“Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.” – Steven Wright
Day 21
We did it! Not that I ever really doubted we would but certainly at times I wondered why we were.
We started early… well before sunrise, for the first time. There’s an urgency this morning that has not been there before. The alarm is set for 6.00 am, no coffee, no breakfast… just a realisation that today is the day! 20ish kms to Santiago and the end of this adventure.
It’s not black outside but the streetlights are still on and it’s chilly- something I did not expect. Part of the reason we have decided to leave so early is because yesterdays heat is expected to continue today and we want to get as much of the walk completed before it’s too hot. Apparently the whole of Europe is in the middle of a heat wave. But it certainly doesn’t feel like it as I leave in just a little tank and shorts.
There is a little mist over the landscape as we leave Cruces and we travel through little hamlets full of stone houses with pretty courtyards, past the very familiar cornfields, vineyards and small market gardens, fruit laden lemon trees and water sources.
There are churches… although they are sadly, rarely open.
And of course the ever present wildflowers.
There is some climbing, but also some beautiful forested areas that I enjoy so much.
Twice today in these beautiful peaceful woods, we suddenly hear music in the distance and eventually pass buskers playing for the pilgrims as they make their way towards Santiago. A little Camino blessing for our last day.
We pass businesses that produce the hórreos and stone crosses that are so much a part of the Galician countryside… and cats… one of which Anne thinks is a goat 😂. And we haven’t even had wine.
I am annoyed at our lack of focus as early on we twice miss our turns and end up adding kilometres onto an already long day. And after yesterday’s brutal walk we certainly don’t want extra kilometres… as we were expecting more of the same… hot and horrible. But our prayers to keep us cool were certainly answered and at times I even pulled out a scarf that yesterday I was using to try and shade myself… but today I wrap it around my shoulders for warmth. It is a blessing… the top temperature today ends up being 24° instead of 34°. And today is also mostly a beautiful walk… perhaps because we know it is our last… at least for this time. And every time I passed by a noticeable feature, I couldn’t help wondering whether this would be the last shrine, hórreo or stone cross on this Camino.
The waymarkers that used to be only every few kilometres or so are now coming thick and fast as we are on the final day. But whereas, at the start of the Camino, we can’t wait to knock off some mileage… fast forward to now, I wish the pilgrimage would maybe be just a little bit longer. But it is still exciting to watch to numbers go down into single digits.
Eventually we do see Santiago in the distance although it still takes quite a while to reach it… and it comes with all the trappings a city brings, noise, cars and thousands of people. It’s a bit of a shock to the senses but we are full of excitement as we enter the old town which means we are very close.
My tears begin when we turn into one of the narrow cobbled roads and we can see the cathedral spires.
We Facetime our friend Sue who has closely followed our journey, and she walks in with us. And then we see some of our friends we have made along the way, waiting to welcome us with hugs and congratulations. We did it! We are here!
And I am laughing and crying as are people all around us at reaching their goal at last. The energy here in the square is undeniable and everyone is so happy. I sink to the floor and lay for a while with my head on my pack and just look up at the cathedral.
Even though I have seen plenty of pictures of the cathedral, it still did not prepare me for the majesty and stunning detail of this place. It may not be extraordinarily tall or big by modern standards… but in my mind and I think for most pilgrims, this cathedral is just about the most magnificent structure on earth… epitomizing all the pain and joy of our pilgrimage.
We soak up the atmosphere and breathe in the joy of everyone around me. Three weeks of walking in all kinds of conditions has brought us here. Feeling jubilant and pretty damn proud of ourselves… tempered by the sadness that’s it’s over.
The moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.” ~ Henry David Thoreau
Day 20
It is our second last day today and the last of the Variante Espiritual. Leaving Vilanova de Arousa was definitely a change because it was by boat.
The route that the boat follows is called the Translatio and to understand its significance, you first must understand the significance of this portion of the Camino Portuguese, known as the spiritual variant. After Christ was killed, the apostle James travelled to the Iberian peninsula to try to convert the muslim Moors to Christianity. He wasn’t terribly successful and he converted only a few people, yet when he returned to Jerusalem with two of his disciples, he was tortured and killed. James disciples then returned his body to Spain in AD44. When the boat carrying the remains reached the coast of north western Spain, it travelled up the Ulla river, and the body was taken ashore near the current city of Padron. The body was then transferred to a wagon and taken to the place where the city of Santiago de Compostela now is located. It was buried and centuries later, a cathedral was built on the site of the grave.
Apparently there are 17 stone crosses along the river banks indicating the route.
The captain pointed out some of them as well as other points of interest like the Torres do Oeste watchtower ruins which are the only remains of a 12th century castle…
… and the mussel farms which are big business in the area.
The scenery is beautiful and very peaceful and the boat journey had an almost meditative effect on me.
And with my cross obsession, it definitely can be described as a highlight of the Portuguese route. I also met my hero of the day… the gorgeous Gigi Tree. Gigi is 71 and is doing the Camino on a little scooter… not only ‘doing the Camino’… it is her 60th Camino and the tenth time on the Spiritual Variant… her favourite route. We bonded over coloured hair and I just loved her vitality and passion. She has her own YouTube channel The Perpetual Pilgrim and is also an author and musician. What an inspiration.
Reaching our final destination of Pontecesures, just south of Padron, we’d covered a total of 27km in less than 90 minutes. If only every day was this easy! We walked over an old bridge… into Padron…
… the town known for the traditional dish called Padron Peppers… simply peppers that have been fried in olive oil until their skin blisters and then seasoned with salt… which is literally in every menu that we see (although it is seasonal)… walking along a wide, sycamore tree-lined avenue with the Igrexa de Santiago Apostolo de Padron at one end. The church is another which is dedicated to St James. When his body was brought back to Spain by boat it was moored to a Roman altar stone called a pedron which, not only gave Padron its name, but is now located under the main altar of the church.
