km, it was our longest walk ever on the Camino. We think 39km is about 25miles/marathon distance - how bad!!

We are staying at the edge of the old city. We need to explore it properly, but first impressions are that it is a stunning place. Lots of narrow streets, a beautiful plaza around every corner, and a beautiful cathedral. More on it tomorrow. Most of all, we are delighted to be here - 800km is a lot of walking!!

You'll have seen in yesterday's notes that we were unimpressed with Arzua. Well, the town did redeem itself a little. Mary located TripAdvisor's second best restaurant as being near to us, so we, and a few American friends ventured there. It was off the beaten track, there was no written menu, the staff spoke no English, and we entered the restaurant through its kitchen. We'll spare you the details of the food, but it was lovely, and it was so inexpensive. We've included some photos.

Casa Chelo kitchen

 Gerry, Shane, May and Charlie,  Mary and Kieran

Day 18: Palas De Rei to Arzua 29km

Early this morning above Palas De Rei

We have been very lucky with the weather. In the five weeks over two years that we have walked the Camino, it has essentially been hot and sunny. We had one one hour period last year when we had to don the waterproofs, and one 15 minute heavy shower two weeks ago when we happened to be in a bar/cafe having breakfast. We thought our luck had run out this morning when there was a drizzle as we left our albergue. We risked starting without our waterproofs (they make you so hot and sticky) and were rewarded with it drying up fairly quickly.

Arzua is another forgettable place. We're writing this at 4.30 ish and these places brighten up when siesta finishes at 5pm - but this place looks to be beyond redemption. There are a lot of iffy towns on this stretch compared to some of the wonderful places we have passed through.

We walked almost 30km today - a good chunk of it with Charlie and May, from Virginia, who we have met on and off for the past week. Chatting with them helped the kilometers fly by. We are only two days away from Santiago de Compostela and it is 39km from here. So, to extend our time in the city, we are going to walk 34km tomorrow (Thursday), leaving us a short walk into the city and a full day there on Friday - we fly home on Saturday evening.

'Horse Outside', Palas De Rei yesterday.

About two weeks ago, we shared a dorm with a Spanish man and his three female companions (relations perhaps) all of our vintage. They had lots of bedclothes/extras that couldn't be carried in a back pack, and sure enough he was taking all their stuff in a van to the next albergue. But we find that he drives ahead each day and stops about three times to walk back to meet them. We know each other so well from these encounters (despite our appalling Spanish) that it is high fives each time we meet. We have no name for him but refer to him as 'the man who collects women'.

Anyway, can't believe we are so close. If all goes well, we will be looking down on Santiago De Compostela tomorrow evening. Bring it on!!!

The church of San Tirso, Palas De Rei

Day 17: Portomarin to Palas De Rei 25km

Our walk today was shortish but up and down a series of valleys made it a little challenging. However, we were in Palas De Rei by 1 ish, with again, no new blisters. Palas De Rei is fairly forgettable - its name makes it sound better than it is. After an initial hiccup we found a very nice, small, spotlessly clean, albergue. That's the good news - the bad news is that most of the other occupants of our 8 bed dorm are French, and they are hard going. It is not particular to this group (who we tried to engage with, unsuccessfuly) but, with a couple of notable exceptions, the French on the Camino are an aloof lot. This is coming from a pair of Francophiles who have holidayed in France for 20 years.

The Camino or Oxford St.?

While we're being a bit negative, we'll continue in the same vein. Others had told us yesterday evening that the Camino had been busy yesterday. Today, we saw it for ourselves because we were on the road a little later. Lots of people join the Camino at Sarria and walk the last 100km - we have no problem with this as it is what people want to do. But the effect is quite dramatic. On the Camino from St Jean to Sarria, you can occasionally get a cluster of people (say 6 or 8) at one point due to circumstances, but people are generally in ones or twos and spaced from each other by, maybe, 200 metres. Post Sarria is very different in that there is a constant trail of people - you no longer feel you are out on an isolated country walk, but more on a busy city street. At one spot today, we counted 23 people in the 100 metres ahead of us. Perhaps we exaggerate too much, but it is a different Camino. Another strange thing we noticed today was that for the last 10km out from Palas, there was a constant flow of taxis along by the walkers. Don't know why - are walkers taking a 'short cut', hope not!

Hydrangeas (and local taxi numbers) near Palas

One thing we have noticed as we walked through the hamlets for the past few days, were the dogs. Perhaps 90% of them are Alsatians, and very few of them are tied up. Loose Alsatians would not normally be our idea of fun. However, these dogs are extremely docile. What's more, the farmers use them extensively for driving the cattle in for milking - they are the equivalent of a sheep dog - we have seen this. Perhaps their other name, German Shepard, is more appropriate here. We have also noticed funny little buildings in farmyards (see photo below) - they are Grain Stores or Horreos. They are used to protectively store and ripen grain, usually corn.

Horreros in a farmyard

Anyway, we are really close now. Three more days walking and we are at Santiago De Compostela. Now to try to cheer up the French!!

