Stage 34: O Rúa to Santiago de Compostela

September 27, 2018

We made it!! It's hard to believe we've finished our Camino journey. There were certainly times along the way when the thought of walking into Santiago was a half-realized dream.

We started our day early, having the taxi pick us up at our country inn outside O Rúa at 7:00 am and dropping us off in Lavacolla. This cut @ 7 miles off our Camino walk, but it ensured that we would reach Santiago in time for the noon pilgrim Mass. We made good time in the pre-dawn light and reached Monte del Gozo outside Santiago by sunrise. From there, we walked down the mountain and into and through the city. By the time we reached Praza Obradoiro and the Cathedral it was 10:30 am. We left our backpacks at our hotel (which is also in the plaza) and headed to the Cathedral for Mass.

In hopes that they would bring out the Botafumeiro (a giant swinging incense burner) we found seats on the left side of the altar (the Botafumeiro swings in front of the altar from left to right, so the best vantage points are those seats on the side of the altar, rather than directly facing the altar). By noon, the church was standing room only and we were glad we had come early. At the end of Mass, the tiraboleiros in their red velvet robes emerged from behind the altar and started untying the ropes that held the Botafumeiro in place. What luck!

The one other thing we needed to accomplish today was getting our Compostelas (pilgrim certificates) from the pilgrim office. We had seen Gerhardt before Mass and he said the line was at least 2 hours long and he was going to go back after Mass to wait in line for his certificate. After lunch, as we were heading over to the pilgrim office to wait our requisite 2+ hours in line, we ran into a gentleman from the Dominican Republic whom we had met a number of days before. He informed us that if we had a group of 4 or more people, we could fill out a group form, drop it off at the pilgrim office and they would give us a time to come back and collect our certificates. No waiting in line!! We did just that and were able to pick up our Compostelas at 8:00 pm.

We all agreed we had Camino angels looking out for us again today, both with the swinging Botafumeiro and the information about the Compostelas. It was a fitting end to our Camino journey.

Tomorrow we begin our journey home.

Buen Camino

Walking by the light of the moon

Monte del Gozo - First glimpse of Santiago

One of the more colorful city signs we've encountered

Cathedral of Santiago

The Botofumeira in action

Requisite pilgrim picture at the central shell in Praza Obradoiro

Happy pilgrims (none the worse for wear)

 at the end of our journey

Stage 33: Arzúa to O Rúa

September 26, 2018

Today's route from Arzúa to O Rúa was @ 11 miles, most of it on natural pathways and quiet roads through groves of eucalyptus trees. Along the path, the crowds are now spaced out and we even found ourselves walking alone at times. The cafes, however, are another matter! There are quite a number of organized tour groups and when they descend on the small bars/cafes along the route, there's hardly room for any other pilgrims. We walked into one small town right off the busy N-547 highway and there were two huge tour buses waiting for their 'pilgrims' to arrive so they could whisk them somewhere else (where, I'm not sure). Although we've come to accept the busyness of the Camino over the last few days, it's still hard not to think longingly of what it was like before Sarria.

Over lunch today, Jerry mentioned how the Camino has taught him patience. I responded that I had been trying to learn to be more patient, but I don't think it's stuck so I may need to walk another Camino. My husband just rolled his eyes!

Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we finish our journey tomorrow. Vaya con Dios.

Buen Camino

Morning mist over the fields

Walking through groves of eucalyptus

Another view of the eucalyptus - nature's church towers?

A reminder of a dry shelter from the storm two years ago -

Marianne, does this bring back memories?

Our cellar accommodations for the night - 

our bedrooms are the two doors at the end of the room

Stage 32: Os Valos to Arzúa

September 25, 2018

Today’s stage from Os Valos to Arzúa was @ 20 miles. Rather than leaving early as we typically do when walking longer distances, we decided to leave later and see if we could miss the morning pilgrim’s rush. Our strategy seems to have worked fairly well, as there was virtually no one on the road between Os Valos and Palas de Rei and even after Palas de Rei, the crowds were not horrific.

