Camino 2019

Nothing left to say…799 km is the official recorded distance on the Compostela – we are yet to get into the cathedral, that will happen today.  One more post tomorrow and this chapter is closed.

Ok …so today was relatively easy….20km and cool and the bit that is unbelievable is that we only have 20.7km  to go…we are with all our crew – (well almost).   We’re not sure how, but we have all ended up in the same accomodation tonight and so we are all sitting around with vino blanco con jelo talking about our Camino – the  shared adventure and the funny stories…no room in the inn for me, Jeanie being strangled with her lanyard that was caught in her suitcase, Lori locking herself in her room…the stories just keep coming and are keeping us all in fits… we are all talking about tomorrow and laughing about shared experiences and in particular the thoughts we had back a month ago when there was 800 km to go and we wondered whether we would make it…we have.  No further words required.

We certainly felt it today – 31 km in 33 degree heat and it took its toll. We knew the day was going to be tough, so we skipped breakfast and headed out at 6.30am.  This tended to get us past the big groups of students that are walking and that was a good thing.  The early morning was great to walk in but as it wore on, the heat certainly made it hard going.

This section of the Camino does have a lot of forest tracks and so we were relieved to find shade as we covered the kilometres.  One of the interesting changes on this section is the the appearance of Euacalyptus forests, some clearly planted for logging purposes and others looking as though they have grown naturally.

Coming through one of the sections we were greeted by a couple playing what we discovered were Galician bagpipes and drums – so incredibly Celtic sounding and really great to get you going again.

Again, clearly the WA crew were winners – first in to the accomodation at 1.15pm …not that either of us is competive – but Lori made it through door first and I have the bruises to prove it.

We made it to our accomodation, headed straight to the showers and stayed under for an age.  Dinner was a walk into town where we caught up with our crew and the topic was almost entirely focused on the disbelief that the we were almost at mission accomplished….two days to go.

We had seen that the temperature today was expected to start climbing through the mid 30s and so we made the decision to skip breakfast and get at least 2.5 hours under our belt before finding somewhere for coffee.  We left the accomodation in Portomarin and headed straight into what felt to be a film set- cue mist and fog.  The walk again was mainly along woodland tracks and trails and through farms.  I must admit we put on the pace when we saw school groups, both primary and secondary pouring out of Albergues.  Clearly, end of year “camps” but with the added benefit of fitness!  I’d forgotten how noisy camps can be and particularly when run by my friends Anne and Bruce, the only noises we coped with were the sounds of rehearsals and four part harmony at Woodman’s Point – and that would have been 25 years ago!!!

Lovely to have caught up with two friends from along the way, Jeannie and Rory from San Francisco who we haven’t synchronised with for about a week.  They have now been joined by Jeannie’s husband Greg who has flown in (minus his luggage…3 days and still no sign) to join in the final 100km from Sarria.  A bold experiment purchasing everything is going on and we are  waiting to see how Greg has progressed today.

There are so many more people on the path now and the days of recognising faces and greeting each other along the way seem to have gone.  We are seeing people walking with their dogs and young mums and dads pushing prams – this is totally different to the first four weeks, but nonetheless the same intention is there – to get to Santiago.

Coming around one of the corners we were caught in a cow herding excercise with Signor and Signora trying valiantly to move their herd down the Main Street with cars and 50-60 peregrinos all going along for the journey too.  These milking cows are well endowed with horns and so we all moved pretty gingerly down the street and thanked goodness that our packs weren’t red!

As the days are progressing and the waymarkers keep letting us know how little there is to go, questions are starting to pop up amongst the crew we know usually over drinks or dinner… “where’s the next walk?”  “When’s the next walk?” “Have you read about Camino Norte?”  “ Have you read about the Portuguese Camino?”.  The questions are not rhetorical anymore and people are starting to plan ahead for their next walk… this is addictive.

We just have to remind ourselves there is about 70km to go and still some walking to do on this Camino.  Jeannie’s line at dinner last night best summed up everyone’s feelings…  “Walking into Santiago on Tuesday will be bitter sweet.”

