What makes this year different from last year.

ow did this year differ from last?

Terrain - new except for the last 100 k.  And even the last 100 k seemed new.

Different people.

Different time of year so different vegetation

Logistics were easier because we knew the drill.  Finding hotels, etc.  

Eating was different - didn’t depend on pilgrim’s dinners as much

found the good wine

Less emotional angst

more opportunity to appreciate the variety of culture in Spain

Deepened the experience.  

Day 36 June 24 leaving Spain

Thank you all for your wishes of safe return. It means a lot to feel your presence.  It rains here now . I sit and drink a coffee, have some watermelon, cheese, tomato on bread and prepare myself for the day ahead. No watermelon on the bread. Just to clarify. Listen to the voices of little children at the next table singing in Spanish, counting in English . 

I have grown accustomed. Humble empowerment. Yes. That is what I take with me.  As life rushes in. Today I hear from home. A friend has been at a friend's side as she passes, another's mother must move to a memory care unit, another friend has a best friend just diagnosed. And Connor has a birthday celebration, Natalie beams at her dance recital, and Hazel has learned to ride a pedal bike!  

We have met so many people and embraced life with them.  I recall the line from the Muppets:" strangers are friends you have not yet met."  

We have deepened our relationship with each other.  And with our own selves.  How will this manifest off the Camino?  Off the cushion? Off the yoga mat?  There are similarities here. Very much so. 

And we have come to know the country of Spain and its varied geography, people, foods, and yes : wine and hotel rooms!!

My boots and I have become old friends.

So the challenge is to keep moving and feel the stillness . 

Homeward bound!  Ahhhh. 

Day 35 June 23 Santiago to Madrid

P6 hour train ride landed us at Charmaetin Station where we caught the Metro to Barajas where we have our Hotel BarJas Best Western reserved.

The train was full of peregrinos resuming or starting lives off the Camino. Our last conversation was with a Brazilian woman who completed the Camino with her brother with the mission of helping him kick the alcohol habit. She gave him the Camino as a gift. She was encouraged. 

At the train station. 

Tomorrow we fly home. British airlines. Madrid- London-Seattle.

So excited to have Sonya and Hazel pick us up. 

What will it be like to be home? 

The raspberries are ripe! 

Day 34 June 22 Santiago

6 1/2 miles without packs

Perfect weather with sunshine but not too warm

Today we followed the Camino de St. Craig Santiago Costello that wound through two beautiful parks, the University, into the Cathedral for another viewing of the botofumiero, and past the ice cream shop back to our hotel for a siesta. 

Here are some photos of the day. 

Come out and play!

Art Musem- Galician modern artist

The cathedral overflowed today

University graffiti

Never, never any safety worries

Walking in the footsteps of so many- behind the altar - touching St. James. 

Day 33 June 21 solstice Cangas to Santiago

Train from Vigo

Hotel Mourra

Up the street from Costa Vela 

Wandering

Siesta

Wandering

Eating

Hard rain

Hotel room

Hang around

Transition time 

Day 32 June 20. Cangas- Islas Cies

IWe're tired. Our bodies are tired. Slept in this morning. Breakfast at the hotel. This is the slack time before we re-enter our lives at home .  

We are basking in a lovely Galician town on the Atlantic after a day on an island with a hike to a lighthouse on a mountain top and a jump in the ocean.  Now watching Game of Thrones. Back to Santiago tomorrow and then the tren to Madrid on Monday. Fly Tuesday. What's next?

This is so sensational. It is 10:30 PM and the streets are teeming with people. We have a video. Kids everywhere. Playing soccer, in playgrounds, in buggies, everyone strolling or eating and chatting. This will go on until midnight.  It's the culture . As for us , we ate . We strolled and now we are going to watch Gamebof Thrones via Slingbox. These two Americanos need their downtime !!

The day proved magical as we made our way via ferry to Isla Cies. The photos tell all.  This is a very enjoyable way- a treat- to the end of this Camino. 

The coastline of Cangas

On the Ferry to Isla Cies- national park

We hiked (without packs) to the lighthouse - up the mountain!

And then we swam

And one of us ate:)

We met some Irish folks last night who told us about this pizza place. We are quite tired of Spanish food at this point. 