Just across the Santiago bridge from the church is a 16th century fountain. At the top is a carving of Queen Lupa being baptised by St James, while underneath you can see the boat transporting his body.
We then walked up to the Convento del Carme which used to belong to the barefoot Carmelites. It was not open but had a spectacular view over Padron.
Up some steep steps (125 in total) is the Santiaguiño do Monte where St James would preach from the rocks.
There’s a statue of St James here as well as a chapel and fountain that I used to refill my waterbottle. In the 16th century pilgrims would climb the rocks on their knees praying on each of the steps so I can’t really grumble about simply walking up them with my pack on my back… except it was hot!
We decided we may as well have lunch before setting off on our walk as we never know what facilities are available as we walk into each day. So we head back to the lovely shaded tree lined avenue we had walked down earlier and had some very average food before setting off.
It is a short walking day again today and we are thankful because we don’t actually begin walking until 1pm and it is 33° and still rising. And it was tough… with lots of walking near to the busy main road and very little shade. There were some pretty parts as the path goes through small country lanes and stone villages.
But mostly it was just hot and horrible. Drinking water was running out when we came upon a water source that have often been a welcome relief as we journey… whether to fill our bottles or to splash our faces and bodies with cool water.
There has likely been hundreds of these that we have passed in the last few weeks… some are clearly springs that have been used by locals and pilgrims for hundreds of years… and I wonder how many others have given thanks for the gift of fresh cool water over the centuries.
As we are getting closer we sit on a rock in the shade and I put the details for our nightly accomodation into Maps. This is when I realise that our booked accommodation, though it says it’s in Cruces, is actually an hour away by car and not where we thought it was at all. There is no way this can work so I quickly get back onto Bookings.com to find an alternative. The amazing advantages of modern technology.
We arrive and find a beautiful church right next door to our hotel…
But more exciting is the discovery that there is a pool… which for an over heated and over tired pilgrim is like heaven on earth. Except I don’t have my togs with me as our main packs have been sent ahead to Santiago. Too bad and I head down anyway and swim in my tank top and undies. It was simply wonderfully refreshing and revitalising.
Tomorrow is the big day… our arrival into Santiago de Compostela and I know I will have very mixed feelings when we get there. And I know I will be hot and exhausted- 19km to walk and another 34° day coming up.
“If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” Anthony Bourdain
Day 19
When we leave this morning, we think it is a misty morning… maybe heat haze… but quickly realise the air is thick with smoke.
From the beginning, today is a hard day… compared to yesterday which was so beautiful it kept me distracted from my body. Not so much today. And many of our hottest days have at least started off cool, but today was warm from the outset. But we thank God for the shade this morning as we walk along the river, as I know that later there will be none.
A few people have asked me if the Camino is hard… or how hard… and similar questions. And I would say definitely yes! It is hard. It is extremely tiring. It is hot… then a cold wind blows and it might even rain. The days can be very long… although we discussed at length before we left what we thought we would be capable of… not that I think you really know before you do it. You get cramps… you sleep in uncomfortable beds with bad pillows… or you don’t sleep because you are in pain or because there is a festival on with music playing until 4am etc etc etc.
I have some issues with my body that were always potentially going to make my life difficult… arthritic hyper-mobile hips that sometimes move out of place (but they’ve pretty much behaved themselves)… a badly arthritic knee that has caused me a lot of trouble for years (but has also been very well behaved)… my (probably arthritic) ankles, which are not usually an issue, have been my biggest problem. One foot has been at times very painful (Dr Google says likely stress fractures from all the walking on hard surfaces). I can suffer at times with pretty full on swelling in my legs and feet and I had hikers rash (exercise induced vasculitis) that feels like my legs are burning. So reality is that for me… and most WOACAS… some degree of pain is your constant companion.
The first week was particularly hard… I really struggled at times… while at this stage Anne was travelling well, even saying she felt she could do more than our 15-20km a day that we had planned. I, on the other hand would limp in with barely the energy to shower and put clothes on again. I would even feel really cold and get the shakes when we finally stopped for the day… apparently a combination of dehydration, muscle fatigue and “after drop”. But the second week I really noticed I began to feel stronger… I could walk longer with no pain… and still feel good at the end of the day. Or maybe just cope with the pain better. I also realised that it did help to take medication… which was kind of difficult for someone who is very anti Big Pharma and never takes anything. Third week feeling pretty good although the ankles are always painfull… you just learn how best to cope. Anne developed blisters, which is extremely common on the Camiño and it’s probably the main thing that makes people’s lives hell while they walk. It means she’s in constant pain even on shorter days… so blessed that we are generally not doing days nearly as long as most people on the Camiño.
But the thing is, when I started the Camino, I didn’t think it would be easy. And it’s hopefully not the focus of your attention… almost not important. They say that nothing good comes easy… and there are so many positives to outweigh the negatives… the awakening nature… the sound of the wind and the ocean… the birds or the soothing sound of flowing streams… wonderful conversations and connections, a cold glass of wine after a days walk… the strength and self-belief I have found in my body despite its issues of aging – these are the important things. So the Camino is not a walk in the park, but despite all its difficulties, it is still a most uplifting and worthwhile experience. Life-changing for some.