One other reason we decided to leave at 8:30 am rather than 6:30 am is that the pre-dawn temperatures have gotten fairly cold (mid to high 40’s) and none of us brought cooler weather walking clothes. The highs today were supposed to be in the mid-70’s, but as I sit on the patio at our country inn, I think it’s closer to 80 degrees. 

Although our route today paralleled the busy N-547 highway most of the way, the highway was screened from view by groves of eucalyptus and other trees and thus was a pleasant walk. We stopped at the tiny 12^th century church of San Julian and as we entered, soft music was playing and the atmosphere was hushed and prayerful. After the last two days, it was very peaceful and I think I have my pilgrim ‘zen’ back.

Lunch was in Melide @ 2:30 pm and from there Rich and I took a taxi to our lodging for the night. I haven’t been feeling well the last few days and Rich’s feet start hurting after 11 or 12 miles. Becky and Jerry finished the route in the hot afternoon sun.

We are now only 2 stages, 2 days and 24 miles from Santiago. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we will keep you in ours. Vaya con Dios.

Buen Camino

Pointing the way to Santiago

Today's typical scenery - windmills on the hills, eucalyptus groves

and corn fields

Rich is taking the high road

Someone found a new walking stick!

Stopping for a rest on an old Roman bridge

Stage 31: Portomarín to Os Valos

September 24, 2018

We left Portomarín in the pre-dawn light in hopes to stay ahead of the hordes, but it seems everyone else had the same idea. Our route today climbed gently through woodland to the high point of Sierra Ligonde (an ascent of @ 1400 feet) and total mileage was a little under 14 miles.

Galicia is a farming area and over the past few days we've passed an abundance of small dairy farms, with the accompanying sounds and smells. We've also had to pay close attention to where we tread as the roads we're walking are the same roads these dairy cows traverse.

Although I still wish this new crowd of pilgrims would dissipate so I can have a little solitude, I'm also starting to appreciate the different languages being spoken and cultures represented by the pilgrims on the road. We each have a specific reason to be making this journey and I need to accept that those walking from Sarria to Santiago are just as much pilgrims as those of us who have made a longer journey.

Santiago is truly within reach now! We have 3 more stages, 3 more days and 44 more miles to our destination. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we will keep you in ours. Vaya con Dios.

Buen Camino

On our way in the pre-dawn light

This morning's parade of pilgrims

Two new pilgrim friends - Matthew and Vitek from Poland

17th century wayside cross outside Eirexe

Pleasant afternoon stroll

Stage 30: Sarria to Portomarín

September 23, 2018

Gone are our quiet, peaceful days on the Camino! The only way I can describe the horde of pilgrims we encountered when we left Sarria this morning was the middle of Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras in New Orleans (well, maybe it wasn't quite that bad, but close). It felt like they were closing in on all sides and there was a constant chatter in the air. It didn't help that, at one point, we were in the middle of a group of at least 25 Spanish high school students who never stopped talking. At one point, there was such a crush of people on the narrow path that someone almost knocked Jerry over as they were trying to pass and Jerry ended up jumping into a stinging nettle bush. If you've never encountered stinging nettles, it feels like you have thousands of burning needles pricking you all over. Luckily, Jerry had some cortisone cream that he applied to the area and it helped somewhat.

I'm ashamed that I was such an impatient pilgrim today, especially since Becky and I were some of these 'interlopers' two years ago when we walked from O'Cebreiro to Santiago. My impatience stemmed not only from the fact that we had to navigate around so many people, but also because our tranquil Camino was a thing of the past. Gone are the days when the only sounds in the air were that of our footsteps on the dirt path.

My remembrance of the 'real' pilgrims we encountered two years ago was of friendliness, acceptance and helpfulness. My prayer is that I will better emulate them on our journey tomorrow.

Only 4 more stages, 4 more days and 58 more miles to Santiago! Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we will continue to keep you in ours. Vaya con Dios.

