Santiago

JIM:  Had breakfast, including coffee son Jake got for me at 6am. Hit the road by 615 and marched straight through some 4-5 hrs and 12-13 miles. We entered the city and finally the iglasia. I went to get my final certificate with Dave. Lairceo had beaten us there and was weeping with joy. I remained rather sober until I met the lady who gave me my certificate. I had been worried about what to tell her as to why I did the Camino. It was for personal reasons,not religeous, but I did not want to lie to her. It is said you must say "religeous" to get your certificate. Anyway, when she said she was going to put the Latin name Jacob  for jim on my certificate, I started balling like a baby and I think she was embarrassed to ask me. I felt like I carried my four sons on the camino with me, as I thought about them a lot . So when she wrote Jacob, it opened up the flood gates. So I got the certificate without lying about why. Right on!

  We then went to the church for mass at 12. All of our family of 17 or so where there and we all sat together! Perhaps more than coincidence! It was very emotional for all of us and I passed out tp for the tear removal. It was a beautiful church and ceremony with the church packed and priests from 7 or so countries. The take home lesson was take the camino home with you,! They then lit the incense and floated the magnificent crucible the entire length of the church. Really unbelievable.

   I hope that someone close to me does the camino. Being more than a bit of a cynic about such stuff I was blown away. It really does change lives. Buen camino!

DAVE: So here we are. We arrived in Santiago today after what seemed like a very long walk. Actually, it was only 19 kilometers but I guess the anticipation made our walk seem endless. We walked in total darkness for about an hour and a half, guided by our headlamps. Without them, we couldn't walk. It was pitch black. 

I remember talking to my dear friend, Mike, on May 7th of this year about our upcoming Camino. Mike remarked that he didn't think he would be able to do something like that, due to the fact he was getting up there in years and his knees aren't what they used to be. I remember telling him that I walked with a friend last year that was 73 and was on bis third Camino!  Sadly, Mike passed away a couple weeks after I spoke to him, but I carried some of his ashes with me the entire way.  Mike was with us for each and every step, and now Mike will forever be a part of the Camino. From the top of the Pyrenees, to the mountains of Galicia, to Santiago, and Finistere. Mike will be there with the endless pilgrims that walk day after day, year after year, watching over them from above.

It is too soon to put my emotions into words n this day, but I do know one thing.  I also wish that in the future a relative of mine (a nephew, niece?) will have the opportunity to walk The Way and experience the many wonderful things I have. I hope that when (hopefully, not if) they do, they will think of the pilgrimage I made with Jim and Laercio, Rosie, Wendy, Lei, and the many other friends we made in the Fall of 2015. Buen Camino!

 

A walk in the woods to O'Pedrouzo

DAVE: We woke up this morning with two short walking days in front of us, under forecast sunny skies. An easy two days, then Santiago, right? Wrong. Last night, it was cold in our albergue room. I slept in my sleeping bag with my clothes and wool hat on. I awoke with a sore throat, bruised toes on my right foot from yesterday's 30 kilometer walk (two toe nails are probable casualties in the future) and a new blister on my left heel the size of a 50 cent piece (about a quarter). Who said it was gonna be an easy cake walk into Santiago? But then again, a little pain at the end is a fitting reminder of how challenging a long journey like this can be. Dan ran a thread through the blister then taped me up.  I was good to go (with three tylenols, of course). After about an hour, the pain went away and my stride returned to normal.

I walked alone for much of today again. Another perfect day of walking in the gentle hills and woods of eucalyptus trees under sunny skies. Fallen leaves were everywhere on this beautiful Autumn day. We passed through tiny hamlets along the way; many basically farming villages with nothing else of interest. 

I wanted to reflect on the journey up to this point. The many good times and the few not-so-good times. Everyone, it seems goes through this phase during their walk. The bad days may be due to injuries, blisters, illness, lack of sleep, whatever.  It is with the support of our new found friends, that help us to continue on those days of doubt. My support network of Jim, Laercio, Dan, Dian, and the host of other friends were always there when I needed them. I can honestly say, I couldn't have made it this far without Jim. He patched me up countless times and was always there for laughs, conversation, and support. Thanks, Bro! 

So here we are, just a short walk from Santiago. The afternoon sun fills the room that Jim, Laercio, and I share. All are resting as I write this (yes, Jim is caught up with his Seattle Seahawks news!). Tomorrow will be a busy day for us. We anticipate a ton of people arriving into Santiago de Compostela on he day of pur arrival (992 pilgrims arrived yesterday according to the Pilgrim Office website; a huge number). But, all in all, it should be a very special day.  Tears will be shed, feet will be doing the "happy dance" (if they can), hugs, and little prayers of thanks will be given as well. It should be an amazing day for us. Until then, I wish all pilgrems, past, present, and future a Buen Camino.

