We have talked about doing a Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage for many years. Having seen the movie “The Way” back in 2010 we were strongly intrigued about the pilgrimage and its history. In addition, on several hikes over the years we have had conversations with other hikers that have experienced the Camino.  As full-time travelers we have a comprehensive, ever expanding  “bucket list” and the Camino was definitely there…

While at a social function at DSRV “Desert Shadows RV Resort” in February we talked to another couple that had interest in doing it as well and together we started actually putting a plan together. With our plans to be in the East for the wedding in late May,  we thought that why not just leave our RV on our Resort lot in California and fly East and then post wedding  just continue East flying to Portugal and spending the month of June hiking the Camino. In addition, we had already registered to do the 2024 MTTS (MINI Takes the States) Rally in mid July so the timing was perfect for us to spend 32 plus days in Europe before doing MTTS. You have to be flexible in this lifestyle and that flexibility was the foundation for our 2024 adventures…

We shared a car service from Beacon, NY to JFK airport with my niece on Monday June 3rd following the wedding weekend. The plan was to fly from NYC to Porto, Portugal.  We definitely are a bit free spirited and we had only the first few days of our 32 days planned with a meet-up of some Canadian friends at an AirBnB in Porto for 2 nights before starting “Our Camino”.

The flight across the Atlantic was easy with a brief stop in the Azores before getting on the next plane to Porto. This adventure had us packing very light and efficiently. We both brought 1 pack for the entire 32 days. And that pack was not overloaded.

A list of what we brought included:

• 2 pair of Columbia pants with zip off legs
• 1 long sleeve shirt
• 3 T-shirts
• 3 pairs of underwear
• 1 pair of Trail runners (We wore everyday and on the flights) – Mike had Hoka’s, Joanne had Altra’s
• 1  pair of sandals (to give our feet a break after the hike each day)
• Toiletries
• 1 Blanket
• 1 Sleeping bag liner
• 2 pair of Darn Tough Merino wool socks
• 2 pair in Ingini toe socks liners (A must)
• 1 qtr zip pull-over
• 1 Patagonia jacket
• 1 Columbia rain jacket
• Watch and phone chargers
• small 1st aid kit
• head-lamps
• a Camino Portuguese Camino Guide/Book
• Laundry/Utility bag. (stuff sack)
• A very compact bath/shower towel
• a sweat rag/handtowel

We had packed our bags many times to come up with the most organized approach and this process continued to evolve throughout our adventure.  Mike’s bag came in at 22 lbs and Joanne’s at 18. We had read and heard from many that less is better and we really don’t think we could have done it with less.

 

As you can see we added 2 more items to our packs when we arrived in Porto. Hiking Poles and the traditional mark of the pilgrim; “A shell”. We had considered bringing our poles to Europe, though since we weren’t checking any bags we couldn’t board a flight with the poles as they would have most likely been confiscated. We had read you can buy them cheaply in Porto and that’;s what we did. The sporting goods store in Porto we visited is called “Decathlon”. The poles were affordable, good quality, and in hindsight a good investment in the later part of our pilgrimage. Mike’s poles were much cheaper though because Joanne’s needed a different size they were only available in a more expensive model. We also picked up rubber tips for them . Total cost about $89.00. The “Pilgrim Shell” we purchased at the Porto Cathedral where we also paid for our Compestella Passport for stamps. 2 shells and 2 passports totaled about $10.00.

Arriving at Porto airport our first task was to try to understand the train system and schedules from the airport to downtown Porto. After exchanging some money, we finally figured out how to operate the ticketing machine and finally boarded the train. Several locals were helpful during this process. Our AirBnB was about 30 minutes with stops from the airport.

We were the first to arrive at the shared AirBnB. Our plan was to meet the Richardson’s (Mitch & Robin) from Alberta, The Duncan’s (Pat & Debbie) from Saskatchewan, and Debbie’s sister/significant other.

The AirBnB worked great aside from being a bit of a trek to downtown. Joanne and I opted to do a bit of sightseeing since arriving early and then meeting them all back at the AirBnB in the late afternoon before all heading to dinner.

