Santa Madriña

Between Negreira and Cee, the villages are very small. Some have a restaurant/bar and an albergue. There are no grocery stores to buy fruit or food along the way, until reaching Cee tomorrow. Cee is the first village by the sea.

Santa Madriña has a nice simple albergue and a little restaurant owned by the same family. Pepa tells me, that both her husband and her, did not have work, and decided to renovate their house and create an albergue. They have a 10 year old daugther, she is the only child in this very small village, shared by seven families.

The Galician idea of what it is flat or steep, is very different than mine. A woman tells me that from one point on, the path was going to be flat. As I start walking it, it climbs and climbs, not too steep but definitely up. My legs are well used to the up and downs, and sometimes it feels that they are walking by themselves. My friend is doing well adjusting to the walking and he is really enjoying the Way.

The trail today, to this very small village of Hospital, was beautiful. Large windmills that were in the far distance yesterday, are now just next to us. The sound and wind that they create, very impresive.

Many of the ridges that we pass by or see in the distances, have windmills, that have become part of the landscape. Some people don't like to see them, but I feel that they are such a good optional way of creating energy, that it is good that they are here.

At the highest point of the trail we can see a "ria" a waterway that comes from the sea, into the inland, as a river.

The albergue in Hospital is very quiet and comfortable. Next to us there is a large barn with many cows eating, as we pass by.

Sharing the night with us there is a woman from Germany, a man from Denmark and a Spanish family of four. We are all walking similar distances and connecting in the same albergues at night.

Tomorrow we have an easy 16 km to Cee, where we will stay. It will be my first time, since a longtime, soaking my feet in the Atlantic salty water and really looking forward to the fresh seafood.

 Cee will be our last albergue before Finisterra.

On the way to Finisterre

The start of the camino to Finisterre is at the cathedral of Santiago, passing by the "Parador de los Reyes Catolicos" This Parador was the original hospital for the piligrims that were in need of care and attention, when they arrived in Santiago.

Throughout Spain, historical sites have become paradores, a higher category than hotels.

To my surprise, in less than 20 minutes we are leaving the city, by walking a beautiful park with ancient oak tress and soon we are walking in the country side.

 

Today is Easter Friday, we share the path with families and bicycles, that are enjoying this holliday.

Galicia, has lots of water every where. The vegetation is dense with many shades of greens. We passed by abandoned houses that are now overgrown by ferns and old rhodedendrum  shrubs, now in full bloom.

The path is well marked in both directions. Going from Santiago to Finisterre and also in reverse, with a variation to the yellow arrows. Some piligrims walk this circuit, continuing from Finisterre to Muxia and back to Santiago.

In my past piligramages, I did not have the time to walk to Finisterre or Muxia, and I visited Finisterre, by taking a bus there. I am pleased now to be walking the path to Finisterre, that it was believed to be the end of Earth, as its name indicates.

Along the way, we passed a beautiful waterfall, small river and a natural landscape of big rocks and waterways. A stone Roman origin bridge, crosses the river that ends facing a small chapel.

The land is being cultivated everywhere, fertilized by the manure collected from the barns. Cows and horses are grazing. The scent of farm land and country living, accompanies us, as we walk this beautiful path, that follows the slopes.

Negreira is our destination tonight, 20 km from Santiago. A basic village with delicious food in the restaurant next to the albergue, where we stayed.

Santiago

Santiago is fully alive !! Many people are in the streets. Easter in Santiago, a destination for many Spanish families and Spanish piligrims that have a few days to walk or continue their pilgrimages.

I booked a little pension very close to the cathedral, in a street called "Las Campañas de San Juan " The Bells of Saint John" every hour and every half an hour, the cathedral bells were ringing, until midnight and starting at 7 am again.

The room is very small and has a tiny bathtub.The wooden bedframe reminds me of being in an impressionist painting. There is a small window facing the little street. At midnight we woke up to a great surprise!

The sound of drums. Opened the window. Going by our 5 m wide street, there is a midnight Easter procession. 

Wow ! Very powerful. 

Iluminated by their candle light the "Nazarenos" walking one by one, to the sounds of the walking sticks, firmly in harmony touching the ground.

