TO THE END OF THE EARTH

I WALK SLOWLY BUT I NEVER WALK BACKWARDS

It was great to be back in Santiago, a city I am somewhat familiar with.  I don’t get lost too often now that I have visited the city after each Camino, but it still happens.  The walking center of the city is mostly narrow streets and alleyways that usually don’t go in a straight line.  You discover new ways to get back to your hotel just about every time you go out.  In the limited time that I was with Kelly, I was amazed on how well she knows the city.  Of course she has been there numerous times with her tour groups.  And she knows the people.  Cafe baristas, restaurant owners, store keepers and the all important volunteers at the Pilgrims Office.  Giving her double cheek kisses upon seen her.  I think she is making a name for herself in the tourist industry.

KELLY AT THE END OF THE EARTH

Santiago is also wonderful for seeing old friends, as in Jose from Portugal, or pilgrims you met along the way.  Conversations start easily in a city full of pilgrims and tourists.  Someone sits at a table next to you in a restaurant, “Did you walk? How far? Where did you start? Or someone asking about your Camino.  In a crowded restaurant in the city’s marketplace, Joaquín, a expatriate from Mexico living in New York City was seated next to Kelly and I while having lunch.  Conversation ensued and the lunch stretched into 2-1/2 hours.  This seems to be common place in Spain as meals with good conversation go slowly.  Normally the midday meal starts around 1:30 or 2, with dinner being served after 8:00.  Many restaurants close after lunch and reopen at dinner time.  It is a different way of eating…..slowly.

JOSE, MY FRIEND FROM PORTUGAL 

JOAQUIN 

But I didn’t end my Camino in Santiago.  Changing up the schedule on the fly gave me an opportunity to see old friends in Santiago and continue walking to the coast.  Also I needed a break after only having one rest day since the Pamplona.  There are two destinations to choose from on the coast, Finisterre or Muxia, known as the End of the Earth back in the day.  Some walk to both and then walk back to Santiago.  I have previously been to both locations by bus and car.  Finisterre is the traditional place where pilgrims walk to but I chose Muxia because it is more scenic in my opinion.  Also and important factor to me is that fewer pilgrims choose Muxia and I wanted time to walk without seeing so many pilgrims.  Services for pilgrims are fewer so you do see more pilgrims at the limited albergues where you can stay, but few on the path.

So, four more days of walking adding a tad over 50 miles, through forests, and up and down a bunch of hills.  And it was very peaceful walking on pathways where I saw hardly anybody.

A CAMINO SUNRISE

I noticed that the pilgrims that I do see are different than those I saw before Santiago.  There were four of us at an albergue, the only pilgrims and we were discussing this difference over dinner.  Each of us had walked previous pilgrimages and we all agreed that many of the pilgrims we see and meet are different than those of previous times.  I have mentioned before here and on Facebook, that I have encountered rude pilgrims in bars and albergues.  The others at the table concurred that the Camino has changed.  Perhaps because the Camino was shut down during Covid and now there is a rush of people wanting to walk.  We also agreed that many of today’s pilgrims aren’t pilgrims at all, but tourists.

So now I am in Muxia for a few days, staying in a small apartment with the all important washing machine.  You grow to appreciate having clean clothes.  And now the feet can rest and heal.  Actually since I walked most of the Camino in my sandals my feet have been pretty happy, but one of the sandals is about to give up.  Just hoping it will last till I get home.

MUXIA

Muxia has a population of around 4700 people and has a small boat harbor.  Fishing is an important part of the community and fresh fish is readily available in the local restaurants.  Sea food offerings take up most of the space on menu and beef, pork and chicken take a back seat.  There is a church at the end of the world in Muxia.  Santuario da Virginia da Barca sits on the rocks facing the ocean.  Inside there are models of ships and fishing vessels.  Built in the 17th century, it was destroyed by fire after being stuck by lightning on Christmas Day in 2013.  The monolith on the hill above the church represents the lightning bolt.

So, the Camino ends or does it?  Every Camino is different and this, possibly my last, will be etched in my memory in both positive and negative ways.  I really had the sense of being alone this time, and I consider that a positive.  Really the only negative were the few pilgrims who by their actions spoil the camaraderie I felt on past Caminos.  They were the tourists.  The last 4 days were the most enjoyable in two ways.  Seeing no one on the path for hours, but having great conversations in the evenings over dinner.  Nicole, from France, Laura, from Spain, and Alex and his wife Adriane from Germany.  These pilgrims restored my faith that this is a pilgrimage and not just an excursion for tourists.  They are the true pilgrims.

