My winter challenge was learning to work on a Mac computer which includes iMovie. Here are my first results in video form:
Most still and video clips were captured with a Panasonic Lumix 150. Very good travel camera. Lightweight, great zoom lens and can capture raw files. A few of the still photos were captured with a basic phone camera.
View from our small third floor room with 5 bunk beds for a total of 10 persons in our room. Cozy…
We call Roots & Boots our home for two nights. It is in the old part of town, three levels of multiple rooms down narrow hallways with as many bunk beds as they can possibly put in each room. We had two bathrooms for our floor, so we had to be patient or find an open bathroom on another floor…maybe.
We shared a room with sheep farmer from Portugal, college students waiting for housing and a grandfather/grandson pair (Sweden? ), as well as another silent partner that did not converse with us.
Randy is wearing his strolling attire today, so let’s start exploring.
Interesting, but I don’t think I’ll put these sculptures on my deck.
Thank you, Random Strolling Ladies, for following the photography Rule of Three and Odd Numbers.
She must be my relative since Pemble women are known to wear bright red attire.
Obviously, she draws the attention of old and young alike.
Sign reads: Painter looking for work urgently – I’m hungry.
You’re going strolling whether you want to, or not!
Beggar outside the coffee shop.
Neighborhood near our hostel.
We crossed through Alameda Park several times as it was between our hostel and the city center. The origin of the park goes back to the donation of the grounds to the city by the Counts of Altamira around the middle of the 16th century.
Harry Potter influence here?
We see many monuments amidst the garden area of the park. Mirador da Alameda. Translation: Viewpoint of Alameda
We are thrilled to meet up with Al, our Spanish friend that we met at the pilgrim meal in Fonfria just past O’Cebreiro. I sincerely hope he is doing well with his new job in South America.
These Italian pilgrims are all smiles and glad to be done with their journey. We shared the trail frequently with them the past few days. A smile is comprehended in any language.
We attend the Pilgrim Mass and they did not swing “the thing.”( Botafumeiro) We are 0 for 2 on this, so if I ever return to the Camino experience again I will not be leaving until they do swing “the thing.”
Outside the church, I notice this beggar who is prepared for rain with an umbrella tucked behind her. I’m guessing she is a Gypsy, which is a slang term for the Romani people that frequent European countries. More to come on this topic in future blog posts.
These gypsies appear to be quite stern. Is this an omen?
Or, maybe not so lucky for some…
Translation: Parents and students in defense of the nusa (neighborhood?) school. We see this as we leave the town of O Pedrouzo. Destination ~ Santiago de Compostela!
The path leads us through wooded areas…
…and small farms
Small hay bundles
The path is now closer to the road.
One last photo opp before we enter the city. Thank you, Random Pilgrim, for taking our picture! Liz and Bryon hiked at our pace so that we could arrive together.
Fence next to the Santiago Airport is full of crosses made from branches. Lavacolla is recognized today more for the name of the international airport than the place where medieval pilgrims came to wash lavar and purify themselves before entering the city.
We still see livestock and small farms.
Wizard of Oz?
Monte do Gozo (Mount Joy) The monument commemorates the visit of Pope John Paul II.
There it is… Santiago! We can see it!
We pass by the ruins of an old church. Spooky…
City limits?
Here we go!
Ta-Dah!! What? Under construction? Seriously? Oh, well…
Might as well drink in the celebration…
Buen Camino! After 165 miles of hiking, we look forward to new adventures and challenges after a good nights sleep. A bunk bed at Roots & Boots is calling my name… hmmm, wonder who our roommates will be tonight?
I have a feeling we won’t be the only ones counting sheep tonight!
I look down from the albergue window as a lone, wet pilgrim shuffles down the dark street below. A-a-a-rgh!!
I am also dismayed by the bathroom situation this morning. Rule of albergue ettiquette: When sharing a bathroom with twenty-some people, do not spread out a whole trunk load of make-up and proceed to tie up the bathroom and sink for 40 minutes. Nobody cares what you look like on a wet, miserable day like today! End of rant…
Generally speaking, the stage goes along dirt tracks, with some stretches through secondary roads and also through paths parallel to the road. Yes, this must be Galicia because it is raining.
Not sure I’d want to push a stroller, with a little one, across northern Spain in the rain. …yet, he smiles.
Definitely a rain coat kind of day.
Meanwhile, we seek refuge from the elements in a cafe with hot coffee. Not many photos taken today due to the wet conditions. The rain did let up long enough for a short video:
These speedy hikers arrive early and find a window seat to enjoy the view of wet hikers strolling past them. It looks like Bryon’s new insoles are helping the blister situation.
Hooray! After about 18 kilometers, we arrive at our destination, O Pedrouzo, and check into Pension A Solaina.
One more day of hiking to go. Am I happy or forlorn? Both?
(Map reads left to right)
We leave Melide, Spain with a little extra spring in our step since today will not be a 30 mile day.