Some Nazarenos are carrying a large wooden crosses in their shoulders, bare feet with chains attaching their feet together. Their heads are covered, to be kept anonymous, maybe from a promise or praying for a specific cause.

The street around the little square is filled with people, old and young admiring the devotees' promises. As the procession ends, the people around all join in and follow walking behind, many with the candle light in their hand.

Yesterday afternoon in Santiago was exciting. The cafes were filled with delicious tapas and wines. The pastry shops with colourful cakes and chocolates, that tempted my tasting.

The Santiago almond tarts every where.

I went to the piligrims office to ask for a Finisterre and Muxia route map, as I had not planned to be walking this route and was unprepared.

I ate at Manolo's, a piligrims menu for 9€ that was large enough for feeding three piligrims.

After the procession, the street becomes very empty and quiet. We fell asleep awaiting for this next camino to Finisterre to start tomorrow morning.

HAPPY EASTER!!!!! from the Camino!

Camino

We each create our own camino.

The camino has a different meaning for each one of us. As in everyday life, we adapt and accept, the camino changes.

Yesterday, I was 75 km from Santiago, and needed to be in Santiago today Thursday, to meet with a friend, who will be walking 100 km of this piligramage with me. I made the decision to take a bus to the last walking stage to Santiago. I would sleep in the albergue, and this morning walk the last 17 km to Santiago, in silence. 

This would complete my Via de la Plata.

This morning I left the albergue at 6:30 am (as we had to be out of the albergue by 7 am) and started walking. 

My senses were alert. When the moon was behind the trees or a hill, my head lamp guided me. As the day light was appearing, everything felt alive. I could hear the early morning birds and the freshness in my cheeks. As every other day, when walking in Sanabria, the route always climbing up and down. 

I crossed a farmer taking his cows to the field. A woman cutting and loading fresh grass for her animals. The dogs barked, when I was walking too close to their fence. 

It was all magical. A feeling of completion, fulfilment. I am happy to have made this decission of completing my VDLP camino alone, as this was my camino.

In the distance I saw the cathedral towers of Compostela. I felt complete. Incredible to be here, a moment that I imagined many times as I walked.

I entered Santiago by a small medieval arch, on the top of a steep street. There is only one entrance arch into the city remaining of this fortress that once protected the old city of Santiago.

A man was walking by and I asked him if he could take my picture by the arch.

 

He is a history teacher and very pleased to take my foto for me and also to tell me the history of the arch and sourrounding buildings. He accompanies me through the small streets giving me a history lesson. Takes me to a beautiful food market, that today, Thursday, is fully alive. The stalls are very busy selling fish, meats and vegetables. All around the market there are also the local farmers that bring their fresh chesses, eggs, milk, flowers, herbs...they have a small little chair and an umbrella to protect themselves from the sun.

 A copper scale, with shinny weights by them. I really thanked him when he leaves, for the great improvised tour that he gave me.

The narrow streets take me to the cathedral of Santiago. Tourists, families and piligrims are all around. I sit, feel and admire this moment, sourrounded by this beautiful cathedral.

I am very grateful for this journey. Thankful to life, for giving me the opportunity to walk the Via de la Plata.

I am thankful for my health, my family, my friends. Each one of you has walked steps of this camino with me, through my thoughts.

Thankful, to the piligrims that I met along the way, their support, encouragement, words, smiles and energy, helped me when I was in need and tired.

I am thankful to the local people and farmers that have shared their land with me, as I passed by. Thankful to nature for providing me and taking me along the Via de la Plata path.

Tomorrow, Friday, I will start another camino, the camino to Finisterre and Muxia. 

100 km that will take us, to what was believed the end, the end of earth.

This will be a special symbolic camino for me, that my friend and I will walk and understand, as we will walk.

Naima

Ourense

Piligrims are showing up in different places, walking and on biciycles. This is Easter week holiday and many Spanish piligrims at heart, walk the camino in stages, as their holidays allow them to do it. Also being closer to Santiago, some piligrims walk the last 100 km to recieve the Compostela.

Wow !! I am now 100 km from Santiago !!