At dinner our friends had decided to walk the first day (tomorrow) from Porto to Matashinos, bus back to Porto, and then the following day bus back to Matashinos and continue on from there. They had all decided to do the Central Route which is actually the middle route and we had decided we would be doing the “Senda Litoral” route which actually follows the coastline until much later in the journey. There are actaully 3 routes out of Porto which all come together for the last 100k late in the pilgrimage. We always thought we would connect at a later point but after the second day in Porto we never saw our friends again the entire 32 days. One thing we have heard from many others and we can vouch for this; “everyone has their own personal camino.” Our Camino was ours and our friends would be their’s. No right or better way just a Camino for each. We had also heard to “Trust the Camino”. In hindsight this was super advice and was absolutely the truth as we learned over the pilgrimage…

June 4&5, 2024: Porto, Portugal

While our friends started their journey we took the day to explore the spectacular city of Porto, Portugal.

We did a “Free Walking Tour” in the morning, then explored many of the scenic and photo ops of the city. It was a  great day and we both agreed that we need to come back here for a few days after our Camino.

June 6, 2024: Day 1 of our Camino de Santiago

We woke early on June 6, 2024 probably because of our overflowing excitement to begin our Camino. Our plan was to walk about 12.5 miles from Porto-Perafina. The book and many social media posts all recommended walking from Porto-Vila do Conde the first day but warned it’s a long way. We decided that overdoing it the first day out was not a good option so we decided to split it into 2 days which in hindsight was an excellent decision. We had the time and thought it was best to ease into the journey rather than take a chance and get injured, to sore, or risk blisters the first day out. Thanks to Joanne for her due diligence on this as it was one of the best decisions we could have made. We saw several 20 year olds a few days on that didn’t do it this way and boy were they hurting and dealing with tons of blisters.

Our walk out of Porto became much more than we were expecting. Tons of steep hills, we got lost for a spell in Super Bock Park, had to backtrack 1.5 miles, and did I say the terrain was steep exiting the city. A lot to digest on day 1 but a good reference for the rest of the trip. Also that extra 20lbs on our respective backs definitely was taking some time to get used too.

About 2 miles from where we will (literally) crash for the night we walk by an awesome beach club bar and stop for a beer sitting right near the ocean. We are definitely having a super first day!

After our beverages we  finish that last couple of miles and arrive in Perafita, Portugal  at our place for the night. Perfaita is located right on the Camino path with the crashing waves of the ocean across the street. After a shower,  a little rest, washing a few clothes in the sink (probably a mistake) we then head to a beach snack shack for dinner. Not many options in this very small beach town but it will definitely work. Wine, beer, and burgers… Returning to our Private room we work on securing accommodations for the next couple of days.  After the first day on the Camino this routine became our prctice for every day. Showers, Rest, Dinner, Laundry, and where we were going to stop 2 days out ….

Friday 6/7:

Perafita- Vila Do Conde

We wake up fully refreshed. Because we have a bathroom in our room we decide to shower again this morning – maybe to loosen up our sore bodies!  We decide that since yesterday we had nothing to eat before we started we would have our fruit and some tea (compliments of the “hotel”).  This is a good call and we are already in good spirits before we hit the trail! Our clothes had hardly dried at all so we put them in zip locks and off we go! The path is right across the street from the lodging so easy to get started. Today’s walk is even better than yesterday! All along the water on mostly boardwalk. About 3 miles in we find a cafeteria for breakfast and this becomes our routine. 

The walk is fairly easy.. until it isn’t!

We come across a stretch of boardwalk that got covered with thick heavy soft sand. It is brutal to walk through but we must do it to continue. So we push on. That sand put a damper on the rest of the day and the next bunch of miles is not fun.