We pass through a few small villages…
If you look closely, the entire side wall of this house is covered in scallop shells… the symbol of the Camino
… with pretty houses and gardens
… through wine growing country with vineyards galore then uphill and through a eucalyptus forest… I am surprised how often we have seen both gum tree forests and eucalypts… so reminiscent of home.
There are a few opportunities to stop at cafe/restaurants and we stop briefly to have an ice cream before continuing on. There is a lot of road walking today which has never been my favourite but at least there is not a lot of traffic.
We pass a couple of small churches and go into a very busy service. It is hot and there is nowhere to sit and the singing is so off that we don’t stay. Later there is a small chapel that would normally give us a stamp in our credentials but it is Sunday and it’s closed. We may not get one at all today and we’re supposed to get two a day. Maybe later 🤷🏼♀️
Eventually we reach the estuary of the Rio de Arousa and follow along the coastline…
… before crossing a pedestrian bridge into the town of Vilanova de Arousa itself.
We find our accomodation… an apartment in a lovely stone building in the “old town” area and are thrilled when we find we can enter immediately rather than wait for the proposed 4.00pm check in. Our bags have not arrived so we rest a while hoping they will come soon but eventually give up and go out without a shower or change of clothes or shoes.
We wander the pretty old town filled with churches, stone buildings and houses covered with flowers…
… and discover a gorgeous little vine covered courtyard restaurant off the street and eat some delicious food and drink the local Alberino wine that we love… and almost feel human again.
We like it so much we make a booking to come back tonight. When we get back to the apartment our bags have been delivered… always top marks to Top Santiago!
We rest, shower and change and eventually head back out to see a little more of the town and have dinner.
Another big day tomorrow- we’re really on countdown now… our second last day coming up.
“The beauty is in the walking — we are betrayed by destinations.” Gwyn Thomas
Day 18
Of any day on our entire Camiño, this is the one I had been looking forward to. I had heard so many people say that it is the most beautiful day of the Portuguese Camino and possibly of all the Camino routes. While I know that opinion is subjective, even the name made my heart beat faster… Ruta da Pedra e da Agua (the Route of Stone and Water). I knew I would love it and I wasn’t disappointed.
We walked through our little rural town of Armenteira…
… and very soon arrive at the turnoff. This picturesque trail follows the river for the entire day… and weaves through ancient abandoned water mills (muiños), cascading waterfalls and moss-covered rocks and fairytale woodlands, offering a sense of tranquility and communion with nature. Within minutes of entering the forest I was in tears, overcome with the beauty of creation.
Over the next 5 kilometers along the Ruta da Pedra e da Auga we passed at least 20 muiños in many different stages of preservation…
… stairways that led us down by the river banks… canals that channel the water into the mills…
… several more cascading waterfalls…
… and still, freezing pools you just have to paddle in …
… moss-covered rock walls…
… and filtered sunlight on beautiful ferns giving lots of shades of the most intense greens you have ever seen.
Many will know that I am obsessed with moss… it makes everything feel so alive and there is a thick bright green layer of spongey moss blanketing the rocks and trees.
This is a magical place that is a walk back in time! All day the soothing sound of gentle water accompanies us, birdsong surrounds us and butterflies flutter around us everywhere.
“Nature lulls me in her enchanted woods; soul flowing through greens, and roots, and tangled loves.” – Angie Weiland-Crosby
Aaaand….. there was some kind of huge slug too 😂
We meet up with another family walking the Camino together who have stopped for a swim, where I decide to paddle. Jenny and Carson are travelling with their spirited eight year old, Caden and ten year old, Jane. What amazing parents to take their children adventuring like this and show them what a big wide wonderful world we live in… definitely my heroes of the day.
Today we were slow… but mostly because we wanted to relax and breathe in its compelling beauty… lost in time and space… a feast for our senses. This peace will have to sustain me when we rejoin the hoardes on the road to Santiago. I feel I’m not made for the hustle culture. I was made to witness the blue sky… the sound of birdsong… to walk amongst ancient trees and listen to the babbling brooks and cascading waterfalls. I was made to fall in love with the peace of this world and all the astonishments it has to offer. It’s hard to carry this when everything returns to normal.
This route is also slow because most of the way it is quite steep and rocky and full of jutting tree roots, just waiting to trip us up…
… but eventually it does widen and flatten out a bit as the small stream joins the Rio Umiathe.
We continue along the river even once we’ve left the forest… bordered on one side by the river and on the other by small villages, vineyards and fields of Padron peppers that are so popular here in every place we eat.
We stay in a cheap hotel/hostel that we only booked last night when I realised the one we’d booked was too far off the trail. It feels like we are the only ones here. We walk to the end of the street and eat pizza for dinner and are glad to get back for an early night. It will be very hot tomorrow, as it will be each day now until the end… and we will not have the comfort of shaded woodlands as we did today. Actually not looking forward to the walk and Anne’s feet are still causing her grief. Please say a little prayer for us as we head into our last few days… 🙏🏼🤞🏼
As we stretch our legs, we stretch our minds and our souls. St. Augustine, himself a great walker, remarked, “Solvitur ambulando; it is solved by walking.”- Julia Cameron in Walking in This World
Day 17
I am a little sad to leave the gorgeous town of Combarro… but we head out and straight up. And up. It’s another one of THOSE days… and we’ve been warned several times that it is a difficult.
We miss a waymarker and some construction workers called out to us that we had missed a turnoff… and we are very grateful. We meet another pilgrim Adi (who has just missed it as well)… who spends half her life in Israel and half in London and we walk with her much of the way today.
