Buen Camino

Yesterday was the easiest day, having only about 7 km to walk. It was an emotional day though, because halfway between Pedrouzo and Lavacolla Savanna and I scattered some of Miles’ ashes at one of the many shrines along the Camino. We had a good cry and played a Sinead O’Connor version of The Foggy Dew. Miles always liked Irish music, and it felt right  to honor  both his Anglosaxon and Spanish roots.  When we arrived at the Hotel Ruta Jacobea, we were pretty exhausted from the day before so we took it easy and hung out playing cards and online Scrabble. The hotel was particularly fancy so we feasted on a delicious dinner and our last continental breakfast spread this morning. The final 10-12 kms were victorious as we filed behind other exuberant pilgrims toward the main square and cathedral. There was hugging and music and shouts of emotion among the crowds. Many languages could be heard on the streets, restaurants, in the lines. We waited for the Pilgrim Mass only to be...

I’ve walked on a lot of crowded trails before but never one where everyone was headed in the same direction. We look like a bunch of ants marching purposefully towards the fated destination. Many paths all converging with anticipation of the end the journey. . Today was a killer, having walked about 14 miles (34,000 steps on my Fit Bit)! The sun rises here quite late, around 8:15, so we started walking in the dark. At the end of the day, serious blisters presented themselves when I took the boots off my sausage-like feet. Luckily we are only 20 kms and 2 days away from Santiago. Although we had some drizzle today, it felt better to let the rain cool us off than to wear ponchos and raincoats. Savanna asked me what items I was most glad I brought, what I could have left behind and what I wished I’d packed. I was most glad about my trusty hiking poles and boots. I could have left behind my binoculars which are kind of heavy and I haven’t used them yet. I wish I’d brought a decent day ...

OK folks, it’s official: I am exhausted! Stiff muscles, achy joints, sore feet, mosquito bites, sunburn, and jet lag are just a few of the occupational hazards of this journey. Today we added rain to the list of complaints. Anyone who’s ever hiked with me knows I go about as fast as water running uphill. Yet, like the tortoise, I keep crawling along. Yesterday was a Personal Record for me. My pedometer says I took 28,000 steps, which at my stride, translates to about 12 miles. My strong little daughter is like a sherpa; she does all this carrying her backpack and still waits at the top of the hill till I come gasping along. This slow pace has its advantages as it allows us to take in all the pastoral and architectural wonders along El Camino and talk with some of the other pilgrims and local people.  A small detour between Portomarin and Ventas de Narón took us to some 2,000 year old ruins, known as “castros” which are like a hilltop fortress. These were buried under some mounds of...

Savanna, as our staff photographer, takes pictures of almost every meal.We stuff ourselves and yet lie awake at night wondering what delicacies they will feed us the next morning for “continental” breakfast. As an example, when we say continental breakfast at home, we picture overly sweet pastries, cold cereal, maybe some fruit and coffee. None of that in Spain. Here it’s a spread of fancy deli meats snd cheeses, nice baguette bread, croissants, muesli, fresh yogurt, fruit, espresso etc. Lunch is often a 3 course meal: “primero”might be seafood soup, paella, croquettes, followed ny “segunda” of chicken or trout with potatoes or pasta. Then dessert of flan, rice pudding, ice cream or cake. And of course wine or fermented cider. Lunch tends to be the big meal. Spaniards eat lighter dinners but late. Luckily they accommodate tourists by serving earlier though.  No chance of losing weight though, no matter how much we walk. Some of our favorites are “pulpo” (calamari), shrimp (huge cra...

I am pleasantly surprised to see mostly others walking El Camino who are around my age. I figured it was because it’s September and most college students are back in school. Plus most Europeans take vacations in August. But Savanna points out that our accommodations are too nice for young people to afford. Most of them stay in the “albergues” or hostels, while we are in moderately priced hotels. She calls it our “bougie camino”. I must admit that after walking for 4 hours yesterday when we arrived at our lovely hotel, we did enjoy the swimming pool! We haven’t actually spoken to that many pilgrims but there don’t seem to be that many Americans, kind of a nice break. We did meet an older couple from Sweden and the US who were walking in the opposite direction just to be different, which was sort of cool.  Pilgrims tend to have an intention or reason to be walking, be it religious or for health reasons or some transformative experience. I am curious to hear their stories and hopefull...

While many people know about El Camino being a Christian pilgrimage, its history actually goes back a million years, having seen many prehistoric nomadic migrations.  The province of Galicia boasts of ancient Celtic roots and is home to the Basque (some of Europe’s oldest indigenous people). Much later, St James, one of Jesus’ original 12 disciples, is said to have evangelized in Spain. When he was eventually beheaded, legend has it that his remains were brought to Compostela, where a cathedral was eventually built. The pilgrimage began in the middle ages. Everywhere you go on El Camino you see scallop shells marking the way. This route, which is the most popular one, is in northern Spain, kind of near the ocean, though you can’t see it from the trail. The shell, a symbol of the pilgrimage with many roads leading to the same destination, might also have religious significance (i.e., Gospel references of “fishers of men”?). As with so many legends no one really knows the origin of, ...