With the sand behind us we enter the outskirts of Vila Do Conde. The last 1.5 miles is a significant climb and given we have left the beach, the sun and heat quickly get more intense.  Joanne is definitely spent and Mike is trying to motivate her the rest of the way with each step. Cresting the top of another cobblestone hill we finally get to the hotel (which turns out to be quite nice) We both collapse into the air conditioned room and bed for some rest before each taking a much needed shower. There is a very nice restaurant that although not directly attached to the hotel, is part of the hotel so we make our way around the corner for dinner. The restaurant is beautiful inside with a fixed price at $15.00 pp. Portugal is a great value and this restaurant is no exception. Joanne gets the fish while Mike gets the veal. Both very good dinners. We each had two glasses of wine included with the meal but Joanne felt that was not enough so we both got a glass to go

We have been struggling with finding places to stay for the next bunch of nights so we work on that a bit when we get back at the room. Our plan has been to try to have bookings out 2 days in advance at this stage of our trip. We want to balance flexibility with a little structure. We have discovered several apps that are helping with the planning on the Camino: Camino Ninja, All Caminos, Booking.com, AirBnB, What’s app, and Google Translator. Each of these tools have been critical success factors on this journey. 

Also, we have decided the investment of the Injinji Sock Liners, and our Darn Tough Socks have been lifesavers in taking care of our feet and avoiding blisters…

Saturday 6/8:

Vila Do Conde- Fao

When We wake up this morning it is still raining a bit so we don our rain jackets, cover our packs with the built in rain covers and head out. We both feel good to start the day.

After a short time we must remove the jackets as we are sweating so profusely!! In spite of the rain the walk is still beautiful along the water. Our bodies seem to be adjusting to the daily routine and we are even enjoying the walks more. Tonight we plan to stay in a private room. Actually a Private Alburgue though we will share a bathroom with others. Neither of us are sure how we feel about this… I guess we will see! 

We are the first to arrive so jump in the bathroom to shower before others get there. Good call as this Alburgue can take 22 people!! This is a very clean hostel with a great, helpful host. It is fairly quiet and for the most part the other pilgrims are respectful. The host gives us recommendation dinner places and we end up about 1/2 mile away at a place on the river. Shortly after we arrive a bachelor party on a “party boat” docks and comes in ( they must know the owner) and make noise singing like frat guys. They stay about 10 minutes then get back on their party boat!

We have a great stay at this alburgue.

Sunday 6/9/2024:

Fao- Amoroso Beach

We head out this morning around 8:30 amd almost immediately meet up with some people we have met along the path before. We walk over a temporary pedestrian crossing/construction bridge that Joanne is not comfortable.

 We make our way but not as much along the coast today. The part that we are on the coast is very difficult because of a  “beach boulder field”.  

We do find a great place for breakfast with a market so get some tea, some sugar substitute and some much needed Kleenex!  So glad we stopped when we did because  once we left there there was no place else to stop for food, water or potty for the rest of the day. Though we had great people to walk with, the path was not as scenic as the past few days and it felt like a long day.

When we finally got to the two bedroom apt we reserved, which we had a difficult time finding,  it took almost half an hour for the owner to come and open it up for us. After walking nearly 14 miles that 1/2 hour seemed like forever when we wanted so badly to take our shoes off, get our laundry started, shower and rest for a bit before trying to find a place for dinner. We finally found a place to get some pizza wine and beer and then of course to talk about where we are headed tomorrow!!

 

 

Monday 6/9/2024

Amorosa Beach – Ancora 

We knew this was going to be (probably) one our longest hiking days.  To begin the day we stopped to dry some clothes that hadn’t finished drying overnight (Our Apt. only  had a washing machine!).  The lavendaria was right on our path!

After laundry we have to make a choice; 1) hike on the beach, in sand, or 2) take the path through the woods. We had already considered the wooded path if we can find the trail head and then serendipitously we meet a young local couple we saw on the Amorosa boardwalk/sidewalk that agreed with our decision and offered to lead us to the trailhead.  They also gave us several tips for today’s hike. We have met already so many wonderful people on the Camino.

The wooded path has downed trees and branches that we have to duck under. The ducking and squats with a 20 lb pack is no-doubt pretty challenging!!  We finished the wooded path eventually and started our beach walking…

Not long after we encounter a small “river” to cross.  Mike makes it across with no problem but Joanne was struggling in her head. The water is deep in a few spots and running quickly emptying into the ocean. Fortunately,  a very nice surfer came along and helped Joanne  make it across:-). The surfer also showed us the “chick Lobsters” he was catching in the surf. We saw several of these on the beach hike today….