From the beginning, the trail is a steady fairly steep climb above the village… through narrow residential lanes but the higher we climb, the more rural it becomes… and we walk past medieval homes and hórreos…
… stone walls and crosses…
… through quiet roads, vineyards and woodlands… and of course the ever present wildflowers…
… literally for about 7 kilometres. Up all the way. We take it slowly, with regular stops to turn back to admire the breathtaking view (and catch our breath)!
It is a lovely walk, much of it through forest and quite shaded, which is great as it has become quite hot again with a high of 28° expected today. Anne does really well despite the challenging and ongoing hill and it really isn’t as bad as we were led to believe.
We also meet up again on the trail with our family of “heroes of the day” from a little earlier in our walk- Sam and Eddie, with their kids Issy and Olivia. Still going strong and having a ball.
But what goes up must come down and the path begins to drop, mostly through forest trails… but just before it ended, it dropped dramatically into a steep and very rocky descent- virtually impossible for a family with two kids and a pram. It was very tricky and we were thankful to be with Sam and Eddie to be their Camino angels for today and help them down. The Camino always provides. What amazing parents to take their kids on such an adventure and teach them that there is a big wide wonderful world out there.
While they continue on the road, we turn off on the trail and cross a charming little bridge over a stream.
We then take the quaint path all the way to our destination: the tiny village of Armenteira.
It’s hardly even a village with no downtown area; only the Café Bar O Comercio (our lunch and dinner spot since it’s the only place in town), a few stone homes, and Armenteiras’ claim to fame: the beautiful ancient Cistercian monastery, the Monasterio de Armenteira.
This wonderful place, tucked away in a serene green valley, is a place that transmits peace and spirituality, where you can only hear the sound of the spring water gushing, in harmony with nature. It offers a peaceful respite for tired pilgrims and is run by a group of Cistercian nuns who continue to maintain the monastic traditions of offering a place of peace, prayer, and reflection. In hindsight, I wish we had decided to stay here… I think it would have been lovely… although you can’t book ahead… you just have to take your chances of still having rooms available when you arrive (this is the traditional way of the Camino but too stressful for us).
There was an immediate sense of other-worldliness as we arrive by the cross in the courtyard of the 12th century monastery…
… although it is busy as they have a wedding happening in the church. The building’s impressive Romanesque architecture, is crowned by the magnificent carved rose window of the cathedral that illuminates the interior.
We walk around the cloister that always seem to create a sense of sanctuary and separation from the outside world. I love these places.
Later, we visit the church once the wedding is over….
And then have the very special privilege of attending the daily pilgrims blessing hosted by the cloistered nuns. Beautiful and emotional and a perfect ending to a lovely day.
“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir
Day 16
Leaving Pontevedra there were not the hoards of our previous walking day although maybe that’s because we had a later start… but there was still quite a lot of pilgrims on the road. I was a little anxious as I knew we at some stage would diverge from the main path and I didn’t want to miss the turn off… and I really wanted to get away from the crowds.
Stunning hórreos surrounded by hydrangeas not far out of Pontevedra
Today is the start of an alternative route- still part of the Portuguese Way but known as the Spiritual variant… it is supposed to be less crowded and more serene because the main route, as I’ve mentioned, has become so crowded since all the routes have merged.
The Spiritual Variant, allows pilgrims to follow the journey made by boat by the remains of St James and joins up again with the Central Route at Padrón. This route is often referred to as the origin of the Camino de Santiago. Legend has it that after St James’s beheading in Jerusalem, his body was stolen by his disciples and placed on a stone boat which eventually reached the Rio Ulla where it travelled upriver to Iria Flavia. which is near present-day Padrón. This route is part of the Spiritual Variant.
We did miss the turn off but I realised pretty quickly when I checked my Camino Ninja app. We backtracked and left all of the other walkers behind and enjoyed the solitude of a quiet and beautiful walk through the Galician countryside… vineyards and farms… a few uphills but nothing dramatic.
Our pace is slow as Anne’s feet are very sore even after our rest day… but we are blessed that our planned stages for the next four days are much shorter than many of the stages we have been doing.
There are many stone crosses dotting the countryside…
… and other small signs that we are on the Way of St James.
The waymarkers have changed as well, with the Spiritual Variants own distinct insignia: a scallop shell with a Cross of Saint James. Personally, I think this is the single most beautiful Camino symbol I have seen, but though the route is very well sign-posted, they are not always as obvious as the blue and yellow ones we have followed all this way… definitely easier to miss.
We come across a small church- the Igrexa de San Pedro in Campaño but it is closed…
… so we stop nearby for a coffee and fresh orange juice before continuing downhill to the Monasterio de San Xoan in Poio. There is a service on including a choir and a concert band and we sit and rest and soak it up.
And eventually continued down to the absolutely charming old coastal town of Combarro.
I had heard this town and its coastal scenery was lovely, and that was part of why we had chosen to make this a short leg and stay for the night… but I was unprepared for its fascinating uniqueness that just mesmerized me.
The historic quarter in Combarro has been declared a Property of Cultural Interest and is often mentioned as one of the most beautiful villages in Spain. Combarro is largely built of granite and it gives the village a distinctive feel. There are no cars on the narrow granite-paved streets of the historic quarter, which we explored on foot. The narrow winding historic streets are lined with stone Galician houses, tiny gardens and flowers everywhere…
… stone crosses…
The crosses have the head of the Virgin Mary facing out to sea and a cross on the opposite side. Most of them are from the 18th and 19th centuries.
… and granaries…the casco histórico, or old town is truly something special.
The small Igrexa de San Roque, a lovely church shoehorned into the space between houses
Rua da Mar is the main street passing through the old quarter and runs parallel to the estuary. This beautiful street is lined with taparias and other restaurants, craft, and souvenir shops (yes, it is touristy)…
… and is a great place to see the unique raised granaries and sea houses with balconies filled with flowers, that are one of Combarro’s main claims to fame.