Azura

JIM:   FAT. Yes, I have lost a fair amount of weight. I must tell you IT feels good. I think I will entertain a new weight loss program "walk 500 miles and lose weight regardless of what you eat and drink."

My vanity reconciliation continues as I like me better with less weight. I do think when I hit the ground running the reconciliation will end. Actually,FAT is an acronym for forgiveness,acquiescence and tranquility. I think about those things daily. I yearn for forgiveness in all parties in my divorce and the loss of a great friend.,amongst other things. My acquiesance is a work in progress and I do think I have attained a new level of tranquility.(still a long ways to go)

   Was a long walk today.perhaps 28-29 km. I walked most of the day with Dan. Interesting in that there are lots of eucalyptus forests.not quite sure why.
The walk was different in that it was through more forests (lots of chestnut trees) rather than pure farmland.

We walked through several small towns. Some with some wild,bright colored houses.(see pic).

Beautiful small creeks with stone bridges punctuated the landscape. We stopped for coffee early, then had soup for lunch and finally dinner. I had for my primary ham and cheese melted on toast,followed by barbequed pork chops then an almond tort with coffee.

   The wine here is mostly white. The 3 varieties are goodellow(sp)torrentes and Albariño. We have not had a good quality wine yet as we usually order the casa wine with dinner. A friend did bring a bottle of red up and many of us watched the seahawks lose to Cincinatti.Bummer!

   I can not believe this journey is almost over. It will be a sad day for me, as every day has brought me wonder. Though I am very excited to see my family and friends it will be tough to end this journey. I am beginning to plan a dinner for 16 or so of our camino family in several days. Then on to Portugal.!

Arrived at Palas de ReI

DAVE: We woke today fully expecting to walk in the rain from Portomarin to Palas de Rei. Various guidebooks had listed the mileage ranging from 22 kilometers to as high as 28. We had no clue on the real distance but knew we had to travel over several hills. Much of the walk was along country roads and paths, passing through tiny villages.  Another day of beautiful scenery on our way to Santiago.

 The smell of cow manure was everywhere as were patties placed strategically along our path. The sky was generally overcast but the temperature was considered mild so no layering of clothes was needed.  Thank God there was no rain today. Soggy roads mixed with manure is not good for us or our boots. 

We are nearing the end of our journey. We will arrive in Santiago in three days. I've spoken with several Pilgrims about our rapidly approaching completion. For some, they are saddened and genuinely don't want the journey to end. It's a very simplified life we lead on the Camino, with days filled with walking and evenings resting among friends. For me, I am looking forward to Santiago. I'm going to miss the Camino, but I find my thiughts are drifting towards the future after the Camino.  New adventures await us all in life.

So, you may ask, "what is the Grand Lession, you have learned on the Camino?" What is the secret answer or epiphany? To be honest, I don't know. I do know that I've had time to reflect on my life (and my aching feet as well), and how I want to be a better person when I return home. Maybe have more patience, a little more thoughtfulness. I do think the Camino has changed me in a good way. Right now, it's not very clear how.  I see fellow pilgrims struggling with this.  They are seeking the Answer and are struggling to find it as the end approaches. You can't force Epiphanies.  That I'm sure.  As a twist to Joni Mitchell's verse "you don't know what you have til it's gone", maybe we won't know the answer til we're through with the journey.  Maybe it'll be crystal clear a day, a week, a year adter the journey, but for know, don't force it. Don't sweat it.

Anyways, it was a nice walk today, with or without obvious Epiphanies.  Buen Camino.

Portomarin

JIM: Wow, less than 100 km from end of the trip.! We have come over 700.

   The last few days of walking has been through undulating hills, passing through little hamlets. The path is typically 10 15 feet wide with old rock walls on either side and allees of trees,typically oak or chestnut.  Frequently cattle are being moved down the streets by the local farmers and avoiding the piles of dung helps keep the concentration up. I must say I am growing somewhat weary of the manure smell,as it emanates from the fields to the path. It is truly rustic in this part of Galicia.

  The food is changing slightly. We have had cheesecake for desert the last 3 days ,a change from flan or ice cream. Also I have moved from veal to steak with mushrooms the last several meals. I also had fresh beans for the first time today, as French fries has been the staple for some time. We had a full lunch today so will go out late for tapas.