Buen Camino

Another beautiful sunrise on the Camino

A look at our Camino path today

Another view of today's beautiful landscape

Adding insult to injury - climbing the stairs into Portomarin

One of our favorite pilgrim statues - Portomarin main plaza

Beautiful full moon tonight

Stage 29: Triacastela to Sarria

September 22, 2018

We had a relatively short, uneventful day today (until we checked into our hotel, that is) Mileage was less than 12 miles and our major hill climb was less than 1,000 feet. The weather continues to be cool in the morning (low to mid 50's) but warms up to the low 80's by early afternoon. It looks like this weather will hold until we reach Santiago. The number of pilgrims on the road has already increased substantially and I'm worried about what tomorrow will bring when we leave Sarria. We see very few of our old friends, although we did connect with Gerhardt on the trail and walked most of the day with him.

Got into Sarria @ 1:30 pm and when we checked into the hotel, we were immediately informed there was a wedding this afternoon and the party could last until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. I asked if we could get a room on a higher floor away from the noise and was informed it would be an additional supplement of 90 euros. We declined, thinking the noise couldn't be that bad. The receptionist said she would try to assign us a room as far away from the wedding venue as possible. I'm sure the rooms we are in (Becky and Jerry are right next door) are RIGHT ABOVE the party! The band started tuning up a while ago and the noise was deafening! Our room actually vibrated! I don't think we're going to get much sleep tonight if it really does go on as long as indicated.

We are now only 5 stages, 5 days and 71.5 miles from Santiago. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we will keep you in ours. Vaya con Dios.

Buen Camino

Much of our route today was through forests such as this

Now that's what I call a cattle crossing

We had a lot of downhill today also

Stage 28: O'Cebreiro to Triacastela

September 21, 2018

Rich is walking with us again and it's nice to have his company on the trail. Today's route was just under 13 miles and mostly downhill, although there were a few steep uphill climbs at the beginning. It was surprisingly cool this morning and both Becky and I broke out our heavier jackets for the early morning hike. By early afternoon when we walked into Triacastela it was in the upper 70's. According to the long range weather forecast, we're going to see temperatures in the mid to upper 80's through next week.

When Becky, Marianne and I walked the Camino two years ago, we started our continuous Camino journey in O'Cebreiro, and we're starting to see some familiar landmarks. O'Cebreiro must be the starting point for a number of Camino tours as we noticed quite a few more pilgrims on the road today. I can only assume the numbers will increase exponentially once we reach Sarria, which is 100 km from Santiago. In order to receive a pilgrim certificate of completion (compostela) one must walk/bike at least 100 km.

We walked ancient Camino roads today, flanked by moss-covered stone walls and worn down by the feet of countless pilgrims and local livestock. I may grumble about how hard it is to walk day in and day out for 30+ days, but what must it have been like for the medieval pilgrim? I'm sure the roads were much more primitive and the perils much greater. How great one's faith must have been to keep going.

We now have only 6 more stages, 6 more days and 83 more miles to Santiago. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we will keep you in ours. Vaya con Dios.

Buen Camino

An uphill climb out of O'Cebreiro

Pilgrim statue at Alto de San Roque

Enjoying a light snack/late breakfast

How many pilgrims have passed by this 

moss-covered rock wall?

Ancient chestnut tree in Ramil outside Triacastela

Three castles - the symbol of Triacastela

Stage 27: Villafranca del Bierzo to O'Cebreiro

September 20, 2018

Today's route from Villafranca del Bierzo to O'Cebreiro is one of the most challenging routes on the entire Camino Francés, rivaling that of the route over the Pyranees from St. Jean Pied de Port to Roncevalles (in my mind, anyway). There were three routes to choose from today: hard, harder and hardest. We chose the hard route which was a gradual uphill climb of @ 650 feet over the course of @ 14 miles. Then, the hard part started!

Because our route today was @ 19 miles, we left Villafranca @ 6:45 am. The first 14+ miles were along the N-VI highway, but we also had the river Pereje on the other side of us, so we had more to look at than just asphalt highway. We stopped in the small town of Herrerías for lunch before heading up the challenging hill to O'Cebreiro, which is at 4,265 feet. The afternoon was hot and, although there was quite a bit of shade, we were in the sun a lot and the terrain was very rocky and littered with horse manure. For those faint-of-heart pilgrims who don't want to attempt the climb, there are horses for rent in Herrerías to take you up the hill. Needless to say, between picking our way over the rocks and around the manure and stopping to catch our breath, it took us quite a while to climb the hill! For those of you who have hiked Dog Mountain in the Columbia Gorge, it was Dog Mountain on steroids! 