LAURA (SPAIN) NICOLE (FRANCE)

ALEX AND ADRIANE (GERMANY)

In a few days I will start my journey home.  Back to Santiago by bus, train to Madrid then the flight home.  I miss home and it’s comforts, but most I miss Cathie.  It will be good to be back.

In case you ask, 395 miles, not counting looking for a bar.

MUXIA




EARLY MORNING LIGHT

BILL BENNETT (AUSTRALIA)


JOSE AND HIS FELLOW PILGRIMS

THE GREAT DIVIDE FINISTERRE TO THE LEFT, MUXIA TO THE RIGHT

AMAZING EXPERENCES ON THE CAMINO

We meet the people we’er supposed to when the time is just right

After Villafranca del Bierzo there is a 13 mile walk along side a rural highway, almost walking entirely on pavement.  The grade is gentle, but you are going up hill.  Even though it is next to the road, it is actually a very beautiful walk.  It is in the bottom of a deep valley alongside a rushing river.  The weather is cool and there are cafes along the way.  There were some pushy pilgrims in the first stop for coffee in a very crowded and busy bar.  I waited my turn to be served, but others didn’t.  I am seeing more and more of this.  I was talking to some fellow pilgrims who have also walked before, and they said they are noticing the same thing.  The people walking of more like tourist, rather than pilgrims.  I finished my coffee and got out of there.  A couple of miles down the road, I stopped in another cafe and I was the only customer.  I ordered and ate the best bowl of Lentil Soup I have ever had.  See, the 2nd bar is cool.

BUSY BAR

At the end of the valley, one arrives in Las Herrerias, a small enclave with several options for lodging.  It is a great overnight spot as the next part of the trail is steep, very steep, muddy and slippery.  This is the 3rd time I climbed this mountain and for a change it wasn’t raining.  It is near the top of this hill that you enter Galicia, the province of Spain where Santiago is.  After reaching the summit the village of O’Cebrero, a collection of old stone buildings some with thatched roofs.  After a breakfast of eggs and toast, I continued on to the small hamlet of Fonfría my next stop for the night.  The Albergue there has a communal dinner in traditional building called a palloza.  You are seated as you enter the building and it is the luck of the draw who you are sitting next to.  So in my case, there were French to the left of me and  Koreans to the right, and not a lick of English was spoke by either group.  I did manage to communicate to them to pass the wine.  It as a very good dinner with plenty of food to go around.

The next day was mostly downhill and the little guy with the knife switched sides and stabbed me a few times in my right thigh.  But I made it to Samos, where I stayed in a very nice hotel.  Samos is the end of my walking for a few days, as I definitely needed some time off from the trail after 18 days without a break.  The next morning I took a taxi to the train station in Sarria where a bus replaced the train for some reason to a few towns away.  Then a train into Santiago.  Sarria is 100k from Santiago is from where one must walk if they want their Compstella, or certificate issued by the pilgrims office.  Since I have already done this section twice and it is the most crowded part of the Camino, I have opted to skip it.  Instead after several days off in Santiago, I will continue to walk to Muxia on the coast.

While in Santiago I was able to meet up with two of my friends from previous trips to Spain.  Kelly, who I walked with in 2015, now brings pilgrims from Taiwan to walk the Camino.  Kelly and her group of 10, arrived the same day a I did.  It was good see her again and she invited me to go with her, her friend Xquín and her tour group the next day to Finisterre and Muxia on the Coast.  It was a long day on a bus, but it got me off my feet and it included a very nice lunch in a seaside restaurant.

KELLY AND XQUÍN

KELLY’S TOUR GROUP

That evening I met up with Jose, From Portugal.  Cathie and I stayed in Jose’s B&B in Porto, Portugal when we were there in 2017.  Jose walks the Portuguese Way every year and it just so happened that he had arrived a day earlier.  So, he invited me to go with him and three of his pilgrim friends and participate in their celebration of their arrival in Santiago. And boy, and do they celebrate.  Three different bars and restaurants with lots of food and copious amounts of wine.  There was singing, and laughing late into the night.

JOSE AND FRIENDS

Lastly another surprise,  who would have foretold this. So I go to a restaurant because Kelly said it was good. Mostly seafood. The waiter seats me in a back room past the kitchen.  There is a group of people in the small room and one of them looks familiar. I think he is Bill Bennett an Australian filmmaker who walked the Camino in 2013 and wrote a blog which I followed at the time.  He later wrote a book called “The Way My Way.” I also read the book.  Very good by the way and funny.   So finally after hearing Australian accents I ask if he was Bill Bennett and it’s him. He is is Spain making a movie based on his book. In his blog and book he writes about suffering with extreme knee pain while walking. While in Burgos he visits the Cathedral.  There are several side chapels and in one there is a star made of marble in the floor.  Directly above there is a corresponding star in glass in the ceiling. He stands on the star and writes that the a feeling of calmness came over him while standing there.  I don’t remember how long he stood there, but several minutes at least.  The next day he had no pain and has been pain free since. So when I walked my first Camino in 2015, I was having pain in the balls of my feet  So I figured, what have I got to loose.  I stood in the same place and the next day I had no pain and have been pain free since.  I told him my story and he was so grateful that we ran into each other so I could share my experience with him.  I believe what happened to me, validates what he experienced on his Camino. Just a chance meeting, amazing!  Here is a link to Bills Blog 