Italian is always the go to comfort food. 

They come here for holiday all the time. They have a boat here that they stay on. There is a strong relationship historically between these cultures as evidenced in the music particularly.  The Galicians helped the Irish in their war with England. The Irish folks were quick to remark that the "German and Englush " don't come here; they go to the glamorous islands off the West coast of Spain- Majorca, etc.  One cannot escape the national identities and historical injuries that prevail here. 

It's now 11:51, just getting dark on this summer solstice weekend, and kids are still frolicking ! Let's just hope they sleep in! 

Day 31 June 19 Santiago to Vigo to Cangas

By taxi, train, and water taxi 

Today is the inauguration of the new monarch, the son of Philipe II. And the country is recovering from the big soccer loss. This newspaper was at breakfast and when I asked a gentleman about the inauguration he said, "it's a tragedy. "

We arrived in Cangas.  Roberto made the reservations for us at this small hotel. Once again, we are treated so well. This is a coastal vacation town with a lovely shoreline and islands to take a ferry to to hike around. The weather had turned cloudy but we're oh so familiar with this type of marine climate.

We walked around, ate tapas at a fantastic restaurant that we'll return to and basically reveled in not doing much.  

It's funny - people here know Seattle from the Seattle Supersonics, and Nirvana. 

We marvel at this way of traveling. We didn't even know this area existed and now we're exploring, arrangements having been made through encounters with locals and their networks and experiences. 

We've accustomed ourselves to the Spanish daily life. Siesta, strolling, eating late. 

Day 30 June 18 Santiago

I Sleeping! Waking up and strolling to the garden to have coffee. Savoring the contrast to our walking days. CC sleeps since coffee does not speak to him.  

At 11AM , we made our way to the cathedral for the pilgrim's mass.  Sat in silence, well only got "Ssshhhh-ed" a couple times . Soosie joined us in our pew so elated to have made it to Santiago. A week or do ago she was distraught with a tendon injury and not sure she could go on. We gave her some Voltaren cream and Advil. She'd been walking 20-30 miles a day from St. Jean. "You saved my life," she said. That was an easy one. 

Soosie- just moved from London to Slovakia. 

The cathdral was SRO as it us every day. 

We experienced the botofumiero again. We have a 4 minute video of this extravaganza. 

The original reason for this giant incense burner was to exorcise the stench from the Middle Ages pilgrims who hadn't washed with any regularity. 

After the mass, we strolled around and came across Phil and Kathy 2 who had just moved into their apartment in Santiago where they will spend 2 weeks. 

About 3 hours later we returned to our room for a siesta . Can't miss siesta! 

And then evening rolled in. We engaged in some shoe consumerism and then found an outdoor restaurant with a big flat screen tv to watch the Spain vs. Chile World Cup .  Defeat. It was an emotional time for the crowd . Some delightful men sitting next to us shared their outstanding bottle of wine with me as we chatted through the game. 

Unique creamy gazpacho

More ribs than CC could eat. 

However, at the end, when Spain was losing, one of the (Galician) men declared shaking his head, "Quiero independencia!"  We all laughed with understanding. 

Tomorrow we take the train to Vigo and Cangas for a 3 day beach retreat.  But that's another story. 

Roberto, part of the duo who run the Costa Vela.  He remembers us from last year and graciously arranged our coastal vacation.  It's worth it to come to Santiago just to stay here!!!  Of course, that's after all the personal growth and saving the world effort:)

 

Day 29 June 17 O'Pedrouzo to Santiago

12.5 miles 

2:30 PM 

84 degrees

Costa Vela Hotel - again

We have arrived in Santiago. 

Some people go straight to the  Cathedral ......

How to describe? I find the words less accessible this year. Perhaps I've said what needs to be said last year?  It is not a rerun but every bit as deeply experienced and joyous and satisfying and... Oh all those adjectives!! 

To our surprise, the walk in was not crowded. In fact, the folks at the Compostela office said that this week showed a lull. Instead of the usual 1500 more or less walking in every day, there we're less than 1,000.  Unbelievable none the less. We didn't photograph much since we have this part from last year.  Just took it all in. I felt stong and energetic. For the first 7 miles. And then I commented about this to Craig and how I could see how people walk thousands. You get in shape and then simply keep walking. And then. Literally and just then I began to struggle. My feet hurt, I was hot, my thighs burned, my knee spoke.  There are no coincidences. 

