Mile 418.1: Melide
October 26, 2017
Today was a new day with new adventures to discover.
We began our walk from the hotel. It is set in a river valley so we walked up through pine and oak forests. Most were not natural but still beautiful. There were also plantings of new forests of a tree I did not recognize. Here and there are eucalyptus trees. I have been seeing these in a few other places too…not native to Spain.
We saw our first squirrel…it was black and ran across the road in front of us.
Since our walk would be short today we decided to wait to stop and eat. We are in pulpo (octopus) country and I have been waiting two years to have good pulpo. (We had ordered some in Sahagun but it was really, really, really bad).
The trail was not too bad as far as ups and downs went but it was full of small stones that hurt the toes so we stopped a few times to give them a rest. At one stop I was sitting on a stone bench in front of a house next to a bar. There were two kittens on the other side of a gate and the lady of the house opened her door to feed them. They were not too sure about the two pilgrims on the stone bench but finally they came out to eat. We talked awhile with the lady. She takes care of the stray cats in her town. She was a very sweet person.
We later met up with a couple from yesterday, they live in Northern California and we ended up eating together at the Pulperia Ezequiel which is noted as the best in the area. Even the too tannic wine tasted better as we enjoyed our pulpo.
Medile is similar to other larger towns that we have passed. We went to the church to see when mass was and there was a small chapel open in the same plaza. Nearby was a cobbler shop where he made shoes and purses and wallets and other leather goods. It smelled nice.
I decided not to go to mass today. My husband went alone and it was good for him.
That night we eat a headless fish. Usually fish are served whole…from head to tail. The chef came out later to see how we liked dinner. He said that he changed the way of serving fish since he cooked mainly for pilgrims from different countries and many didn’t like seeing the head (and eyes). He had cut the fish in strips and fried the skin so crisp. It smelled and tasted so good. His name is Armando, he’s a young man who loves his work and has a bounce for life. His family owns the business: Pousada Chiquitin.
El Camino shows us the simple things in life.
Mile 426.7: Arzúa (Dombodan)
October 27, 2017
Somewhere we have left the land of stone and slate to stone and tejas.
I awoke to a car passing in the street. Though the hike was to be short today (8.6 miles) we had crests and valleys to walk up and down. There are more pilgrims on the road now since many begin in Sarria: a group of Germans with two young girls and the cutest little dog called Gaston (I call him El Perro Peregrino); two ladies who are getting use to the roughness of the trail; A little girl whose boyfriend is carrying all their goods as she bounces and clicks her trekking poles. This is the first day since leaving O Cebreiro that I have not seen the French man with a cart. I think we may be ahead of him now.
The trail changed from asphalt to rock throughout the day. We stopped twice to rest our feet. Along the way there were rest areas with picnic tables and shade. The forests are a mixture of old oak, hazelnut, pine and eucalyptus as well as one that I don’t recognize. The old oak and hazelnut looks natural, the rest are planted.
The other day I picked up a black rock that looks like obsidian. Now I am seeing black rocks embedded in the dirt of the trail…maybe it’s jet, the black stone from ancient trees that is used to make jewelry here.
The houses are still made from stone but the roofs are now tejas instead of slate. Some of the stone has been covered with cement leaving a few details of the stone. Other houses are all stone…showing the beauty of the different forms and colors. Many of the homes as well as churches have open slits in the walls, either low or high. These were used for defense.
We had lunch at the Café Bar Santiago where the owner has walls full of letters from pilgrims…it tells how good he is to be honored so.
Except for a few steep hills, the walk was not so difficult. We made it to Arzúa in no time, had a beer (1906 Reserva Especial) and the bartender called our hotel for pickup. We are staying in Donbodan at Casa Brandariz. This is an ancestral home of the family that owns it. They had lost it in history but were able to buy it back. It was in bad shape but they had it fixed up…stone by stone…and now it is a Casa Rural and restaurant. Doña María del Carmen Costoya Gómez is an award-winning chef and has the awards to prove it. The pleasure of dinning there is all one needs to know this is a woman with the talent and love for fine dinning.
Next to the home is a church with an old and modern cemetery. The old one is in front of the church with plaques like the ones usually found on the interior floor of a church. There are two small ones: for a girl of two and a boy with no age noted. They left this life way before I was born. Rest their little souls.
A lady was there with a bucket and scrub brush to clean them. We spoke with her for a while. Her daughter lives in South America and works for a non-profit that helps women. We talked about how there were many people from Galicia that had moved to Costa Rica during the time of Franco. She said that it had become so bad there during that time.
We dined in a room where once cows lived and enjoyed a meal that puts “Home” in a home cooked dinner.
El Camino brings the past and present together.
Mile 437.6: A Rúa (O Pino)
October 28, 2017
We ended the day with our feet up near a fire in a large hearth that is in a house built in the 18th century. (Casa Calvo in O Pino)
The day went well. The trail was not so difficult with some ups and downs that were manageable but it was rocky and I needed to stop a few times to take off the boots and massage my toes. It’s hard to find a place to sit sometimes when one needs it. There was a wall but signs said not to sit on it so we found a rock. A pilgrim passed as I was massaging my toes and told me that she related.
We walked through forests that had been planted and gave us shade. We walked through small hamlets where many of the old stone houses have been repaired into new homes. We saw lots and lots and lots of hórreos, some with corn stacked in them. There was a wall with thoughts of wisdom tied to it.
We came upon the French pilgrim without his cart…it had fallen apart so now he is wearing his pack. When we pass him we say, “Hola, otra vez.” He doesn’t know what “otra vez” (again) means so today he pulled out his French/English dictionary and learned a new Spanish word.