We have seen the hórreos regularly through our walk from Portugal to the point where I googled what they were. These hórreos, or raised granaries, were used to store and preserve corn, potatoes and other grains. They are raised on posts off the ground to keep rodents and moisture from getting in. The crosses and embellishments found on most of them were symbols for protection, in addition to a show of prosperity and wealth. Hórreos are protected structures in Spain, due to their historic value and by law cannot be destroyed.
These amazing hórreos along with ancient stone sea houses (casas marineras)and stone crosses (cruceiros) dot the narrow medieval streets here… and line the waterway. There are 60 hórreos of which 30 are lined up facing the sea and 9 cruceiros in this little town. It was low tide when we arrived and we walked along the ‘beach’ marvelling at the ancient and unique architecture. Some restaurants are even built underneath them.
Speaking of restaurants… there are many… unassuming… right by the seaside… serving some of the freshest Galician seafood straight from the sea and often cooking it on a grill right beside the water.
We had a delicious fresh seafood lunch… just what we needed after our walk… and then repeated again for dinner just a few hours later. In between I explored.
Everywhere you go in Combarro we noticed dolls and effigies of witches and wondered why. Apparently Galicia is a superstitious place with many legends involving magic and witches, which have a long association with the village. It’s said the many granite crosses dotted around town were meeting places for witches. Clearly the witches were unconcerned by Christianity. A bit freaky for me I’m afraid… even though I know that many ‘witches’ of the past were just strong women who wouldn’t toe the line or challenged traditional gender roles.
Magnetic, beautiful, and mystical- these are all words that come to mind when I think of my brief time wandering the streets of this unique fishing village. With its stunning coastal scenery, charming Galician folk architecture, and its compact yet vibrant old quarters, complete with hórreos and stone crosses, this place is truly captivating. I am just grateful that Camino brought us to such a beautiful place.
“Walk your own path and let go of the path others have chosen for you. Love more. Forgive more. Embrace more. Live more intensely”- Pope Francis.
Day 14
I feel really conflicted about today… definite highs and definite lows.
We left early- our earliest yet. The early morning sunlight over the countryside is spectacular and it has rained overnight and everything is fresh.
We are definitely rural today, although still close to the coast, and I love it. Very quickly we are out among the vineyards and market gardens with fruit laden lemon trees…
… and the wildflowers are blazing their glory along our paths.
The countryside is dotted with pretty farmhouses and there are at times, beautiful views of the Vigo estuary.
But as we walk, we can hear blasting in the background (not sure exactly what it is but we have heard it on several other days)… and it makes me think of people in war zones where that blasting would be the sound of bombs dropping. And I think of something I read the other day and it devastates me…
“A Lament for the Weight of Reckless Power.
When bombs drop it is not the powerful who run. It is not their children we see dust-covered, wandering streets with no names, searching for a home that no longer stands.”
I feel the weight of this… an ache of grief… the world feels a little untethered at the moment and while I have been trying to disconnect from all these things while we walk, it is virtually impossible with the current world environment. I am so aware of my privilege that allows me this time and opportunity when others live in war torn lands.
Anyway… enough of that… back on track… back to our Camino
When we began our journey two weeks ago, I was afraid of today. It was planned to be our biggest walk day- around 23km… and I really wasn’t sure if I would cope, considering my body’s issues. Within the first few days, I was even more doubtful after really struggling on much shorter distances. But I feel so much stronger now after 2 weeks of walking. I think of the book The Salt Path that I am reading at the moment and think of how Moth walked himself to health in some ways… and I feel like that is me… my body getting healthier and stronger day by day.
But our day begins almost immediately with steep hills… up and down… which continues on and off all day. And just to make them even more difficult than yesterday, some of them are gravel, with loose stones… so easy to take a tumble… so very taxing on the body. And Anne struggles with the hills and is also struggling generally with achy legs and really sore feet including blisters… which makes the big day ahead really challenging.
But it is so beautiful… the sun is shining and the birds are singing and we pass through such varied terrain. We walk across an ancient Roman bridge…
… along narrow lanes, dirt roads, stony paths, paved roads, ancient pathways, the leafy forest floor… and areas with boulders and tree roots to navigate…
… through farms and people’s backyards…
… and stunning forests where nature and stillness surround us (at times… more on that later).
The moment I step into the forest I feel my stress levels drop and all my senses are awakened… the light is soft and filtered through the trees and we inhale the scent of the forest… I don’t know what it is but it is wonderful.
There is birdsong and the sound of the gently flowing stream that accompanies us much of the afternoon.
And little waterfalls.
And flowers… always flowers… and I am forever inspired by the untamed beauty of wildflowers… growing wherever the winds of life take them.
There are more and more little shrines along the way…
… and pilgrims have turned the waymarkers into a place to leave your stones. It is a Camino tradition that pilgrims pick up a pebble at home (or somewhere along the way), which they take with them on the Camino. The pebble symbolizes the pilgrim’s burdens, sorrows, fears, wishes, even a loved one, and somewhere during the Camino, they put down the pebble, and with it, all that it symbolizes. I love this idea and we have laid down several already.
So… what’s not to love, you ask? Why am I conflicted about such a wonderful day?
The hoards have made me seriously stressed. Our journey has been so peaceful most of the time up to this stage. But this morning there are SO many people on the trail- perhaps leaving early was not wise, although it’s because we have a big day ahead that it seemed a good idea. I knew this section became busy but I didn’t realise how busy or how it would destroy my feeling of peace. At times, there are people right behind me and I feel pushed to go faster and when the terrain is difficult it would be easy to fall. And there are people in front of us that restrict movement and slow us down. You can’t just go at your own pace anymore… and I find it all incredibly stressful.