Day 16: Barbadelo to Portomarin 18km

The little chapel in the albergue hamlet where Mary went to mass

Yesterday evening, we had a nice home cooked meal in the albergue, including a stunning lentil soup (can't believe I wrote that - lentil soup was the preserve of the tall beatnik in 'The Young Ones', if you remember the series). But before that Mary attended mass in the little chapel that forms our albergue. There were six people in attendance, plus the priest who was also a pilgrim, and his lack of mobility was down to a very bad knee - hope he continues to make progress along the Camino.

Our journey this morning started well, but quickly went downhill. We were on the road for 6.45am and walked well with our head torches until we reached a junction. We could not find a sign to indicate the direction and went the wrong way with about 10 other people. We retraced our steps and found our way after dawn had provided more clarity, but we had lost half an hour. We have never made such a big mistake on the Camino. We progressed eventually and, as it was a shortish day anyway, arrived in Portomarin by mid day. We are staying in a lovely albergue - it is the biggest we have used so far and all 130 (yes 130!!!) people sleep in the one room - see picture. Many of the people we know are here and we are sitting outside chatting to them and a number of Italians we have met.

So, how would you like to sleep with 130 people!!

Portomarin is unusual in that much of the old town was flooded in the 60s to create a reservoir. Some important buildings were moved to the higher ground where the new town is, including the old cathedral. Each block that comprised it had to be numbered, moved, and reconstructed at the new location. The numbers can still be read.

Looking down at the Portomarin reservoir from our albergue

The Galicia Camino takes us through very different countryside. It is like Ireland in the late 1900s. The fields are small and the cattle herds are generally less than 20 cows. There appear to be no young farmers, but older husband and wife operations. Automation seems very limited. Today, a woman with cuts of meat in a saucepan, crossed in front of us to put water in it from a roadside tap. Also, the place can be untidy - something we did not encounter on previous Camino stages.

Most importantly, we crossed the 100km from Compostela mark. So we are nearly there.

100km from Santiago + a lot of graffiti

Day 15: Triacastela to Barbadelo 24km

Musicians in Triacastela last evening

It started pleasantly, and has now developed into another glorious, sunny day in the mid to high 20's. Our journeys are now over small hills and into little valleys - gone is the flatness of the meseta. We walked from 7.30am until 1ish, with a half hour break for breakfast on the way. The recommended stage was 18km as far as Sarria but we walked an extra 6km. Sarria is the start for pilgrims who are only walking the last week of the Camino. As many of them start on a Saturday and Sunday, we felt that it would be very busy, so we gave it a skip. We are staying in a wonderful albergue - maybe the best we've experienced on the whole Camino. It is a converted/restored hamlet and everything is finished to a very high standard. The place even has its own little chapel.

Our hostel last night was also to a high standard and very modern. All of them are not up to the standard of these but few of them are really bad. We had considered the hotel option when we first considered walking the Camino, but a friend talked us out of it saying that it is a more rewarding experience to use the albergues. We have certainly enjoyed the experience, but each to his own, and the hotel people we meet also appear to get a lot out of it - and while they may live more comfortably, they still have to walk 800km. We know that some people think the albergues are populated by strange people, and the odd axe murderer, but we've not encountered them. Also, people are concerned about privacy - you can be discrete and change in the shower areas. Or, if you change in the dorm, you find that people are careful not to upset others and turn there backs when changing - nobody is interested in our 60+ year old bums!!

Bringing home the vegetables - on the road to Barbadelo today

The Spanish are very friendly and we have enjoyed the company of a few of them on the way. Alas, two guys from Madrid who we ate, slept and traveled with for the past week, finished their walk at O Cebriero. Another, Sergio from Barcelona appears to have speeded ahead of us. And, a nice lad from Toledo who led us out of Ponferrada when we were lost, and who we have chatted to since, has not been seen by us for a couple of days. However, there is always somebody new. We have got to know Charlie and May from Virginia, and tonight we are sharing with a German speaking Italian couple who we had seen on and off for the past week. She has walked about 5 Camino's, including the Portuguese Camino!

Kieran crossing a little bridge west of Sarria

Different way of doing it - cemetery outside Sarria

Day 14: O Cebriero to Triacastela 21km

Early morning below O Cebriero - looks like the sea and islands
but it is a mist that settles in the valleys.

Somebody had told us that today's walk was pleasant, and they were correct. There was very attractive scenery as we headed mostly downhill for just over 21km. Mary felt that Galicia was like Ireland: there were holly bushes, robins, heathers,  fraughans, smaller fields, and cows. We enjoyed it, did not rush it and our feet are holding up.

We passed through a number of hamlets. These consist of a number of dwellings and a range of farm buildings, and sometimes a church. There is a sense of everything overlapping and we don't understand whether there is individual or shared ownership. They do seem to be busy, industrious, places.

Unusual wood storage in Fonfria

Our experience of the Camino from last year and, up to now, this year is that it is essentially an activity supported by Spaniards who are not overtly commercial. In the past few days we have noticed that prices seem a little more expensive, souvenir shops have emerged, and hawkers have appeared on the route. We hope not, but fear, that in the final week of our Camino, this may intensify even further.

We have two Polish friends since our early days, Mark and Susannah. At Astorga, Susannah developed a nasty dose of food poisoning and they had to stop/ease off. Yesterday evening, we met them again in O Cebriero. We thought they must have taken a bus to recover the time, but no, on one of the days they walked 43km - oh to be young again!!!

Old church in Hospital de la Condesa