  The wine is changing as well as we are in the area ribiera de sacra. I had thought that represented wine from the Duoro, but in fact it does not.it still is predominantly menzia grapes. We are getting Albariño now with torrentes whites, which is fun. We had a bottle of ribiera del duoro for lunch which was good. Last night our group of 9 was joined by shelly from New Zealand and Alfred from Germany. It was fun with some politics thrown in.Alfred ended up sharing a room withDavid,Learceo and I.

  A couple of funny things. I was sitting on the toilet yesterday and 1/2 through the lights went off.i guess I am too slow about my business. Anyway I managed to fumble my way through the dark and complete the ordeal. I walked out of the stall to the right and went back to finish my breakfast. I realized that I did not have my money belt. I panicked and looked everywhere. Finally, I asked the owner of the place, who,it seemed, felt as though I was accusing him of taking it. We looked everywhere and finally went back to the stall. We found it in the left stall. Damn light systems. 

  The second funny thing is about the Lithuanians carrying the cross. There are over 20 of them and they are very loud,chanting and take up the entire trail. Frankly,they irritate most of us. I was walking ahead and Dave said "hey Jim, here comes the Liths". I turned and said "geez". Right then a woman leading the group ,carrying a Virgin Mary statue passed. She said "it's not Jesus it's Mary" then said "don't you care". I did not respond as she passed with her contingency. We all got a bit of a laugh, as I truly did not mean it the way she took it.

   Yesterday,reluctant to admit,was amazing that afternoon. It not all suffering. Our place had a nonheated salt pool. Dan and I dove in and lounged by the pool with cervasa. It was about 75 degrees and beautiful. We paid 15 euros for a great place.!

  We walked into town over a bridge that was beautiful and are now just headed out to see the village and have tapas.

  Buen camino

To Vieli

DAVE:  we are entering the zone of the Partial Pilgrims! A lot of pilgrims start from Sarria to walk the last 100 kilometers to Santiago.  The "rule book" states that to get the Compostela or certificate from the church, you must walk at least 100 kilometers.  (The Credencial, with the crucial stamps obtained from the albergues, churches, and restaurants along the Way provide the only proof of the effort. DO NOT lose it!). Hence, many start from Sarria, which is a little over 100 kilometers from Santiago to make it an "official" effort to get the Compostela. 

We look at fellow pilgrims with a careful eye, these days. We check out their shoes, the type of pack they are usung, whether they smell or not (very important!), to determine if they are like us: pilgrims that started about 700 kilometers back in Saint Jean.  Maybe the new Partial Pilgrims look at us as rock stars!  Who knows. 

Everyone has their own Camino, even the Partial Pilgrims.  Likewise for the Tourist Pilgrim, the ones that travel on fancy buses, get dropped off at select staging points, walk several kilometers, then get back on the bus for the next staging point.  Yes, everyone has their own Camino.  Take for instance the sub-group of Lithuanians we nicknamed the Parade Pilgrims. These folks are a group of about 25 walking together, carrying a huge cross of Jesus (prone, not vertical), chanting religious verses, hoisting huge banners and flags. Trust me, you dont want to get caught behind the Parade.  I mean, if you want to pass them up, how do you pass Jesus on the cross? Do you wish Him "buen, Camino" as you pass? Is it a sin to pass him? What are the implications? Too stressful for us so we keep ahead of the Parade. 

Getting back to the Tourist Pilgrims, ther has been such an influx of these type of folks that apparently it is now required to get TWO stamps a day from Sarria to Santiago.  This new requirement is due to the chirch trying to crack down on the Tourist Pilgrims that travel on buses, stopping to get stamps, then traveling onward to Santiago to get their Compostela.  At any rate, I intend to get two stamps from here on out.

The walk today was another special day.  The weather was perfect with no clouds.  It was another chilly start from Triacastela with temps around 40 degrees.  The cold isn't that bad sinnce huffing up a hillside with a 24 pound pack on your back really heats you up in a hurry. Another day of walking along country roads winding along rolling hillsides of farmland.  

We passed little villages with tan-colored cattle kept in line with Australian Shepherd dogs.  One particular field had longhorn cattle with horns so large, they would be perfect for the hood of any '65 Cadillac from Dallas.

We arrived in Sarria for lunch and checked out the local crowd from our outdoor seating.

Yep, the new pilgrims are around.  They look (and smell) too good.  It will be crowded from here on out, I'm afraid. But another chance to meet new friends.  All is good for us.  Soon, the journey will end for us.  We are less than a week away from the end.

Buen Camino!

Triacastella

JIM:  The last two days have been my favorite hiking days.  Glorious weather,incredible beauty and good times.  We have done over 400 miles!