O'Cebreiro is a very small town (pop. 50) with a small parish church run by a Franciscan friar. We were able to attend a pilgrim Mass tonight followed by a pilgrim blessing, after which Father gave each pilgrim a memento of our journey: a smooth rock painted with a yellow arrow, the symbol of the Camino. 

We are now 7 stages, 7 days and 96 miles from Santiago. Hard to believe we've walked almost 400 miles! Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we will keep you in ours. Vaya con Dios.

Buen Camino

Leaving Villafranca in the pre-dawn morning

Herding sheep outside the village of Portela

The road to O'Cebreiro, horse manure and all

Almost to the top - only 1.5 miles to go

We are now in the region of Galicia

Group picture after we cleaned off the dust of the road

Stage 26: Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo

September 19, 2018

Today's 15-mile route from Ponferrada to Villafranca was a cake walk compared to yesterday's killer. Ponferrada is a good-sized city (pop. 69,000) and it took us quite a while to leave it and its suburbs behind. Once in the countryside again, we were walking through what I can only describe as scrubland: lots of grasses, shrubs and small trees. In the distance all around us were tree-covered hills and even some vineyards. What a difference from just a few days ago!

We're meeting new pilgrims we've never seen before: a mother and daughter on bikes who just started their journey in Ponferrada, Gerhardt from Chile who started in St. Jean on September 2nd, took a train through the wheat fields of the meseta, and is now finishing his journey to Santiago on the same timeline as us. The sad part is that I think we've lost most of the pilgrims we had gotten to know during the first part of our journey: Rio and her husband Peter from Columbus, Bob and Kevin from New Hampshire, and so many others. In fact, we met Bob and Kevin, recently retired friends who are making this journey together, the first day at the top of the Pyrenees. We left them yesterday in Molinaseca and I don't think we'll be seeing them again. They've decided to limit their mileage to 12-15 miles per day, so I think we'll be staying a good 5-10 miles ahead of them the rest of our trip.

We are now 8 stages, 8 days and only 115 miles from Santiago. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we will keep you in ours. Vaya con Dios.

Buen Camino

New waymark signs near Ponferrada

Walking with Gerhardt. Tomorrow, we'll be walking up those 

mountains in the distance

An 18th century wine press

Our first glimpse of Villafranca

Stage 25: Rabanal del Camino to Ponferrada

September 18, 2018

Today was a GRUELING day and it wasn’t the uphill climbs that did us in! Because we knew we would be walking about 19 miles today, we had a very early breakfast and left our pilgrim hotel at 6:30 am. Sunrise wasn’t until @ 8:00 am so we left town with headlamps on, picking our way slowly up the rocky mountain path. By sunrise, we were at the first mountain village, Foncebadón, and shortly thereafter were at La Cruz de Ferro (the Iron Cross) at 4,940 feet (although this was only a 1,130- foot climb from Rabanal). The Iron Cross has become an important symbol of the Camino. Pilgrims stop here to leave a stone, possibly say a prayer, and reconnect with the purpose of their journey.

From the Iron Cross we descended a bit before climbing to the highest point on the Camino at 4970 feet. From there the route was straight down, @ 3,000 feet over 6.5 miles. It was very slow going as we had to pick our way around rocks and sometimes, even climb over boulders! I was sure one of us was going to trip and fall or sprain an ankle, but luckily we all made it down safely, although by the time we got to our hotel in Ponferrada our feet were VERY tired. 

Rich lanced the blood blister on the ball of his foot, but his feet are still very tender. Needless to say, he didn’t walk again today and probably won’t be walking for the next few days. It’s just as well as those rocks and boulders on the downhill trek would have done him in!

It's hard to believe we only have 9 more stages, 9 more days and 130 more miles to Santiago. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we will keep you in ours. Vaya con Dios.

Buen Camino

Sunrise in Foncebadon 

Taking a quick break before heading further up the mountain

Adding my stone at the Iron Cross

A sample of our rocky path

The Knights Templar castle in Ponferrada