The new pilgrims are beginning to feel El Camino. The walks up are getting to them; their feet hurt…the little girl with her boyfriend (who is carrying everything for her) had bounced and played yesterday and now is tired and feeling the pain that this road can cause…they argue. Yet…for most they understand and are enjoying the discoveries that El Camino has to offer.
Tomorrow we arrive to Santiago de Compostela and end phase one.
El Camino has a wisdom of its own.
Mile 453.4: Santiago de Compostella
October 29, 2017
Today was a bitter/sweet walk. Memories of the past two months flowed through my mind…
El Camino is not too bad here: some ups and downs (which are more interesting that a flat road), we walked through small hamlets and forests that had been planted by humans. The trail changes from forest trails to stony senderas to asphalt and sidewalk. This was hard on the feet but as always we find a place to stop and rest them. Finally we came upon Monte de Goza (Mount of Joy) where there are two monuments to visit. One is more abstract with large panels on all four sides and honors the visit of Pope John Paul II and Francis of Assisi. The other is of two pilgrims looking over Santiago…and below there is the city with the Cathedral of Santiago to the side.
As we approached the city I had a “call of nature” and nowhere to go. When nature calls on El Camino and there’s a bar, you buy a drink and use the aseo or W.C. (which are kept very clean and nice). When there is no bar, well, the men have it much easier than us ladies. So here we were, just entering Santiago and no bar but there was a conference center with people going in and out setting up for some event. So…we walked in with packs on our backs and carrying our trekking poles. We asked two ladies were the aseo was and they directed us. It was big and nice and so needed. As we left there was a man standing to the side watching us…security. He didn’t look pleased and watched us as we thanked the ladies and left. I ignored him. My husband’s boot squeaked. What was he going to do? Kick us out?
As we walked through Santiago headed towards the center of the old medieval town we could see the three towers of the Cathedral. El Camino takes the pilgrim by the side of the Cathedral through a covered passageway where someone plays the bagpipes. Turn left and there is the front (which is still being repaired). Pilgrims and tourists alike are in the plaza. I saw a group of people sitting on the ground by the cathedral, they waved at me. It was the group of Germans that we had been walking with since Sarria. I took their photo and then one of El Perro Peregrino.
We continued to La Oficina de Acogida Perigrino where we received our certificates: one as pilgrims, the other for the kilometers that we have crossed.
Later we went to mass. This is not the special mass that is only held on Sundays in the afternoon. But it is still special and there were a lot of pilgrims there. A man from France was invited to come up and present letters that people from his small village had written to give to the priests when he arrived. It was so sweet. The priest also calls out a list of where the pilgrims that came in that day come from and how many started from where. Only two came in this day from St. Jean Pied de Port…my husband and I. Some began even further, most began closer to Santiago.
A woman in front of us started taking photos during mass and was told to stop by a pilgrim, she moved to the back and continued. I just don’t get the disrespect of some people…this is a holy time.
Overall it was a good mass and a good way to end our first phase of our trip. Tomorrow we have a rest day and look forward to washing our clothes, buying some supplies and going to our favorite café for coffee and ice cream.
On El Camino there are many good people who remind us that life is wonderful.
No Miles…Day off: Santiago
October 30, 2017
Today we enjoyed sleeping till 8 a.m.
We are staying in Virxe do Cerca located behind the farmer’s market. The building is old and of stone and once was a factuary. We stayed here last time and love it.
This was a day of wash and rest so we went to the laundry and enjoyed conversing with a man who lives here and later two pilgrims from Australia who took the English route of El Camino. We then did some shopping for fruit from a fruit stand and creams from the pharmacy. After dropping everything off we went to our favorite café for coffee and ice cream. It was once a casino and was established in 1873. Now it is called El Bistro del Vino. I love the wooden decor in it…it is a good place to relax.
Afterwards we went to the Cathedral to hug St. James whose bust is up behind the altar. It is forbidden to take photos there for it is a sacred area for prayer. I hugged him for Don José who I met before going to Astorga. I hugged him for my cousin in Puerto Rico who has no food or water or electricity because of the hurricane and is getting no help from the idiot in Washington D.C. because he doesn’t like Latinos. I hugged him for the people who made our journey wonderful and the ones who are sick and need the energy to heal. We also lit candles them.
We then went down under the altar where there is a small casket of silver where the bones of St. James lies. I prayed for everyone.
Even though there are signs as one enters these sacred areas that there is to be NO photographing of these shrines, yet someone has to do it (and with flash!) I politely told the man that is was forbidden. People are praying here. He was defensive.
We ended our day having dinner at the hotel. I have waited two years to have the pulpo with fava beans…the funny looking brown ones. I love fava beans but here all beans are called fava. So I began with the caldo gallego (the local soup), which was the best yet and then came the pulpo…with large white beans…oh well…it was a bit salty but tasted wonderful!
While we were eating two women came into the restaurant. One was carrying a folded up box. It was a daughter and mother from Brazil. The daughter began talking to us as if she knew us in Portuguese. She was so full of life and expressive and fun to talk to. The waiter also got into the conversation so here we were having a wonderful time kidding around in three languages: Brazilian Portuguese, Galego, and Spanish. Then just as they had come in, they left. It was a bit surreal. I thought they had come down for dinner. My husband told me that he had met them the day before when they were checking in. Okay…but…I still don’t know why they were in the restaurant. Glad they were though.
Tomorrow we begin our walk to Finesterra.
El Camino is always with you.
Pilgrim’s Certificates:
Pilgrim’s Passport as of October 29, 2017
¡Buen Camino!
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