 

Back on the road again and everyone is happy….well sort of…none of the “St Jean Pied de Port” folk can believe that we have less than 100km to go and the Camino is done.  For those that are starting today from Sarria it was interesting to watch their excitement in the first few kilometres – cameras out and just as we did, everything is being photographed.  We were a little amused to see tourist buses along the route and none of us is quite certain what is going on there – but after about one hour, the group had thinned down and it felt like an average walking day on the way, with perhaps a few more people than before.

Much of the walk today was again along woodland tracks, through some farms and lots of forest paths.  We were shaded almost the whole way and once the fog had cleared at about the 3 hour mark, it did start to warm up.  We actually made it to the 3 hour mark before we stopped for coffee at a great new place called Mercadorio that has an official population of 1!!great views and a great piece of the chestnut cake (the coffee and cake lunch will have to stop shortly – particularly when we are no longer burning 3900 calories a day).

The main church in town is the fortress church of St John and was shifted to its current  location once they did a “Lake Burley Griffin” to the old town of Portomarin – having dammed a river and flooded the valley where the old town once stood.  The town therefore is VERY new compared to everywhere else we have been, is almost entirely painted white and feels a little too perfect – but nonetheless – FULL of peregrinos who are either at the end of their journey or for many, just starting.

First frustrating day on the Camino….wrong time to be taking a day off from walking – feel like we have been put into limbo… and REALLY looking forward to getting going again tomorrow morning….Monforte is a town of about 17500 inhabitants – obligatory monastery but this one is huge with a 110 metre facade…walked around the town for a little and then headed back up to our monastery for reading and reading and hmmmmm reading…Have heard from friends who have walked past the 100 km way marker – can’t wait to get there tomorrow!!!

Today we walked from Triacastela to Sarria.  As we left Triacastela we had a choice of either heading out through the flatter lands and more villages or up again and over the mountains – the mountains won hands down.  The path was very much through working farms with loads of cows and sheep and for one very exciting moment, I thought Lori was about to be surrounded by a flock of sheep and I was ready with phone – a pity, the shepherdess stopped them – photo opportunity missed.

The walk had some very pretty spots particularly the old stone buildings which I have developed a great fondness for.  The amount of work that many have invested in converting them and updating them for contemporary use is fantastic.  I look to the work that my cousin Andrej Matanovic has invested in my great grandfather’s home back in Vela Luka and clearly all these folk deserve recognition.

Along the way we came across a lady watering her garden and there, like an apparition was a Bottle Brush bush….perhaps it is related to the Boomerangs back at O’Cebreiro.

We made it into Sarria, made our way up through the old town and enjoyed a break – me with coffee and local torta (very much like one that Celina used to make) and Lori with coffee and potato tortilla  – the BIGGEST piece of tortilla that I have ever seen served….ok and my cake wasn’t exactly a slither either.  We walked through the Church of San Salvador (13th Century) and up to the markets where we were able to pick up a kilo of Cherries for 3 Euro!!!  And not look at the rabbits in the cages…

We are staying outside of Sarria in a converted Monastery in Monoforte de Lemos  We are on a break day tomorrow and we are already going stir crazy at the thought of not walking.  If only we knew what we know now when we did the bookings – at this stage, you just want to keep walking… and those who know me, know that I am already worked up…..hmmmm …..poor Lori!

So each blog seems to start with “today was amazing”….well….today was amazing.  We love twilight – it is 9.30pm and we are sitting outside on a terrace…sneaky cups of tea (there is a long story about how we get milk – but I will reveal all on the last night in Santiago and I think I’ve walked enough to earn the milk…enough said for now) and I am writing the blog.

Last night’s sunset was spectacular as I watched the sunset over Galicia from my bedroom window which was in an old converted gaol (monasteries and gaols I am feeling conflicted).  The light just kept changing and so the photos kept being replaced in the blog.  Well, got up this morning drew back the curtains and everything had disappeared under the much talked about Galician fog.  It was MAGIC – what previously were mountains now looked like islands and we had to walk back down through them.  It was such a special walk – the light and sounds were spectacular.  We also discovered there were a couple of good “Ups” in this “down”.  Lori felt them all.

