Month: May 2019

How do you capture the collective array of feelings we have today? Our first view of the Santiago was from the bluffs of Monte de Gozo, but it was another three miles before we decended into the city. We walked down stone steps, through a long archway where a Gaelic bagpiper played, entered the Plaza do Obradoiro, and there stood the renown Cathedral de Santiago – in all of its glory!

It is very common to see all types of emotions on display here – it truly the culmination of an extraordinary personal accomplishment that ends in such a special place. Everyone ‘walks their Camino’ for different reasons, so their reactions to its completion vary. Perhaps our only regret today is that the interior renovations to the cathedral that began in January and have closed it for the first time in 900 years, prevented us from entering the massive front doors, marveling at the ancient statues and art in its vestibule, or witnessing the priests swing the famous botafumiera.

The traditional Pilgrim’s Mass was moved to another cathedral nearby, the Church of San Francisco. There, we worshipped alongside hundreds of other pilgrims from all over the world in an over-flow crowd that literally filled every open space. While the mass was conducted completely in Spanish, the atmosphere in the building was nonetheless special to us.

One of the unique and special rewards for completing this journey to Santiago is the receipt of a ‘Compostela’ – a certificate awarded upon presentation of credentials with validating stamps received along the route. Our Compostela in hand, the rest of our day was spent touring the city, drinking wine, and eating tapas and other local culinary delights from Galicia.

In conclusion, this was a very long and often difficult journey that required both physical and mental endurance. What made It not only bearable, but completely and incredibly satisfying were the new acquaintances and friendships made with fellow pilgrims from various countries, the continuous exposure to Spanish antiquity and local artifacts, and the often majestic scenery we experienced throughout this beautiful country. We all feel extremely blessed to have been given this opportunity.

Buen Camino

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Another absolutely perfect morning, as we all began our hike early today. More up and down hills and winding paths through beautiful forests. And, there continues to be a growing number of people on the Camino as we near Santiago. You can tell that there is a minimum of two stamps per day required for the last 100k – as we saw people/ places everywhere along the way in position to add this to your credentials. Fifteen miles and 6.5 hours later we arrived in O Pedrouzo. I want to thank Steve and Vickie Mitchener for hosting a wonderful dinner tonight with a dozen or so pilgrims we have met over the past few weeks. The night was very special as everyone shared their motivation and Camino experience.

We are now ONLY 12 MILES to Santiago, and like most pilgrims we plan to get a very early start tomorrow morning. We have been told by friends that have finished a day or two ahead of us, that the lines to review pilgrim’s credentials, validate their trip, and receive their Compostela is running from 2 1/2 to 3 hours! Hopefully, if we arrive early enough we will not have to wait as long! We will see.

Buen Camino!

Today was a perfect day for reflection. A few thoughts as we near the end of our Camino. First, it is amazing how oblivious we have become to the historical impact of the continuous array of buildings, bridges, and churches, dating back to 12th and 13th century! It would be practically impossible to duplicate the exposure we have had to these artifacts over the past month.

Secondly, I doubt that many pilgrims have been blessed with better weather when walking almost 500 miles over various types of terrain, in any 36 day period. Our fingers are crossed, but it is even forecasted to remain sunny with moderate temperatures all the way to Santiago – and it ALWAYS rains in Galicia!

Third, it is amazing how open and kind everyone is on the Camino. Where would you ever find people from such diverse cultures coming together daily, finding ways to communicate with each other, and always trying to be kind and gracious? We have met countless pilgrims along the way, from countries all over the world. This has truly been an unexpected blessing.

Our walk today was nearly 13.5 miles with sporadic and moderately steep ascents and descents. The weather was perfect and the paths for the most part ran through tree-lined spaces. We stopped for the night in the very small village of Castaneda and have accommodations in a restored old building converted into a 3 bedroom apartment.

Less than 30 miles to go! Buen Camino.

Leaving Portomarín, which is actually not on the Camino, was steep and took a lot longer than expected. Once on the path, however, the majority of the 15 mile hike was through shaded forrest, and/or next to a country road. There was a couple steep inclines that got the heart rate up, but everyone seemed to find it to be a pleasant walk – despite the distance and a small section of very light rain.

We arrived in Palas de Rei early afternoon and visited the cathedral and toured the city of 3,500 people. We plan to attend the Pilgrim’s mass at 7:00pm. Buen Camino

“Houston, we have a problem …… traffic jam on the Camino! We always heard that after Sarria (where all the new pilgrims start) the Camino would get a little crowded. That certainly proved to be true today! And, at the risk of sounding like snobby ‘ real’ pilgrims that have done over 700km, we all can tell the ‘newbies’, from the veterans. There clothes look different (actually clean) and they walk a little more crisply (not enough time for blisters).

We had a 13.5 mile walk from Sarria to Portomarín that had a few steep inclines, some absolutely gorgeous tree-lined paths, and a good bit of descent down into Portomarín – the last 1/4 of a mile being as treacherous as anything I have ever done.

Fortunately, most of our group took the much more manageable ‘alternate route’ into the city.

The city of Portomarín is very unique and different from any we have seen on the Camino. While it has a bridge that dates back to the tenth century, the town was essentially re-built in the 1960s. In 1956 a dam was constructed that created a reservoir in the exact spot of the ancient town. Before flooding they rebuilt the most important and historic structures, block by block, at the new / present city site. Everything else in the town has been erected in the last 50 years!

Tomorrow we head to Palas de Rei. – with only 57 more miles to Santiago! Buen Camino