Next up we walked past a campground!! Actually we have seen a couple of campgrounds along the beach areas.Then on to a ferry crossing. We still hadn’t eaten breakfast yet and we just missed the ferry so had to wait an hour to get the next one or walk over a mile to get to the bridge crossing. We decided to wait, though no breakfast food around so we will have to get food on the other side.

The ferry is quick (a mere 5 minutes) but the wait time surely put us behind. As we work our way back over to get back on the path we come across a nice restaurant with a gorgeous view of the ocean / crashing waves. We decide for lunch instead of breakfast because of the time. This is probably a mistake and lunch takes a long time to get delivered. Behind another hour😳

Once on our way again (also  note that we still have another 10 miles to go with a pretty serious head wind coming at us!) the rest of the walk is pretty much ocean side and would be enjoyable if we didn’t have to go so far against the wind. We do make a few wrong decisions which causes us to walk a bit farther but the path we took still got us to our destination, though we had been out of water for some time with nowhere to refill so got pretty dehydrated.

We were both pretty spent when we finally walked into Ancora and arrived at our Albergue. The owner showed us to our private room with our own bath and we both collapsed!

This town is the nicest we have been to so far and we decide to take a rest day here. Beautiful weather, beautiful beach, and plenty of shops, restaurants very close by. We are happy to finally rest!!

There is a great square just up the street from our Albergue with a gorgeous church. We get some pics, then head inside for the stamp! There are some cute restaurants lining the Promanade beside the beach and that’s where we decide to get dinner. We have a beautiful view and everything is very inexpensive. After dinner we walk along the promenade and decide tomorrow would be a great day to relax and sit on the beach.

Tuesday 6/11/24 (Ancora Rest Day):

As we got going (knowing we were on a rest day!) we decide to gather our laundry and see if we can find a cafe to have breakfast while we were washing. YAY! Up behind the square there is a “lavandaria “ with a cafe very close by. We get the clothes going then get some breakfast. For the most part our breakfasts have consisted of a toasted, buttered roll, a shared sweet roll and tea.  That seems to be the Portuguese breakfast staple!

Once that chore (laundry) is done we head back and get our things for the beach. We have been so fortunate in the private albergues (hostels) in that we have always been able to get a private room.  

The problem with this area is that is always seems windy. Nonetheless we find a protected area in front of the sea wall and hunker down for a bit.  We really like this little seaside town and are looking forward to another evening meal with a great view!

Yesterday everything seemed open by now, but not today. We ask the owner of our place and he says not till 7. We wait patiently, and eventually realize … nothing is open tonight for dinner! We adventually decide to find a market to buy some dinner supplies as our Alburgue says it has a kitchen. We pick up some pasta, sauce, slices of cheese, bread  plus a bottle of wine. Unfortunately the cashier couldn’t open the wine so on the way back we stop in a small bar and ask if they have an opener we can borrow.  In trying to open the bottle Mike inadvertently breaks the cork off with half the cork still in the bottle.  He then tries to use the screw to pull out the rest of the cork and the wine squirts all over everything!! The people are very nice and with everyone laughing we try to clean everything up. The Portugues are so friendly and helpful.

We gather our packages with the opened wine bottle now and head back to the Alburgue kitchen. Unfortunately we discover there is no stovetop, pots,  or pans. The kitchen has a microwave, an electric tea kettle and a small rig. Not even a sink! Oh no! We cut the bread and make two cheese sandwiches for dinner and left the rest of our dinner supplies on the counter. Certainly not how we wanted our time here to end!

Wednesday 6/12/24:

As we head out of Ancora we are greeted with a lot of headwind. We go back and forth between the Litoral Route and Coastal Route to try to miss some of the wind but the views are still best along the water . We are so glad we chose this route.

