Day 15: O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela

We did it!

Started out at 5:30 this morning and made it to the cathedral at 11 am, just as pilgrims were allowed inside for the noon mass. Got to watch the big thurible swing.

Look closely. You can see it swinging by...

Most importantly, we lit a candle for Santhosh's mom.

Day 14: Arzúa to O Pedrouzo

One day left! Everyone walks a little faster. Several groups are hanging out at streetside cafes. The celebratory atmosphere is growing.

The trick is to get there #1: in one piece, and #2: get to church on time, that's noon for the pilgrims' mass. Still (just) 13 miles to go.

It looks like this when we start out...

Following LED headlamps.

Soon, it's morning.

Then, today, we came upon a shrine to beer.

Is 9am too early for the first beer? Too bad they're not open.

Other curious sights of the day...

Many people walk in memory of a lost loved one or with a specific dream. The Camino hosts many impromptu memorials/wishing trees such as this one.

I hope their Camino brings them peace.

Day 13: Melide to Arzúa

Inching closer. Another 9 miles done, 24 to go. Between the reduced pace, the fog, and the eucalyptus groves, we've been able to meditate our way along the Camino.

These boots came so close, but just didn't make it to Santiago.

Spider web art...

Some interesting, descriptive signs along the Camino...

And the one I can't unsee...

Now, neither can you. 😁

P.S. I won't leave you with that unfortunate thought. Here's the highlight of my day: we finally tried chocolate con churros. That's chocolate thicker than hot chocolate and somewhat thinner than cake glaze with a stack of fresh churros. Delicioso!

Day 12: Palas de Rei to Melide

What's new? Thunder and lightning but no rain. We are inching our way to Santiago, 9.5 miles today, 33 to go.

The familiar scent of eucalyptus greeted us on the trail early this morning. We are starting to long for home. But first, we'll share a couple of today's sights and Melide's special octopus (pulpo).

Melide is reportedly THE place for pulpo. Hmm. My vote is still for the pulpo we ate in O Cebreiro.

Day 11: Portomarin to Palas de Rei

A slow day, but not as slow as the WiFi at this pension. This will be a short blog.

Fighting leg soreness, we took our last, long hike slowly. Even Alltrails didn't cooperate today. We hiked 16 relatively flat miles through now familiar landscape in about 6 hours of moving time. The new feature today was fog, but that was fun, too. The Camino is so crowded now that one simply follows the leading backpack, or ghostly silhouette of a hiker. No map needed. Spanish twilight zone until the fog clears.

Chillin' on the Camino

We went from a town that is picturesque and revitalizing to one that is treading water, but human kindness prevails. We had ported our backpacks again and found them already in our rooms upon arrival. Can't find a laundromat, so we'll catch up with the housework tommorow, a nice little break.

We are all eager to finish this trek, but with sadness. We used to say, "see you on the Camino," to people with whom we share this experience. Now, closer to the finish, we're not so sure we'll meet again. The Spirit of the Camino is a lot like Christmas spirit is supposed to be. It's being part of something bigger than youself.

Did I say this blog would be short?

Our friends advise us that this is the place to find excellent rabbit, conejo. Soon, we'll head out to go wabbit hunting.

P.S. We struck out again. Canejo is not available now. Maybe next time.

Day 10: Sarria to Portomarin

Today's challenge was to slow down. Now that our equipment and muscles are broken in, we need to focus on not breaking down. We passed the 100km count-down marker. 60 miles to go!

Sarria is a busy town. The Camino happens to run through it. We meet more people every day. There is a bit of a commuter crush, but no road rage.
Some of today's sites: a Halloweeny full moon over a cemetery, a Galician bagpipe player,  a donativo (rest stop with free food, asking only for a donation), a 600 year-old tree, the 100 km marker and more beautiful landscape.

During our laundry run we met a German man who described a German Camino around the Mosel River. Earlier, we learned of Olaf's Way and Sigfried's Trail in Norway and Sweden. So many options, including the other Camino de Santiago Routes. I may never stop walking.

We made the 16 miles to Portomarin with the final steps, literally steps... lots of steep ones. It's a one-road town for walkers. There is  also upscale dining for regional locals. We found some really good seafood paella.