We decided that the gaol’s offer of breakfast at 8.00am was too late and so we headed out after 7.00am – therefore by 9.30 starving.  Stopped in a cafe on the path – asked for toast and jam (no such luck) and was offered a “sandwich – jamon and cheese” – bread = a loaf sliced sideways!!!  Take back the “sandwich” sit down with coffee and watch Lori cracking up…over my shoulder appears large …VERY large hound who non-chalantly eyeballs breakfast…folks who know me can guess my reaction – Lori needed resuscitation.

The walk down from there was leasurely because none of us really wanted it to end, this being one of our last days in the mountains.  We also were suddenly being reminded of how soon the journey ends as the waymarkers are all starting to show the distance to Santiago.  I have to say that I had never thought we would be wanting the kilometres to pass by slower – but we are (touch wood) fit and happy and really are into the stride and pace of this – hills are nothing REALLY to complain about – 20kms is easy and 27 is preferred and the days are getting longer as we get closer to the 21st….still can’t believe how much we have done and seen.

We are now preparing ourselves for those that do their Camino from Sarria…it is the last place you can join the Camino and achieve your Compostela.  Apparently there will be loads of people starting – so we expect to be hearing lots of folks complaining about blisters and shin splints….again….all part of the WAY.

Although the walk was only 15.5 km, we had a climb of over 600 metres over a distance of 8km of winding tracks up the mountains.  The views – spectacular.  The change along the way from almost a tropical feel with bracken,to alpine feel of pine forest, to alpine pastures for cows was really breathtaking – but what was MORE breathtaking was that Peregrinos can pay 35 Euro and ride up the 8km on horse back which takes you about 1.5 hours.  Of course those of you who know us would know that we would never have taken that option… but as my father said, horses are chaff factories and these horses follow the same path that we used and leave their gifts behind….TONNES of it with a combination of fine odours, blow flies and dodge the pad being the game the whole way up.  I have to say, I haven’t had an ethnic grizzle since the stuff up with accomodation, but today I did!!!

All that aside, the views MORE than compensated for the eau de caballo ….we really do LOVE the mountains.  There is an incredible sense of lightness once you are at the top of these mountains – the breezes are calm (at this time of year) the air is clear and the views spectacular.  These are the days – this one, the climb to Villafranca through the vineyards and those first two days to Roncesvalles from St Jean Pied de Port that we will always remember and will in so many ways define the Camino for us.

The village we are in is bizarre.  Although the buildings date from the 9th Century, it feels like Pioneer World and tourist buses come up here to deposit hoards of day trippers….we even became the subject of tourist photos … “look at the Peregrinos!!!”  Completely broke up laughing  when  we looked at the very touristy shop in the village  and saw a Spanish boomerang with Camino de Santiago etched into it…..what the heck is all that about?

We are now in Galicia which really is VERY Gaelic – even the music sounds Gaelic and the food is slowly changing (although the Peregrino menu looks pretty standard).

We are up tomorrow to head back down the mountain heading to the final run into Sarria and Santiago – less than 200 km to go.

Sunday walk up a mountain…today, although a short walk it basically was up a moutain and then always the worst…down a mountain.  Nonetheless, as always surprises wait for you around every corner.  The views were spectacular, the air amazing and crisp, a tiny village at the top where we had coffee and homemade chestnut cake fresh from the oven in a tiny little Albergue, acres of domaci kupus (up until now I would have described it as Croatian cabbage…but clearly have to reconsider the naming rights) and the sensation of the day, apparently the largest natural chestnut grove in Europe.  Beautiful and BIG trees.

At the top we met a lovely Canadian man who was completing his fourth Camino at 78.  His great line is “I enjoy a terrible memory, so I have to come back and see it again”.  He then proudly said “I hope to do it again to celebrate my 80th birthday” after which he  showed us his latest acquisition, a tattoo on his right arm of the Camino yellow and blue arrow.

The climb down was not so much fun, but manageable.  We spent the night in a tiny, tiny village and shared a meal with Sue who has caught up with us again.  Tomorrow’s walk is a challenge – straight up a mountain …but more on that tomorrow.