Santiago de Compostela

Here at last, Santiago, day 40, almost 800km. Hard to believe we made it, let alone made it unscathed.   We walked the last two days, 40km, through rain, much mud, bitumen roads, with low visibility due to mist.

We arrived at the square around noon, sodden and bedraggled.  There were very few people there, and certainly none that we knew.  The front of the cathederal, with St James looking down from his niche in the central tower, was covered in scaffolding due to renovation works and the main enterance was bordered off and shut. Although excited to be standing there at our journeys end, all we really wanted to do was find our hotel and change out of our cold wet clothes, as the rain had penetrated through our wet weather gear.

We are spending two nights in the San Martin Pinario Hotel, a beautiful converted monastory, directly opposite the cathederal.  For the princley price of 80 euros a night, we get to stay in a tastefully and simply converted 'monk's cell', complete with cast iron beds and furniture, with a wonderful view over the surrounding ancient town centre.

After a hot shower and change into dry clothes, we headed out again to look through the magnificient cathederal to see the famous swinging botafumeiro, the giant incense burner originally used to fumigate the sweaty and possibly diseased ridden pilgrims.

Then it was off to the Oficina del Peregrino to receive the final stamp in our Credential and our official  Compestela, the certificate of completion.  For this we had to queue for over an hour and it was here that we met up with many of the people we had walked with over the past 6 weeks.  It was so great to reminisce over the good times and bad, then after we received our certificates, some of us headed to a nearby bar for celebratory drinks!

It turned out to be an amazing day.  Are we glad it's over . . . . yes we are.  We feel very satisfied with our achievement of walking the Camino from Roncevalles to Santiago and no longer feel the need to continue walking to Finisterre on the coast. Instead, we've decided to go there by bus tomorrow for two days rest and relaxation.  After that, who knows?

Day 38

We have been walking the Camino for 38 days and will reach Santiago in two days time, on day 40.  We have 40 km to go, less than an hours travel by car, but two days walking for us.

Most of our Camino family have reached Santiagon over the past few days and moved on, so we probably won't see anyone we know when we walk into the cathederal square on Thursday.  We just cannot believe that our Camino is finally coming to an end.  Not sure how we feel about that, excited that we have achieved so much, or sad that its almost over.

After leaving Samos we walked for three days in drizzling rain and cold.  The scenery was lovely and rugged up in our wet weather gear we stayed dry and warm.  The one good thing about walking in the rain is your pack becomes lighter because you are wearing the waterproof pants and jacket which weigh almost a kilogram.  For the past two days the rain has eased so the waterproof gear hasn't been needed, although it remained quite cold.

The countryside has been quite hilly in sections with small dairy farms, vegetable plots, forrested areas, including small plantations of Tasmanian Bluegums, and stream crossings.  The track has been partly on minor bitumen roads, but mostly on delightful woodland paths which makes walking enjoyable.

Last night in Melide we dined with the last of our remaining Camino friends at Pulperia Exequiel, a restaurant famous for serving the regional specialty, Octopus Pulpo.  We had a great night and the food was exceptional.

Today while wandering past a little church in the village of Boente, we were beckened inside by the parish priest.  Together with an Irish couple, he took us on a tour of his quaint church, explaining to us in a mix of Spanish and broken English the names of the saints represented by ancient figurines.  In pride of place, above the alter, was a statue of St James, or Santiago as he is known here, the man responsible for all of us pilgrims dragging ourselves across Northern Spain.  This lovely old man then proceeded to give the four of us a pilgrims blessing, wished us a safe journey, and a buen camino.

Tonight we are in the town of Arzua.  Tomorrow we walk 20km to O Pedrouzo, then on Thursday we walk our final 20km up and over Monte Gozo, at 370 metres, before our final decent to the plains and the city of Santiago.

Do we want it to end . . . . . I don't think so.