As we make our way toward Caminha we know we have to take a ferry (probably from Minho) across the river  to finish our stage for today into AGuarda. What we didn’t realize was how sketchie the ferry would be! But we meet other pilgrims also waiting (Mike and Diane) and as we are ferrying across we comment about how we all feel like drug dealers or escaped convicts!

We land safely at the other side and end up walking with this group all the way into A Guarda ( also- no passport check or anything upon entering Spain!).

As we approach the center of town we split to get to our respective albergues.

For us we have to navigate some pretty big hills in town but as we arrive just about 2:00 the “matriarch” has two scrumptious bowls of soup for us:-). This place caters to pilgrims and is called Brussels Hotel. We have a great room and tomorrow morning the breakfast is free before we leave for Oia.  

After we shower and rest we head out to explore. When not doing a rest day we usually only have the late afternoon/evening to explore. We head to the tourist info booth, get a stamp, then try to find a spot for drinks and dinner. We end up down by the waterfront for drinks then when the sun goes down we move to a restaurant with an enclosed patio so we can still see the views while eating. A girl (Lindsay) walking solo, that we met at the earlier place for drinks joined us for dinner and we had a great evening. It doesn’t get dark here until around 10:30!!!

Thursday 6/13 

Oia

The walk to Oia is amazing. The views and small “neighborhoods”… are so awesome. We begin dreaming about what it would be like to buy a second home here.  As we round the corner into town we see how cute and unique it really is. We find Tanya’s albergue and she is fantastic. We have a private room there with a shared bath but not a problem. The challenge in Spain is that everything closes in the afternoon and restaurants don’t reopen until 8:00!  By the time you eat and get to bed it is way too late.

Nonetheless we head out to see the big church/monestary in Oia then head to the newly opened bar to see if we can get something to eat. While there the rain starts and pretty much continues until we depart Oia the next day…

Friday 6/14 and Saturday 6/15 

Baiona, Spain

We departed the quaint town of Oia today and head North to the coastal/port of Baiona, Spain. It was raining when we left, though the weather clears fairly quickly. Th hike today continues along the Spanish Coastline with more spectacular views. Unfortunately we had a significant amount of  concrete/hard surface walking today and Mike developed “shin splints” during the day. Neither of us have had any issues thus far though with the onset of “shin splints” Mike clearly was in a great deal of pain. The last few miles were definitely a grind for him.  We arrived in Baiona late afternoon and were welcomed at our Hostel by the owners who were very friendly and showed us to our room. The big surprise was we had out own private terrace that was beautiful.

We had planned to take a rest day here and spend 2 nights and it was a good thing for sure as Mike’s “shin splints” turned out to be a huge set-back for us…

 

We stayed 2 days in Baiona and got a little rest, did laundry, and enjoyed a few meals in this picturesque coastal town… It was a great stop aside from the painful shin splints… One thing we discovered here was they no longer were serving “Super Bock” beers and since we were in Spain now the beer was “Galicia”  with “1906” our new favorite…

Sunday 6/16/2024:

Vigo

Although Mike was still in a great del of pain form his “Shin Splints” we had to continue on our pilgrimage today. Mike decided to try to shorten our hike off the traditional Camino path today hoping to deal with his “shin splints” some which turned out to be out biggest disaster of the trip…

The weather was terrible al day. The path to the city of Vigo rather than the Camino path was thru a big city, very urban, and lots of traffic. The hope was to take a more direct path though the hills made this a very tough day for both of us. In a nutshell today has been our least favorite day walking so far. Mike’s painful shin splints coupled with Joanne’s a head cold, the pouring rain, and the traffic, and terrible scenery really contributed to a tough day…

We finally made it into the city of Vigo later afternoon. The Hotel is fine but it is Sunday with very little open.  This overnight isn’t a typical Camono accommodation but it is really with an excellent hot shower and several luxuries of a nice hotel. We were frozen to the bone form timing all day in the rain so the shower helped a lot…

After our hot shower, a change to dry clothes, and some ice on the shins we make our way out to try to find some food. After already walking so far earlier we don’t want to venture far and find ourselves down the street for a beer / wine but not many options for actual fool. in hindsight Vigo is our least favorite stop of the Camino… We head back to the hotel disappointed but know tomorrow is another day…

Monday Vigo- Redondela

6/17/24

We checked out of our hotel in Vigo by 8:00am to begin our hike to the next stop Rendondela. We are concerned because Mike’s is still struggling with his “shin splits”. Like yesterday we deicide to take a more direct route using Apple Maps rather than the traditional Camino Trail. It says that the direct route will cut out several miles which is important for Mike. 