And Anne and I have often walked in silence… lost in contemplation of life and the beauty of the planet and appreciation for where we are. But the crowds are noisy, constantly chattering and laughing… and I know that is their right… and they’re having a great time (and that is good), but I wonder what their motivations for being here on a pilgrimage are. Not that it matters… but it kind of does. And I feel like a cranky old person when we stop in to visit a beautiful simple little chapel and the people standing at the door are making so much noise… and it feels like they are somehow trampling on holy ground… with no respect. And all day this “noise” has messed with my head. I’m not sure if that makes sense but it was very real for me.
We come across a big school group of teenagers doing the Camino as an excursion- 5 days… 100 km… 150 kids. We spend some time walking and talking with a couple of the teachers- my heroes of the day. What an amazing memory as a school camp… I think it’s fantastic… for them. Perhaps not so much for others on the trail. So many people. Too many people.
Thankfully we stop for lunch at a kind of pub/cafe… well off the track and eat a HUGE sandwich…
… and we seem to lose the crowd… they have moved ahead of us and left peace and quiet once again in their wake. I am so relieved… and we breathe in the stillness. The forest is so alive.
Nothing clears the mind like being close to nature… always a source of delight for me. The afternoon is wonderful and mostly peaceful, but physically challenging.
We finally arrive in Pontevedra old town at our apartment for the next two nights… as we have a perfectly timed rest day tomorrow.
The city is gorgeous… the interlocking lanes and plazas of the compact Old Town are closed to cars and are abuzz with shops, boutiques markets, cafes and tapas bars and beautiful churches, chapels and convents.
The squares are full of locals and pilgrims… chatting and eating and kids playing with the pigeons … it’s a really cool vibe.
After a shower and rest we head out for a little exploration, wine and a wonderful dinner at a Michelin suggested restaurant just around the corner. The most delicious octopus I’ve ever eaten… pretty sure we will return tomorrow night.
Day 15
We have a good lie-in today as it is a well earned rest day. So amazing to not have to rush around and knowing today we don’t have to walk. Once again we were hoping to have a massage somewhere (third time lucky) but it seems it’s not destined to happen- everywhere is booked out. Anne finds a cute Frida inspired cafe where we have brunch.
Our apartment actually has a washing machine, which we were thrilled about. And before we left last night, we started a wash. When we returned home, it was still running, and was making a lot of noise. After about four hours, we realized that it would keep running forever if we didn’t turn it off. We couldn’t drain or spin the washing machine, and it still looked dirty. So, we took everything out one by one, wringing it as much as we could, and put them in a bag to take to a laundromat to start over. Trying to figure out what was what while everything was in Spanish was a bit tricky. We didn’t realize until a local told us after our items were washed and in the dryer that these were the machines reserved for pet laundry. In hindsight the little pictures of dog bones and fish skeletons could have been a giveaway but not to our tired non- Spanish speaking minds.
With chores done, Anne decides to stay home for the rest of the day to rest her sore feet. I will do a little more exploration.
I wander the streets and try to visit some of the churches and convents…
Convento de Santa ClaraConvento de San Francisco- started by St Francis of Assisi when he passed through Pontevedra while on the Camino
… but nothing is open, except the sanctuary of the Virgin de la Peregrina (the virgin of the pilgrims) which is the centrepiece of this section of the city.
The Church of Peregrina is a very distinctive rounded church, located on the Praza da Ferrería in the centre of town. Built in the 18th century, it is Portuguese looking in its style. The church is dedicated to the Pilgrim Virgin who is said to watch over those walking the Camino Portuguése. I climb of course to see the dome up closer.
And then it’s back to the square for Anne to see the church… to have a drink and to revisit the wonderful restaurant from last night before and early night. The sky is looking a little ominous and hopefully doesn’t bring rain while we walk tomorrow.
Rest day over, we set off again tomorrow but have several short days coming up as we head out on a new path.
“There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. And one is that everything is a miracle.”- Einstein
Day 13
We leave the earliest we have since we started our Camino. The weather is still cool, but the sky is clear and brilliantly blue, it will definitely be warm today… heading for a top of 30° and that is hot to walk in… so the more we can get done in the cooler hours the better. We move at a good pace, like good old pilgrims… although Anne tells me later that she had to run to keep up with my longer legs. Half the time I feel like I’m running to keep up with hers… even though they’re little.
It seems incredible that we are, in theory, now within the last 100 km. Santiago de Compostela is within easy reach, although we will be taking the Spiritual Variant which will add extra kilometres on. I feel now that the wandering has become really enjoyable… we are strong… fearless… we feel that we could be on the road for weeks. At least we feel like that when we set off… not always when we finish at the end of the day. But we are definitely stronger now than when we started.
We pass Bouzas where we were going to have dinner last night, but didn’t. It was once a village in its own right, but is now a neighbourhood absorbed into Vigo.
We then start passing through a busy industrial port area… brutal in terms of traffic, noise and local industry ugliness… and views of this port continue much of the morning. It is huge!
So different to the quiet beautiful beach areas we have spent our last few days wandering through. There were some very large good pieces of street art along the way though…
Vigo, the largest city in Galicia, has a rich and varied history. Its roots trace back to ancient times, with early settlements by the Celts and later development as a Roman port. Today, Vigo has grown into one of Europe’s largest and most important ports, particularly renowned for its fishing industry.