Starting with significant elevation gains through little villages with meandering streams and beautiful stone buildings.It's as if we went back in time 50-100 years. Many times we saw farmers hear ding their cattle through the streets. The people are simple and hardworking. We climbed up through the mountains to about 1300 meters with vistas of open fields against areas of trees. Shades of greens,orange,Browns studded the landscape. Once at the top we could see rolling hills with valleys full of fog. 

  Sounds as well as visual sensation filled our ears.. Birds chirping in the morning, cowbells ringing,roosters crowing,sheeps calling, wind gusting, river babbling , bells ringing, filled our ears throughout the day.

  We laugh at the different kinds of Camino Santiago people. Of course there are the true Camino pilgrim: one who carries his pack (or hers) through the entire length of the camino. There are those that do not carry packs,those who bicycle, those who walk 2-3 km then take a bus 40 miles to the next bar and finally the helicopter that lands on top of the st james cathedral with Pilgrims. (Hee hee).

  I also need to show/discuss our daily routine.i wash whatever clothes I wear each day in the shower.

I was told I was stinky by Dion so I bought some lavender soap and have been using that. I try not to wash all the soap out to maintain the odor. I think I smell good now. Friends will tell.

An unexpectedly beautiful walk to Laguna de Castilla

DAVE: we had an amazing stay the night before in Villafranca. The albergue was a lovingly restored building of stone and wood, cared for by two lovely sisters. It was originally run by their grandfather, passed on to his children. I must say, I could have stayed there for days.

Our original timeline was to depart the following day at 7:00 am. But, those plans were scuttled when we awoke at 7:00. Oh well.  We left around 7:45.

Our journey today was to be a 26 kilometer walk, mostly along a main road, with elevation.  Nothing we looked forward to, but an alternative route would have been longer and much more difficult, elevation-wise.  We chose the more direct route since it was already going to be a long day.

We left in the dark, as we always do, and wormed our way out of town.  

No need for headlamps this morning, since we were following the main road for a good portion of the walk. We had no expectations today, othher than assuming the walk would be boring and ugly for most of the way.  We were so wrong.

Sure, the path was close to a main road for much of the morning walk, but our path hugged a beautiful rushing stream.  The sounds of the rushing water, the occasional waterfalls, and the farmland that was undoubtably irrigated from the stream made this journey today one of the most peaceful and beautiful.

 The route today was a climb from start to finish, with the grade becoming quite steep for the last 4 kilometers or so.  We passed through quaint little villages and marveled at the private homes and albergues with their crafmanship of stone and wood.

We climbed and climbed with no problems, but the last few kilometers was challenging.  One particular stretch had us walking among what appeared to be an ancient path through the woods.  I named this particular path "dear God, when is this going to end?". Well, it eventually ended in a tiny village gwo kilometers from our final destination tonight.  We rested, had a beer and crepes (yes, that is correct. Crepes). We then ascended through the now barren hills (reminded me of the mountains from Sound of Music, except for Laercio singing Don't Cry For Me, Argentina instead).

We finally reached our destination at Laguna de Castilla for the night, tired but happy.  We re-connected with old friends we met a while ago on the Camino.  To ight is rest and reflection on what we have done today.  It was such an unpected journey of beauty and serenity.  One to remember for a long time.

Buen Camino

Villafranca del Bierzo

JIM:   We had a rest day in Ponferrado and it was interesting. Many of us hated to stop walking as we are in the habit of continuing on. But it was good. We stayed at a lovely albergue with a delightful hostess named Esperante. The bunks were tall however,and the people there were loud so not much sleep for me.

  Food in this area has been good but wine only ok. I had a revuelta consisting of scrambled eggs with bacon in a cylinder for lunch. It was good with great presentation. Then last night we had a Galician specialty of front leg of pig with peppers followed by veal,also a specialty. Excellent. It was Dave,Dan,Deon and I today for lunch, we had a lentil soup with chorizo with veal again followed by helado or ice cream. Fabulous. With wine and water for 11 euros!

  I am not so enamered with the menzia grape. I have had perhaps 4-5 different Bierzo wines over the last several days and they seem a bit acidic and not well balanced. We ordered a bottle of the best bierzo last night(8euros) and it was only ok. Had one at lunch today and it had interesting spice. Tasting the grapes in the vinyard also seems to deliver a large variety of tastes.

   We walked out of Ponferrada at 730.still dark. Probably took us 5-6 km to get out of town. We walked from village to village with lovely houses often made of rock. Our path took us through some rural areas of vinyard after vinyard.really beautiful! Of course I had to taste some of them. We arrived in the town of Villafranca at about 2 or so.

  A big hike tomorrow over a mountain after 25 km today.