The Rain in Spain

The rain in Spain falls mainly  . . . .  in the  Galicia region, or at least that's how it appears to us.  Overnight in O'Cebreiro was wild, with gale force winds, driving rain and freezing temperatures.  Our hotel restaurant had a log fire burning and a huge pot of Galician soup on the boil, so we ate soup with bread for lunch and dinner.  We woke several times during the night wondering if it had snowed and fearful of what the weather would be like in the morning for our decent off the mountain.

The weather had settled somewhat by the time we started walking, however it was still drizzling rain and bitterly cold.  We were in full wet weather gear, finally donning the waterproof pants we have carried the whole way but never worn.  Although we set out in a total white out, after about 5km the weather began to clear and for a short time walking was pleasant, with great views across the mountains and down into the valleys.  That joy was short lived as the weather again turned nasty, the wind picked up, the temperature dropped even further, and the rain turned to sleet.

We trudged on for another 10km before reaching the final leg of the decent, an extremely steep, rocky, downhill section of about 6km. From here we decided to catch a taxi and forfeit these last 6km.  I would have tackled this section had it not been so wet.  My knees struggle with steep decents and I was really concerned about slipping in the mud. I think it was a good decision.

We spent the night in Triacastela in a nice private room in an alburgue. Another wild night of wind and rain.  Todays walk to Samos was only 15km so there was no need to depart early.  By the time we left the rain had almost stopped, although we walked in wet weather gear the whole way just in case there was a downpour. The track followed a fast flowing creek most of the way through beautiful wet forest, a delightful, easy walk.

For the past couple of days we've found some of the small churches to be opened in the tiny villages we've walked through.  It's quite a thrill to see inside these amazing old buildings after walking past dozens of locked ones all the way across Spain.

We came to Samos especially to visit the Benedictine Monastery, a huge, beautifully solid ancient building, and one of the oldest monasteries in the whole of the western world.  Although still a functioning monastery, there are 15 monks living there today, alll elderly, it once housed 200 monks.   Samos is not on the direct Camino route, we had to take a detour to get here, however it was well worth the effort and the extra kilometres just to visit this lovely town.

There is a sign here showing 122km to Santiago!

Climbing Mountains

For the past two days we have been climbing mountains.  Three days ago we walked on a good dirt road through rolling hills of vinyards to the lovely historic town of Villafranca del Bierzo.  Next day, after crossing the Rio Burbia on the edge of town, we began a steep climb that would last for 9km. Although challenging, it was great walking, with marvelous views of the surrounding countryside. After reaching the top of Alto Penaroldan at 935 metres, we decided to walk down the road as the track going off the side of the mountain was just too steep for my knees. Although it added another 2km onto the walk, I think it was a wise decision.

Today was the big one, the climb up over the mountains seperating the regions of Castilla and Galicia, and into the tiny village of O'Cebreiro at 1330 metres. This is the section of the Camino everyone dreads, not only because it's a tough walk, but also because of the possibility of rain, fog or snow at any time of year.  

Last night in the village of Ambasmestas, we were sitting in the bar of our hotel talking with two Aussies from Adelaide whom we had just met, when a loud clap of thunder rang out and the power went off.  It poured rain for about half an hour and then power was restored. Unfortunately we were unable to return to our room during the blackout, so had to remain in the bar with our new aquaintences drinking vino tinto. We had been so foutunate during the days walk as it looked as though it could rain at any time, but held off long enough for us to be comfortably settled in our hotel. We later received a text message from our Aussie friends from Townsville ,who are a day ahead of us, to say that it was snowing in O'Cebreiro, not welcoming news.

We set out early this morning in very cold weather, it was only 3 degrees.  Walking warmed us somewhat and after 6km we stopped for breakfast in the tiny village of Herreriss, the last opportunity for food before the real climb began. From then on the trail just kept climbing, relentlessly, for the next 10km to O'Cebreiro.  