We arrive at Vigo’s Old Town… so we are now where we thought we’d be yesterday… and we’ve already walked 6km. We wander briefly through the cobbled streets where we find the Basílica de Santa María…
… and the Plaza de la Constitución, lined with historic buildings and lively cafés… and sit down to have some breakfast before setting off again.
There seems to be hoards of pilgrims in this city this morning… many just beginning the hundred kilometres necessary to get their Compostela certificate. I dread the trail being crowded with people.
We are headed to Redondela today where all routes on the Portuguese Camino merge. I have read about an alternative route (actually a cycle path) that avoids much of the busy city area… is green and traffic free… with far fewer people and great views of the spectacular Vigo Bay. So we ignore the “Camino police” who are sticklers for the “rules” and take this route, including the Halo Ascensor which saves us from some of the notorious Vigo hills.
But not all of them. When we leave this path to join the main route we are immediately confronted with a hill. And we climb. And climb… and climb some more. A never ending and very steep hill… and at times we feel we are almost horizontal to the ground and could put our hands down and crawl.
Anne struggles with the hills but does really well today. There was nowhere to stop and no facilities so we literally just sat on the side of the road on very uncomfortable bumpy concrete, and catch our breath and drink some water. A little further up this hill we find a seat and sit for quite a while- this is our 10km stop which is usually an important one for me if my body is going to have a good day. Because we’d climber so high, the panoramic view of Vigo and the Cies Islands is amazing.
One of the negatives of being the self proclaimed official photographer of our travels is that I rarely get my walking rhythm. I constantly stop to take pictures and then sort of half run/waddle to catch up with Anne and then I do it all again. Constantly. The walking rhythm is important when doing a long trek and I rarely get there. But I love taking the photos so it’s just the way it is 🤷🏼♀️
There was a fair bit of road walking (or should I say climbing) for the first part of the day but the path did eventually head into a wooded area where we soon passed a small waterfall. I find it so beautiful… the sound of the water… the ferns and moss covered trees and rocks. The beauty of Gods creation!
My husband had at times said to me that he couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about waterfalls. “It’s just water falling over rocks”. But Einstein apparently once said, “There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. And one is that everything is a miracle.” I prefer the everything choice… and even a little waterfall is a miracle that makes my heart happy. I climb some stairs through the forest to have a better look before continuing on our way. Pity about the toilet paper once again… it’s really disgusting.
Much of the way to Redondela we were in and out of lovely woodlands with beautiful dappled light and shade that kept the heat at bay, combined with a gentle breeze.
Though for most of the day we had the stunning views over Vigo Bay, it almost felt like we were back on the central route, away from the sea.
There were even vineyards and cornfield which we hadn’t seen since heading to the coast… but still no churches or shrines… or not until near the end of the day.
We eventually come across a lovely pilgrim cafe set high off the road with a stunning view of the bay… and we enjoy some kind of meat pie and a wine Spritz (Anne has a beer) for lunch. Here we have our 15km break ( we aim to have a break every 5km) and enjoy conversation with Aisha… our hero from a few days ago who is carrying her 16kg child on her back while she does the Camino. She travels with her parents who carry the packs. Amazing.
Not far down the track we meet a wonderful family of 4 doing the trek with not only a baby on the back but one in a pram as well. And that had to win our heroes of the day. Amazing Sam and Eddie with 2 year old Issy and 1 year old Olivia.
As they say, what goes up must come down so, not surprisingly, there was a steep descent into Redondela where my stick comes in very handy. It was then a pretty easy walk into town and our apartment for the night. We pass an old church with a beautiful old cemetary…
… a couple of little shrines which we hadn’t seen for a while.
And a couple of water sources… with wonderful quality water.
We continue into town and find our apartment. It is nearly 5pm… the latest arrival time so far… and it was our earliest departure. A big day and sadly, with the heat, my hikers rash has flared again. And there’s another big day tomorrow.
We explore the town a little although it is pretty unimpressive…
… and eventually bump into the Canadian brother and sister we met yesterday on the trail… and end up joining them for a couple of drinks. And dinner. Before heading home for the night.
Steps today- 36,285
Kilometres today- 23.5km
Flights climbed- 40 floors
Temperature- 30°
How pretty are these trees with both pink and purple blossoms. Some of the wildflowers today
“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking”- Nietzsche.
Day 12
We left our cheap hotel to the sounds of our neighbours in the throes of passion… something neither of us is familiar with for quite a long time. We did laugh 😂
Without my notes and calendar I don’t think I’d know where I was or what day it is. By now the Camino has eradicated all sense of time and space… but we hear church bells and realise it is Sunday. It’s really hard to believe it is a week since our wonderful Sunday on the central route… one of my favourite days so far.
Anne stops to get a coffee and we are given some inedible stale unsugared churros and, that is breakfast!
We are on the Litoral route again and hug the coastline, offering really glorious white sandy beaches all day…
There are lots of bathrooms (Anne’s doing a happy dance) and the area is dotted with cafes… some of them open… although we pass several closed beach clubs and empty beaches. It is Sunday so it is quieter than usual. The terrain is mostly flat with some VERY steep sections just to keep us on our toes.
We constantly drop into a new beach… mostly extremely quiet with lovely soft white sand and clear turquoise water. There are no waves… it is calm and serene… just the way I like it. The weather is once again, perfect and each little beach offers something different… and beautiful. I love this morning… feeling refreshed, renewed, and awakened by the presence of the ocean.
There are some sections that for the first time, actually lead us down onto the sand and it is amazing.
At one of these… Praia do Portiño, I can’t resist and pull off my shoes and socks and paddle in the cold clear Atlantic waters.