Something unique here is the church. It is massive. It is hundreds of years old. So far, nothing unexpected...Inside, however,  the decor was sparse. After viewing so many Spanish baroque places of worship, this was exactly the opposite of my expectations.

Looking forward to tomorrow's surprises. We're off to Palas de Rei.

Day 9: Triacastela to Sarria

So... Our day began with a choice, right or left.

Looks like someone really wants us to go right. We went left.

More distance to Sarria but a beautiful, shaded route following a river. We discovered a majestic monestery in Samos.

Good place to get our pilgrimage passports stamped, we thought. These stamps prove we have walked at least 100km to the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral.

Guess which stamp came from the monestery.

Good thing we still have a few pages because we still have 74 miles to go.

So here we are in Sarria. Haven't checked it out, yet. Our schedule when we arrive in a town is:

1. Find the hotel/hostel/pension/albergue

2. HOT SHOWER

3. FOOD

4. Laundry/blog time (Lavenderias often have fast WiFi)

5. Rest/hide from the afternoon heat

6. Explore and eat a light dinner when everything reopens around 8pm. This is the best time of day because we keep bumping into other Caminers. Such open friendliness among people from everywhere in the world is what makes this journey special.

P.S. Our new favorite post-hike refreshment: Cerveza con Limón. Cheers!

Day 8: O Cebreiro to Triacastela

The march continues and foot traffic is on the rise. One must complete 100 km to be a true pilgrim eligible for a certificate from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela where St. James is presumed to be buried. This town, Triacastela, and the next, Sarria, are about 100 km from the finish line.

Today, we descended the hills. The remaining route will be relatively flat. 87 miles to go.

Check out this tree...It's a Chestnut tree, over 800 years old and still bears fruit.

How's that for inspiration?

Here is the official Camino guard dog...

There are lots of farm dogs on the Camino. They only get upset when hikers go the wrong way!

Sometimes my feet feel like this:

That's it for today. Another big hike tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Day 7: Vega de Valcarce to O Cebreiro

Our lucky day! Turns out transporting the backpacks and all those Sunol hikes helped us skip right up the Big Climb! We left early and arrived early, so we were able to grab a room. It's the best room we've found, so far....but there's no WiFi there. The whole village is rather off-the-grid. This post will be brief, I'll add more later. The scenery is top-of-the-hill majestic. Here's a peek.

Here are a few more...

O Cebreiro is a historical landmark more than a real town. There are rounded dwellings with thatched roofs representative of the original settlers 1500 years ago. These dwellings were used until the 1960s and have always been part of the pilgrimage route.

These tiny flowers are everywhere at the higher altitude. Curiously, they have no stem.

My favorite light dinner, octopus and a glass of white wine.

Last but not least, the daily stats. We have covered 100 miles!

Day 6: Villafranca del Bierzo to Vega de Velcarce

Another easy day. We cruised a few miles closer to the Big Climb up to O Cerbeiro. Once we reach it, we're in the Glaicia region of Spain.

The Big Climb consists of 3 flat miles then 4 miles to ascend almost 2,200 feet. We are having our bags transported there, not lugging them.

Today, Friday, we are hanging out in a B&B in tiny Vega de Valcarce. It's a short deviation from our plan due to lack of reservations. But this place is a small community that looks out for itself. During lunch at the local bar, a young family stepped in to show off their one-month-old baby. A group of pensioners began an intense card game, with the slightly younger generation circling the action. We  wandered the town during siesta hours. Another town elder was tending to his huge, immaculate garden. He used one tool to weed and the other as a cane. Locals passed by and stopped to chat.  At dinnertime that bar is the hangout for Caminers and locals.  On the terrace were tables of Scotts, Irish, a lady from Korea and we Americans. Inside, the Vega-ns gathered. While we were at dinner, our host placed coffee, fresh bread and snacks in the kitchenette for us. We've been to a few towns that are like Venice: so picturesque, but locals are only around for the tourists. This is not one of those towns.

Using every word of Spanish Google Translate and I could muster, we managed to arrange for our heavy packs to be delivered to the next stop. It's funny how our Spanish hosts will speak more and faster when they realize we don't understand at all.