The track soon left the bitumen road and at times became rocky, muddy, and covered in cow manure, but the one thing that didn't change was the gradient, it just remained steep all the way.  To make the walk even more difficult, for the last two hours it was drizzling rain, foggy at times, and when we finally reached the top, a flurry of snow was in the air.  It was a hard, challenging walk, quite lovely in sections through old forest, with spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. It was quite a moment when we finally walked into the village. This is the section of the walk I had always been uncertain about. There were times at home when I doubted if I would be able to do it, and even at the start of the Camino we thought I might require the option of having my pack sent on so I could walk without any weight.  But today, with 31 days of walking behind me and now less than 150km to Santiago, I made it into O'Cebreiro unaided, under my own steam, and I feel very proud of my achievement.

O'Cebreiro has a special place in the hearts of the modern day pilgrim. It was from here that the local parish priest, Father Don Elias Valina Sampedro, had the vision to reopen the pilgrim route to Santiago after the chaos of the Second World War. It was his idea to mark the route with the distinctive yellow arrow and it was largely as a result of his efforts that we walk the route today. Without the yellow arrows we would have been lost 600km ago.

La Cruz de Ferro

Wow, what a day. Todays 19km walk would have to go down as the best day yet.  Fantastic walking, scenery, weather.  Set out early into another glorious sunrise and climbed all morning to the highest point on the Camino, Punto Alto, at 1515 metres.  This is the site of the famous La Cruz de Ferro (Iron Cross) which sits atop a massive wooden pole, at the base of which is an enormous pile of rocks, placed there over many years by passing pilgrims. 

Local legend has it that if you carry a rock from your homeland and deposit it at the base of the cross, your prayer will be answered.  We had enough weight to carry in our packs, let alone carrying rocks all the way from Australia!

It felt like real bushwalking today. The track was gravel pathway, narrow and rocky at times, but mostly good.  We scaled the terrain easily, even the steeper sections, feeling quite fit now. Walked through flowering heathland most of the way with sensational displays of purple, yellow, dark pink and white flowers, with amazing vistas of snow capped mountains and deep valleys.

The weather was sublime, quite cool (we walked in fleece jackets most of the day) with perfect sunshine and clear blue sky.  Due to the altitude it can get quite dismal here with wind, rain, fog, and of course snow in winter, however Mother Nature smiled on us today.  

Of course what goes up must come down and in this instance the track came down very steeply.  The downward section soon deteriorated into a steep, rocky, eroded track. It was brutal on the knees and feet, however we were determined not to allow anything to detract from such a wonderful day.

Spending the night in the tiny village of Acebo in the charming Posada del Peregrino.  We are still at elevation so have to face that downhill track again first thing in the morning.  Past a sign today showing Santiago only 220km away, just can't believe we are getting close to the end.

Jhola! Buen Camino

Jhola, buen Camino!  Hello, good Camino, we have said those words a hundred times today as we pass perigrinos and they pass us.  The Camino is becomming busier the closer we get to Santiago.  People of many nationalities are walking and now there are many Spanish who do sections of the walk each year.

We have started to book our hotel accommodation two nights in advance due to the high number of walkers and the limited accommodation available in the small towns. For this we use a variety of means.  First we attempt to book a room ourselves by mobile phone or Skype, and occasionally we are successful. Sometimes the mobile phone does not have access so we revert to Skype.  Sometimes when we finally get through to the required hotel, no-one speaks English.  Even with our limited Spanish of days and dates it becomes impossible. We then revert to the goodness of the management of the hotel we are staying in to phone for us and book the room for the next day.  Often they speak very little English as well so we are never really certain if the booking has actually been made, although it has always worked out up to now. The Spanish people have been wonderfully hospital for the most part, so we just have blind faith and it has all worked out fine so far.

We've had two days of really great walking.  The first day out of Hospital de Orbigo was through woodlands and wildflowers, with poppies and lavender growing in abundance on the road verges. We finally climbed out of the Meseta and the track wound its way up and over gentle inclines before descending into the lovely town of Astorga.  The magnificient cathederal with twin bell towers could be seen towering above all other buildings from several kilometres away.