PGS The Way

OVER HILLS AND MOUNTAINS AND BACK IN WINE COUNTRY

EXPERIENCE DOES FOR THE SOUL WHAT EDUCATION DOES FOR THE MIND

Day 24 through 29. Villar de Mazarife to Villafranca del Bierzo.  57.5 miles. After one more day with little inclines, I stopped overnight in Hospital de Órbigo. Usually when a town has Hospital in it’s name suggests that there is or was a hospital there.  In earlier times along the Camino, a hospital was a place where pilgrims were cared for.  Not necessarily sick and injured but others as well.  Today the folks, many times volunteers, who care for pilgrims in a albergue are called  hospitaleros.  These people basically run the albergues from checking pilgrims in, to cooking and cleaning.  They are there to assist the pilgrims who are in need of information, where to seek medical attention and a whole host of other duties.

Hospital de Órbigo boasts a long stone bridge with 20 arches and is close to 1000 feet long.  Arriving pilgrims cross this 13th century bridge which spans the Órbigo River.

After thunderstorms last night, the skies have cleared and it was a great day for walking. The landscape has changed and there are now ups and downs to contend with, but the scenery has improved.  Along the Camino you come across many places where someone has set up a small stand and offers fruit, cold drinks and more.  Most of these entrepreneurs ask only for a donation and most are on the honor system.  Leave some change if you can, if you can’t, well that’s ok too.  The King of these Entrepreneurs is David, who has been feeding pilgrims for years.  He is along side the path about 4 miles before reaching the City of Astorga out in the middle of nowhere.  He provides fruit, drinks, hot coffee, cheese and sausage all for a donation.  He also will let you sleep in one of his open air beds.

DAVID

PALACIO DE GAUDI

ASTORGA PLAZA MAYOR

After an overnight in Astoria, a beautiful city by the way, we begin the slow but steady climb to the high point on the Camino.  After another night in Rabanal del Camino, the climb begins in earnest, reaching just under 5000 feet.  And what would a pilgrimage over the mountains be without some rain.  Wind, fog and rain accompanied us for the first 3 hours or so until reaching Cruz de Ferro.  The Iron Cross is where pilgrims leave a stone that they have brought from their their home which represents one’s burdens.  You cast off your burden and now it its lighter.

CRUZde FERRO

Having reached the high point, the day continues down the other side of the mountains.  Going up is hard enough, but down in my opinion, is harder  From the top to the bottom it is a steep, toe mashing decent into Molinaseca the next stop.  With a decent of 3040 feet on loose rocks making for questionable footing, it seems to never end.  Upon reaching Molinaseca, I managed to drag myself to the nearest shop with ice cream to begin my recovery from the nightmarish decent. This was my longest day at 15.8 miles.

After yesterday, a short easy day was in store.  Most of it was on pavement, mostly level.  The pavement part not so good, the level part really good.  Leaving Molinaseca, no bars or cafes were open for breakfast, so on to the next town, which is Ponferrada, a large city.  Found a really nice Bakery/Cafe which had Huevos Benedictinos on the menu. They also had pancakes, rarely found in Spain, much less the Camino. Went off trail looking for an ATM, saw parts of the city most pilgrims miss. In Pilgrim lore, Ponferrada is famous for it’s Templar Castle.  An imposing structure that was home to the Templar Knights, who among other things, protected pilgrims on their way to Santiago.  The exit of the city follows the river which runs through a large park.  Then it’s residential areas, farms and a couple of villages before reaching Camponaraya, my next stop for the night.

PONFERADA

A short 8.5 mile easy day was in store, arriving in Villafranca at 11:30.  The scenery is definitely changing, with rolling hills planted with grapes, as we have entered another Spanish wine region.  Scattered among the grapes are a few olive orchards along with cherries. Passed and photographed the “most photographed house on the Camino”, or so it is said.

The Camino doesn’t seem as crowded as it was several weeks ago.  Today I saw few pilgrims while walking.  Villafranca, is at the end of stage in most guides, but there are few pilgrims in the restaurants in the town plaza.  When I was here 5 years ago, the place was packed.  I’m sure they’re out there somewhere, just not where I am now.