This body and mind is ready for a rest and knows it is coming.  So very interesting how that works.

In any event we made it. Craig was his usual forge ahead self but just to show his regular human side, he is still sleeping as I write this on Wednesday morning sitting outside in the garden sipping a cafe con leche grande! In a few minutes we will wander to the square and find a seat in the cathedral for the pilgrim's mass. 

Having a destination. Is crucial. Making it all the way here, regardless of where one started is integral to the experience regardless of whether one believes in the story or not.  Sacred exists , even I. The ordinary.  That so many people from all over, all ages, all walks of life gather together is a force unto itself. 

Last night as we ate dinner (Tuesday night. I write this on Wednesday), we chatted with a woman, a young woman, single mom with her 9 year old daughter who works in a restaurant serving peregrinos. She put it well. She moved here because she loves the atmosphere here. Pilgrims arrive.  They meet people they have met along the way.  Embrace with the warmth of old friends. Share food and drink, sitting together.  Communicating in all languages, with the Camino's common focus overriding all differences.  That suspended judgment magic.  For the time being. 

The reset button. Time out of mind as B. Dylan would say.  Craig and I realize how helpful this walk is for our relationship. And as I write this, he appears so off we go to celebrate mass and see if any of our pals show up!! 

More later. 

El Camino

The original Facebook

Day 28 June 16 Arzua to O'Pedrouza

13.32 miles 31,163 steps

Pension Pedrouzo- same as last year! 

Right now I'm indulging in breadsticks in our AC room with Gunfire at the OK Corral on the TV. This alternates at the will of Craig with the Mundial and tennis.

We left earlier today and had a great walk with several shady stops for refreshments.  Funny thing, we met another couple who we're interesting to talk with- another Phil and Kathy, this time from California. We'll catch them in Santiago. They've rented an apartment for 2 weeks there.  They've walked before so they know about some places we can explore during our extra days. 

Speaking of walking before, there is a term for this: Camino fever

It appears rampant. 

While walking through the eucalyptus groves today we met a Polish family who walked the primitivo with their 7 year old daughter. I have a video.  She required a lot of attending, game playing, and candy for motivation her dad told me. But they we're into making sure it was a positive , playful experience.

This Galician gentleman is 94 years and one week old! 

Each garbage can as we walked along had a phrase from Imagine inscribed on it. Selective graffiti !

Geraniums growing out if a palm. 

Eucalyptus forest- not native. We did recall this! 

And then there was Sophia from Florida who had walked the Norte route by herself who shared her sandwich with me for no good reason when she heard they were out of bread. We chatted with her about the priesthood and whether priests we're required to report violent crimes or acts of abuse as counselors are. Anyone know about this? 

Day 27 June 15 Melide to Arzua

9 miles 21,153 steps

Santiago Apostle right across the street from Pension Rua where we stayed last year. 

A walk in the park- 8 miles

Perfect weather

Walking like EMDR

Walking alone- difficult to sync

Slept late

Albuergue with semi-private rooms

35 Euros

Washing machine

Arzua- cheese

No memory of being here before 

Can't make any sense of the news

Where have all the peregrinos gone? 

Social life here takes place outside.  People together in parks, bars. Is loneliness and isolation a cultural issue? Old and young mix here. Children can hang out in bars. Babies in strollers out late. Grandparents around. Need more thinking about this.  

We attended this cultural performance last night. 

Have videos. 

Food! Potatoes, onions, and garlic. Lots and lots of potatoes. Fries with every meal. 

The Sunday market

It's like one big treasure hunt! Look for the yellow arrows! 

Storing corn. They are atill used. 

Family run business. 8 years old and she runs the restaurant! 

Dinner: cheese made here in Arzua.  Well deserved after all the cow pies we walk through!  Padron peppers.  

25 miles to Santiago! 2 more walking days. 

Even though over 230,000 pilgrims walk yearly now, in the Middle Ages, there were even more.

Up early again tomorrow.  14 miles.