In Astorga we met up with our Aussie mates from Townsville, they had booked into the same hotel as us, and we enjoyed a great evening meal together (and some vino tinto) in the town plaza.

Today the walk was even better as the bitumen road out of town gave way to a gravel road and before long turned into a good gravel track.  Yesterday we walked towards the snow capped mountains, but today we walked between them.  For the last two mornings we have set out early, at dawn, around 6:30 am, and walked for several kilometres before eating breakfast in the first village we came across.  Although cold, we soon warm up as the sun rises behind us.  This morning was particularly lovely as a full moon was still visable in the dawn sky.

Breakfast usually consists of a slice of tortilla, an egg and potato quiche type of dish (very tasty, but it does get boring) coffee for Steve, fresh squeezed orange juice for me, accompanied by a few slices of the ever present but delicious sliced barguette type bread.  Very occassionally we are able to get an omlette, but not often, so even though breakfast is tasty and nourishing, we have been eating almost the same thing for a month.

Today we walked 22km, gently climbing all the way to Robanal del Camino, a lovely hillside village with a population of 50.  The town however can accommodate up to 200 pilgrims in various forms of accommodation, ranging from the church run alburgues to an up market hotel.  This town would not survive without the patronage of the pilgrims on their way to Santiago.

Day 24

Yesterday we caught a taxi to the outskirts of Leon and hit the trail again, it was great to be back walking in the countryside. Many pilgrims take this option to avoid the unpleasant walk through busy city streets and industrial areas. People we have spoken to who did walk out of Leon said they wished they hadn't and in hindsight should have taken the bus or taxi.  John Brierley's guide book even recommends this option.

We've had two relatively short walking days of about 17km each with another one coming up tomorrow.  The John Brierley guide book breaks the walk up into sections which can be up to 36km long, too far for us to walk in a day, therefore we sometimes take two days to complete a section.  At this stage of the Camino, villages are not as frequent as the earlier stages, therefore we need to plan the days walk and overnight accommodation around this.  For instance we would prefer to walk 20km per day, however if there is a village at 17km and no other village for another 13km, then we must stay in the first village, as 30km is too far for us to walk in one stretch.

Many people attempt to follow this guide religiously, however we find it more enjoyable to do shorter days allowing time to rest and investigate things along the way.  We are seeing many walking wounded pilgrims at this stage, most have blisters, some severe, and I can only surmise that the reason our feet are still in relative good shape is due to the fact that we are walking the shorter daily distances.  

Another factor that has saved our feet is due to less weight in our packs.  Several days ago, in Sahagun, a town prior to the worst section of the Roman road, we posted some of our gear on to Santiago.  We had used our sleeping bags only twice and we were well over half way, so decided they could go.  Also one set of clothes each, we've found two sets to be sufficient, as well as our lightweight fold up umbrellas (what were we thinking when we packed those, although they were very handy in Paris).  Altogether we lost approximately 1.8kg each.  That may not sound like much but it's certainly noticeable after a long days walk.

Last night we stayed in an alburgue, albiet in a private room with bathroom, in the town of Vilar de Mazarife.  On the outside wall of this building was a plaque that read 296km to Santiago, which means we are almost two thirds of the way there!  Yeah!

Today the weather has turned cool and snow capped mountains again came into view on the horizon. We are in the village of Hospital de Orbigo which has one of the longest and best preserved medieval bridges in Spain, dating from the 13th century, an amazing sight as it came into view as we entered town.

Tomorrow we walk to Astorga, finally leaving behind the flat terrain of the Meseta.  After more than a week of walking on roads; bitumen, gravel and Roman, we're hoping the trail becomes more track like as we head towards Montes de Leon, where we will reach the highest point of our treck.  Challenging days ahead!