From Xunqueira de Ambia to the center of Ourense, there are 26 km.

The moon is full, orange and very bright. Four of us piligrims decide to leave the albergue at 6 am to avoid the extreme heat past noon (unsual weather for this time of the year) and also avoid the traffic, as today's walking has a fair amount of walking on a secondary road. 

The Via de la Plata has very little road walking, which is great. Roads, villages and cities are as much part of the camino as valleys, mountains and narrow trails. Through history and centuries, those piligrims walking paths, became also the trails that have grown to communicate villages, cities and roads.

Walking, as the day was becoming light, I hear the early morning birds and sounds in the path. It is peaceful, beautiful, cool and I wear my toque and gloves, until the trail starts to climb. Walking in Galicia is always up and down, gaining and losing elevation, both equally hard on the feet and knees.

Ourense is situated in the deep valley (130 m elevation) of the river Miño, which gives a climate hotter and drier than in the rest of Galicia. The Romans built a settelment here to take advantage of the multiple hot springs along the banks of the river Miño that flows through the city. There is also a hot spring site in the center of the city, next to the XII century cathedral. The beautiful cathedral is romanesque and early gothic. The original roman bridge is not standing and a newer stone bridge has been built using the original footings.

The albergue in Ourense is on the site of an old Franciscan middle ages convent, high above overlooking the city and many steps to get to it !! it has 20 bunk beds and the stone walls and wooden new ceilings....a beautiful place to rest and fall asleep. The cloister has 76 double columns, 63 arches showing the transition between romanic and gothic architecture.

walking towards the hot spring 

In the afternoon four of us piligrims visit one of the six hot springs public sites along the river. When I arrived there at 5 pm and + 32C, I decide not to stay  as it is too hot for me. 

I returned to the comfortable sheltered albergue where I felt sheltered, protected from the heat and also the constant shock of the life when entering a city after being in the Camino.

Palm Sunday in Albergueria

From Campobecerros to Albergueria was a hard day of 28 km of walking. I left the earliest of any of my camino days, trying to avoid the afternoon extreme heat, when I would be doing the 12 km uphill, that would take me to Albergueria. In this 12 km you gain 500 m of slope elevation. The trail is steep, no shade, very rocky. I did not see any other pilgrims. In two occasions I questioned myself if I was on the right trail. Fortunately I was !!

It took all my strength to walk this 12 km up hill, with very few slope breaks.

The first part of my morning was the opposite. 16 km of downhill, also steep and losing 400 m of slope elevation. My legs were tired. I am looking at my feet, keeping my ankles from turning.

Just as I am writing now, Luis the hospitalero from the albergue in Albergueria, shows up here in Xunqueira de Ambia ( my next albergue) where I am now. To my surprise, he is bringing me my pair of coral earings, that I forgotten this morning next to my bed. Wow !!!

He is so kind to have driven 20 km each way to bring my earrings to me !!! I am in admiration for his gesture.

Yesterday, arriving in the Albergue was fantastic, a great relief.

Albergueria is a very small village on top of a hill. Most houses are stone, incredibly beautiful big stone. It has 27 habitants, mostly old persons and no children.

Luis, came to Albergueria in 2004, fell in love with the village, fixed two stone houses, that are now the albergue and the only bar. He loves music, has set up outside and inside speakers in the front of the albergue, that is across the street, from the bar.

As I arrived, the music of Leonard Cohen is playing. I love Leonard Cohen, know most of his songs and listen to it at home over and over.

My afternoon and evening is spent listening to beautiful music, having Albariño wine, and enjoying the company of five other piligrims and the people that live in the village.

Luis's bar is completely covered with shells, that he gives to each piligrim, who has arrived here. We each write our name, date and country of origin. Incredible to see all of these shells on the walls and ceilings.

Yesterday was Palm Sunday, and at 7 pm there was a Mass in the little stone church in the middle of town. Three of us piligrims attended the Mass and held the branches of bay leaves, that a woman in the village gave me, to be blessed.

I gave my blessed bay leaves branches to Luis, for his bar to use them in the caldo gallego soup, that they eat here almost every day.