We started with some overcast skies today though again the weather shifted and we were again in Rain gear and for the remainder of the day. It poured on us today!

Mike is constantly checkin his phone/GPS and the route but it doesn’t take long to realize we are lost and a long way off  the trail. After several miles we finally ask a man walking his dogs where the Camino path is. He’s the local Vigo Tattoo artist that speaks very little English though fortunately is willing to work with our  “Google Translate” phone app.  Finally he offers to lead us towards where he believes we can pick up a path that will get us to the Camino.  He takes us on a shortcut through the woods adjacent to the stream/river running from Vigo.  We call him Angel #1 today… because he actually walks several miles with us, sharers stories about his home, and takes several pictures for us… Most importantly he came along when we needed someone to help get us back on track.

After several miles he has to head to work though before leaving provides us with what we think are good directions so we  can continue to get us back on track. The rain continues to grow in intensity, and it’s not long after we realize are still very lost again…  Along the side of a road, outside of Vigo, in the pouring rain Joanne and I are having a very spirited debate about our predicament and in those moment s are car pulls to the side of the road and asks us if we need any help? The older couple don’t speak any English and after about 15 minutes with “google translate” they blurt our clearly 

 “We are the most lost Pilgrims they have ever seen…”

This older couple is our Angel # 2… In the pouring rain they get out and load our packs into their car and insist on driving us to our Alburgue for the night. Mike insists it’s only 3 miles from where we are which doesn’t seem that far but when you consider the pouring rain, Mike Shins, and what turned out to be over 20 switchbacks up and over the mountain if it weren’t for there help we would have never arrived where we needed to.  In looking back this was absolutely the toughest day of our Camino Pilgrimage. One of the adages from the Camino is:

“Trust the Camino will provide what you need” 

We definitely now understand that lesson and believe in this saying to our core now. Maybe this was the revelation this journey needed to teach us… We were so fortunate in a foreign country, in the middle of no-where, lost, soaked, and really at a low spot perfect strangers generously helped us navigate our way on this day and literally saved us…

As we arrived at our Alburgue for the night the couple refused any compensation for their time and fuel and insisted that this is the way they treat Pilgrims here. It was a magical moment for sure… The Alburgue was a bit out of town and they asked us if we wanted to go into town and stay somewheres else but just as we were discussing the owner of the Alburgue opened the door and welcomes us to her home.

Christina (our host tonight) immediately helped us get out of our drenched shoes and clothes . She stuffed newspaper into our hiking shoes to help with drying, took our wet clothes to launder, and then provided both if us with some hot broth soup, wine/beer.  Christina turned out to by Angel # 3 for the day…

Christina’s Mom & Dad owned a restaurant in this town for over 40 years and when they closed it started this Alburgue instead with help, in season, from their daughter Christina. Her Mom has a vast menu which she serves to pilgrims staying with them and we share an incredible meal and great fellowship with Christina and her family…  A terrible day actually turned into one of most memorable form our entire pilgrimage…

Thank you to all 3 of our Camino Angels!! We only hope we can get back in the trail tomorrow!!

Tuesday Redondola- Pontevedra

6/18/24

As we depart Christiana’s guest house we pick up the trail just a quick walk down the street. The scenery is awesome as we walk down the country roads. Eventually we arrive in the city of Redondola. As the day progresses the hills become more in number and definitely steeper. It doesn’t rain all day but there are some light showers to begin our day.