I could stay here all day… with only a few bobbing boats for company; although there is a small closed restaurant on one side, but otherwise, no services at all. But there is a Camino arrow! Few and far between lately.
Sadly now is not the time to stay at this stunning little beach… so we continue up stairs and steeply uphill into residential streets, climbing over another headland but this time we had glorious views of the Cíes Islands.
There has been a big increase in the number of pilgrims today as we are a little over 100km out from Santiago and many commence their walk around this time, needing to walk 100 km to get the Compostela certification of their pilgrimage. We meet and chat to John from New York who walked 50km on his first day- on a deadline to get to Santiago for a wedding and has his wedding outfit in his little pack. And a Canadian brother and sister on a much tighter timeline than us. We walk for a while with a Spanish woman from Seville who has joined a tour group of 40 people just starting today. That is a huge group so they obviously can’t all walk together and she is along for now.
The hydrangeas that have lined our paths right from the beginning are with us again today and make me anticipate our upcoming Azores escape… not so far away now. Which is kind of scary because it means the end is near.
More and more beaches… all beautiful with white sands and clear blue calm waters… one just melds into the next.
As we get closer to Vigo, you can just feel the city… the change in pace… more traffic… more people… big car parks and the beaches are getting busier.
I much prefer the quieter paths but the Camino is what it is and you just follow where it leads and take what it gives.
I decide to put our accommodation into google maps early to avoid backtracking and we realise it is actually a long way before we get to Vigo city. This is great for today but means we will be adding more than 5 km onto our already big day tomorrow… and it is expected to be 30°. It will be a tough day!
But for now we arrive in perhaps our most extravagant accomodation of our whole trip- chosen as it is a spa resort and we thought that at this stage we may well be in need of a good massage. But of course we are out of luck (as we were in the only other place we stayed that offered massage but was fully booked). It is Sunday and the spa is closed until tomorrow. Including the hot spa pool. 😩
It is beautiful though… a historical manor house with a stunning garden, pool and private beach… one of those places with a marble bathroom, huge fluffy white monogrammed towels and bathrobes… and we each have a big very comfortable bed with lovely pillows. Certainly different from our cheap hotel last night and we soak it up.
Once again when we arrive, our bags have not been delivered. While it’s annoying, it’s kind of enforced rest as there is not too much we can do before showering and changing. Eventually we head down to the pool in our Camilla’s, find a big day bed and enjoy some lovely cold Alberino wine.
We had planned to go into Bouzas, a charming area not far away with a strong maritime history, known for its seaside atmosphere and fantastic traditional seafood. But we are tired and unmotivated and have two of the biggest days of our trek coming up, so we decide to not leave the resort and instead, eat amazing Italian food in the resort restaurant and we’re home in bed by 9.30. Hoping to start a bit earlier than usual to beat the heat.
Shorter day. Shorter walk. Shorter blog today! Praise the Lord! And everyone said- Amen!
Starting from Baiona, walking the coastal route feels like walking through coastal communities that roll into each other, joined by sandy bays, headlands, and lovely beaches. No particular towns… just beach suburbs.
We follow the arrows, although they were very few today…
… across the river Miñor on the Ponte Románica da Ramallosa… and it’s a very easy flat walk. The medieval bridge, built in the 13th century, is believed to have replaced an older Roman one. Its ten arches connect Nigrán to Baiona… and I love old bridges.
And the Ramallosa natural area wetlands… known for its confluence of ecosystems where a river meets the sea, were lovely and a little different to the environments we had been passing through.
As we left Ramallosa, and walked along a path that headed over a headland. This was not the official route but because we had such a short walking day today we thought it might be nice. And it absolutely was… between beautiful old homes, that while perhaps not ‘lifestyles of the rich and famous’ were definitely owned by wealthy Spaniards…
… with amazing views and lots of security. The water was clear and blue and we could see across the bay to Baiona and its castle and harbour where we stayed last night.
After dropping down from the headland we arrived at a lovely long white sandy beach- Playa América, nearly two kilometres of soft white sand and calm waters and one of the most popular beaches in the area… and there are many. It is a beautiful day and there are many people enjoying the sunshine.
We decide for now to not stay but head to our accomodation as we have an early check in for the first time. It is a fair way from the beach, which is disappointing (who chose this place? 😂) but we figure we can shower and change and come back down. However, for the first time, our luggage does not arrive before us… in fact we are waiting for hours… which of course means we cannot shower and change. So we go down to the restaurant attached to the hotel and eat more bread, cheese and wine while we wait for our luggage.
We have booked a luggage service which transfers our main packs from accomodation to accomodation each day, allowing us to walk without carrying our luggage. This makes for an easier and more enjoyable experience, as we only have to carry a day pack. It’s been an amazing and reliable service and our bags have always been waiting when we arrived… but this was our shortest walking day and it didn’t quite work out the way we thought.
So, way later than we originally planned we head down to the beach for a lovely walk in the sand along the waters edge- my first earthing in ages. I love the feel of my bare feet in the sand and even the icy water of the Atlantic… much colder than the Pacific.
And then we go in search of a little restaurant I had noticed earlier as we first arrived here. An amazing meal and wine later and we start our walk back home. The beach is beautiful and the sun is starting to set and I would love to stay and watch it but it won’t be until 10.15 and that is just too late for these old Camino grannies.
Today there has been little indication that we are even on the Camino… there are few way markers, few pilgrims, few churches or shrines and today really just felt kind of like our regular walks at home… or maybe on holidays. Hopefully tomorrow will have more of that Camino feeling that is so hard to describe.
And I think to myself what a wonderful world 