   Buen camino

Ponferrada

JIM: Wow!where do I start.

Kicked out of our Albergue, lost in ponferrado,squals etc.

  We pervade all the menus del dia in Foncebadon and came to the conclusion that an albergue down the road was the best. In fact it was. We had a fresh paella,vegetarian that was exquisite. Also fresh cheese,meats and salads as w ell as all the wine we wanted. Dan and I toasted the group.All was good! Until I went back to our Albergue. I was taken back to the office of our Albergue and informed that we no longer had a reservation for tomorrow. When I asked why he said that we had not eaten there and he was upset.i really felt like I was called into the principals office. I was shocked because it is customary to not eat at the Albergue one stays at. I thought we were in trouble because we had had a bottle of wine in our room(illegal). It was bad because the weather was terrible and they did not care.

Anyway ,we carried on to the next town. It is interesting that the town population was 20 and 25 when you include the ghosts.

  We got out of there at 745. Kind of late.it was pouring down raining and the wind was at 20-30 miles per hour. The fog made it difficult to see ahead. We climbed up to over 5000 feet and then came back down. The first few hours were miserable. I placed a rock of a friend on Cruz de Fiero. It is a huge rock

With a large cross on the pile. The rocks represent the suffering of people. A mountain of suffering.

I said some words and Dave placed some rocks as well. We then found a beautiful spot of blooming heather on top of the mountain. We placed our friends Mikes ashes there.

The weather opened up in the late afternoon and I walked solo through some beautiful rolling mountains. It was very tranquil for me.

We did not have a good map of our Albergue in Ponferrada and walked two extra miles after already going 28 km.

  Dave had a terrible headache and stayed at the Marriott tonight.we will all eat together though. We are still waiting for the woman and learcio to show up at our Albergue. All is good.Buen camino.

Rest day in Ponferrada

DAVE: This morning, we decided to take a rest day in Ponferrada. The weather had been forecasting several days of rainy weather which we had anticipated.  Last night over dinner, we all discussed our options. Was the weather bad enough to wait a day? Was a day needed to rest our feet for the final week push to Santiago? We decided last night that if members of the group (we are nine right now, traveling together) wanted to push ahead, we all would re-link up in three days.  However, in the middle of the night we could hear the rain so the decision was made to take a break. Sleeping in was a luxury we had not known for two weeks. It felt good not to get up to slog in the rain. The picture below is one taken the morning before on the way to Cruz de Ferro. Wet, chilly weather to say the least. The second pic was taken today as we explored Ponferrada.  The clouds, in the direction of our walking, speak for themselves.

Ponferrada is a nice size town. The population is about 60,000, definitely not a village. Jim, Laercio, and I explored the town this afternoon while others got caught up with emails and laundry. One of the attracions is the Castillo de Los Templarios, an ancient fort of the Knights Templar (around 13th century) as well as the Cathedral. Simply beautiful.

So far, we have traveled about 572 kilometers and have about 209 to go.  We're definitely getting close.  We can't believe our little feet carried us along, one step at a time. But, they did and our feet have the battle scars to prove it.  Wendy mentioned last week that after a particularly long day, she checked her Fitbit and it registered over 50,000 steps that day? Not bad! Every step taken is one less we have to take to reach the end of our journey.  One stride is under one meter; our journey is 800 kilometers. Almost a million steps.  They add up, don't they?

If no extra time is taken (none are planned), we have eight more nights in villages, beginning tomorrow, before we reach Santiago.  We should arrive in Santiago next Wednesday, October 14th, one day ahead of our original schedule. We have already reserved beds for tomorrow night and the following day.  We also have two nights in Santiago reserved. That leaves six reservations that still need to be made.  Picking villages to stop for the night is a little exercise in planning.  We need to stay in a village that has accommodations, first and foremost.  However, we need to have them spaced out enough so our walks are around 24-30 kilometers for the day.  We also have to make sure that there is a decent village 24-30 kilometers beyond the one we choose to ensure accommodations for the following night.  So far, all has worked out but it will get very crowded as we approach Santiago.  We have heard persistent stories of villages filling up down the road.  

Yesterday, Jim and I placed,ashes of our dear friend, Mike, in a beautiful field of heather near the highest point of the Camino Frances.  We also placed our stones at the foot of the Cruz de Ferro for loved ones.  It was a very special day to say the least.

Tonight, Jim is scoping out a good place for dinner. I'm looking forward to a nice dinner, followed by bed.  Tomorrow is the beginning of the final push to Santiago.  We will walk daily from here on out, rain or shine.  Our feet, backs, legs, knees, will have to endure for a little bit longer.  Buen Camino to all of our friends.