As we make our way into Pontevedra we see that we are in the center of one of the city squares. The pilgrim hotel we are in actually has a restaurant attached. We shower and rest for a bit and Mike ice’s his severe shin splints. The plan is to head down for a drink on the patio. This is very convenient and a very cool area. Good people watching… At the table next to us are two 18 year-old girls traveling traveling together with their gap year after high school and before heading off to college. Both are planning to become attorneys. It is very fun chatting with them. so young, so adventurous, and so much enthusiasm… We say our good byes and good lucks hoping to bump into them again on the trail.  The actual restaurant is around the corner where we have a traffic meal sharing some yummy garlic shrimp and Parmesan clams. It is the best dinner we have had yet!!

Once finished we head to bed as tomorrow is another day for a walk!!

 

 

Our Airbnb was just outside of the town of Pontevedra. It was a completely restored stone home though it required us to hike about 1.5 miles back into town so we could do laundry, get some supplies, and find a place to eat dinner. Aside from being a trek outside of the town the location worked well. What’s another 3 miles on the Camino????

Wednesday – Pontevedra- Caldes des Raise

6/19/24

This morning it is easy to pick up the trail and we find a lot of elevation as we make our way through the day. Although it is mostly through nice wooded paths we have a long day and with the elevation and getting so close to the end it seems to go on forever. We meet up with Carole whom we met a day or so ago that was walking with Severin. They have been sharing accommodations but today split up to walk. Having someone different to chat with along the way really helps the time and the miles go by quickly. As we get into town, finding the accommodation for the night, becomes challenging and finally ask a gentleman on the sidewalk for help. While he is trying to help us another man from a third story window yells something down to him in Spanish and that gets us to the door to the Pension.

This pension is on the second floor and has three other private rooms.  Our room has a private bath but the others all share one bathroom. There is also a kitchen and living room to share. None of the other rooms is occupied the entire time we are there so it is very quiet for the night.

 

Thursday 6/20/24

Caldes de Rais – Padron

Once we passed through Baiona the elevation started to kick in and we were feeling it every day. Today we walked with Lindsay and Marley. It does help the time go by faster and we weren’t noticing the elevation or pains our bodies were feeling quite as much with company to chatter with. Mike was struggling with his shin splints and Lindsay was hobbling on a painful ankle / foot. We all made it to Padron and stopped to “celebrate” the fact that we made it here. We stopped at a cafe / bar near the square by the river and had two beers each. It was lovely to sit and laugh and chat but  then we knew we had to split up to find our perspective accommodations. We knew ours was on the far side of town but we thought that would work out just fine getting us less walking tomorrow! We get to our place and it is an entire (small) house! It reminds us both of the stone house we stayed in when we were in Wales last year (Jackie’s place). While it is very nice we now realize that it is at least a while kilometer outside of town and since we didn’t eat at the bar or pick up groceries on our way in we would have to walk back into town. But while we’re at it we take our laundry and find a place to do a load along with trying to find some food. One of the most difficult challenges we have found about the walk in Spain is their late day siesta. All restaurants close around 3:30 and don’t reopen until 8:30! During this walk we aren’t ready to eat before 3 and we are just too tired to start looking for a place at 8:30. So again tonight we are looking for something food knowing we still have to walk back to the house.

The house is great except for the barking dogs in the middle of the night and again very early in the morning. We are almost to Santiago!!

 

Friday 6/21/24

Padron- Millidoira

 One of the good things about this latest location is that we are already through Padron, we are right on the path and so getting started is easy! Yesterday while walking with Lindsay we told her our plan to break up the walk between Padron and Santiago. Most people do this stage in one day but it is a long walking day with many miles and Joanne had read that some people break it up and stay in either Teo or Millidoira. Robin and Mitch did this and highly recommended to stay in the municipal albergue there. We were able to message the host and he saved us a spot but this will be the first dormitory type accommodation we will have stayed in. Although the walk is supposed to be shorter we still click in about 12 miles over much elevation and with Mikes shins and just being plain worn out it still feels like a grind. But when we get there we are pleasantly surprised. It is very clean and organized; and there are many people around our age staying there. Because we are used to using bath houses the shared large bathroom is not a big deal. But the shower itself is very small with nowhere to put anything and no hooks to hang anything on. We are the only two inside when we first get there though it’s obvious with packs everywhere that others have arrived and are out somewhere. Once we showered and organized our bunks (next to each other with curtains for privacy) we head out to find drinks and food.  When we don’t see Lindsay we assume she either stayed in Padron for a rest day or walked all the way from Padron to Santiago (both options she was considering).

We find a few families from the Albergue eating at a restaurant next door and join them but then we are anxious to get to bed and rest for our walk into Santiago tomorrow! At first the night is dark and quiet. Then the snoring begins!! Then around 4:30 Joanne’s curtain get pushed open and there is a man sitting on her bed! She originally thinks it’s Mike as it’s dark and she has been awoken from deep sleep. Mike hears the commotion and tells the guy he is in the wrong place! He is truly surprised and embarrassed and hurriedly apologizes and quickly leaves! Its is a funny story but now wide awake Joanne ends up getting up and dresses for the day. This gets us an earlier start for our last day of walking! It’s exciting and we also feel relieved!

 

 

Saturday 6/22/24

Millidoiro- Santiago

I think we both thought this final day of walking would be easier than it turned out to be! Lots of climbing and some through a wooded path over roots and rocks. Almost right away we can see the spires of the cathedral above the skyline!! But then it turns to sidewalk and city walking. As we make our way in it becomes a bit confusing but some of that is because it is still quite early; we find that we are in the square of the cathedral by 9:00!! This is good because there are less people to get in the way of our photos:-)

Finding out where to take our stamps to get the compestella is very confusing and others are all asking the same question… where to go. We make our way down behind the square to the right and down the street and find the pilgrims office. Joanne had already registered yesterday but for some reason the emails with the QR code hadn’t come in yet so we had to do it again on a computer there. Time consuming but it all works out and we get our certificate. The people working are all volunteers that have done several Camino and they are friendly and helpful. Next Joanne gets a small token bracelet and Mike gets a few stickers to add to our MH door and then we are off to drink in the celebratory atmosphere!

Before we head out to find our accommodation (for the next two nights) we are able to find locker storage at a shop directly next to the main door to the cathedral. We get seats for the noon mass (all in Latin🤷‍♀️) never thing we would get to see the botafumeiro swing!! What a sight!! Watching them prepare it, light it and swing it; smelling the incense… it was all very, very cool. So many people never get to see this and for us to see it unexpectedly was very moving.  Once the service ends we line up quickly to tour St James tomb and underground of the cathedral and gets some photos inside. It is magnificent!

Finally we head out to look for our accommodation for two nights. Tomorrow we have a guided walking tour so the rest of today is mostly strolling around and getting pics. Of course some beverages to celebrate!!

The Botafumeiro in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela has become a famous symbol of the Camino de Santiago. The huge caldron, with more than 800 years of history, hangs in the form of a pendulum from the ceiling of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, flying over the heads of the congregation. The clergy manage the ropes with great skill as it swings over the congregation spewing tons of incense to the crowd. Appatently tradition has it was used to try and mask the smell of the pilgrims after their quest has been completed…  Seeing it in operation is quite a spectacle and was a n emotional moment for both Joanne and I. (Note it is only used occasionally and we were very fortunate to see it at our mass.)

After the Mass we toured the cathedral including passing the crypt of the Apostle St. James. The Camino is known as ” The Way of St. James”….

What an adventure!

What an experience!!

What a memory we will never forget!!!

We both agreed we pushed ourselves.  We simplified to an entirely different level. We just trusted the Camino and ourselves… Looking back it was probably one of the most special trips we have ever taken. The scenery, people we met, challenges we took on and worked through, the sheer physical experience, and being able to share it together with each other made this one of the most rewarding moments we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

In Portugal you are met daily by strangers, fellow Pilgrim’s, and many locals with the magical words: “Bom Camino”

In Spain the words are “Buen Camino”

The english translation is “Good Journey”

We are so fortunate for our “Good Journey” which we call “Revolutionary Journey” and wish all our friends, family, and fellow pilgrims all the best on their respective “Journey & Way”….