A good day to chit-chat along the way while drinking in the views.
Meanwhile, a couple of tough guys make their way up the hill. Blisters are plaguing Bryon due to the 30 mile hike yesterday.
Well, Madre, time to get Bossy.
She obliges her owner and dutifully follows as she does every day at milking time.
Pilgrims take a break by the river near Ribadiso, Spain.
Your rug is beautiful!
A graffiti filled tunnel provides reading material.
Rocks and flowers left by pilgrims alongside this farmyard.
Another good drying day, but will it last?
We arrive in Arzua, Spain and look for our albergue.
Yep, here it is. Ah-h-h-h-h… home at last (for tonight)
We settle in (looks like we’ll have several neighbors) and decide it’s time to do some laundry.
Randy washes.
Joan hangs clothing to dry while I take pictures. We all have our roles in life!
Mmmmmm… Paella on display right on the sidewalk. Not sure if this is enticing if it has been here all afternoon.
We decide it’s worth the risk and go for it and order paella. They must have been expecting us since the menu is in English.
(I should have lined my body up with the picture of the good looking gal on the ad so it looked like it was me!)
Another pleasant day, but the air is cooler and the sky is darkening. Makes me wonder what tomorrow will be like?
Today is going to be the longest day of the trip as we cover about 30 miles or close to 50 kilometers.
Portomarine is a couple of kilometers to the left of the map above.
Randy, Bryon and Liz start walking and their destination is Melide which requires walking the full distance of the top map and half-way into the next stage. Will the feet survive?
Adios, Italia!!!
Foggy day in the woods.
Occasionally a cement picnic table will appear to facilitate a quick break.
The path is worn down from centuries of pilgrims walking to Santiago.
Why can’t we stay here? In March of 2013 we did stay here and woke up to fresh snowfall.
Have Joan and Joyce been kidnapped? Where could they be? Um-m-m-m… shopping?
But first we go to the Church of San Juan since it is Sunday. This church was reconstructed brick by brick when the dam flooded the town to build a hydroelectric power plant and they were forced to relocate the city of Portomarine.
We say a little prayer for the other three trudging down the 30 mile path today.
Now we hop into a cozy taxi for a joyride to Melide where we check our group into the albergue. Every Sunday in Melide you will find a fruit, meat and cheese market where farmers bring their produce in to sell. Randy took my camera so I’m stuck with a low-end cell phone camera and Joan’s Ipod to document the day.
Pigs feet? Not sure how I’d cook them so I’ll pass this time.
This little piggy went to market…
Norwegian cod caught in Spanish waters. Is this like lutefisk?
The air is filled with noisy chatter.
Joan negotiates our transaction and we will be supplied with delicious cheese straight from the farmer for the next several days. Delish!
Joan and I have the great plan to walk back on the trail to meet the rest of the gang to show support. We walk and walk, but don’t see pilgrims. This can’t be right? We go back, find the right road out-of-town, and wait for them…and wait…and wait… and wait some more.
Finally, after almost every pilgrim has gone by, we finally make radio contact and walk to meet them. The last 10 miles have been brutal and Randy, Bryon and Liz finally limp into town, too tired to take pictures.
Painful feet, blisters and exhaustion dictate the mood tonight.
How about some cheese with that wine?
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Some unfortunate pilgrim has taken an alternate route.
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Hard working folks.
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We finally arrive at our destination today, Portomarin. In the 1960s the Mino River was dammed to create the Belesar Reservoir, putting the old village of Portomarín under water.
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In March of 2013 we crossed this bridge while strong, cold wind gusts pushed us around making it hard to balance. Today we have no wind and pleasant temps.
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We soon will tackle the 52 steps that will get us into the arch of the ancient Roman bridge, the entrance of the city. These steps are challenging after a tiring day of walking with a backpack on. We do muster up enough energy to smile for the photo.
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Indiana Joan is especially elated to reach the top.
The most historic buildings of the town were moved brick by brick and reconstructed in the new town, including its castle-style main church: Church of San Juan of Portomarín. This is an unusual late Romanesque temple as it is designed to be both a church and a castle and so has architectural characteristics of both buildings. The church was relocated to its current position from the valley in the 1960s when the river was flooded to form a reservoir. ~Wikipedia
Albergue Ferramenteiro has 130 beds and 5 have our names on them! Hooray!
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Nice laundry facilities in our albergue so many pilgrims decide to clean up, including us.
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The albergue is filled to capacity tonight so we’ll be joined by many other pilgrims as we slumber.
Ah-h-h-h… home, sweet, home.
Meet our Italian friends from the area of Romeo and Juliet. We have absolutely no Italian language skills and they are equally lacking in English-speaking skills. However, we made it work even though Randy was kicking himself for not bringing along a little translator that could help with our communication.
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Google Earth to the rescue! Wonderful group filled with fun and laughter. We will see them often the next few days and share a cheerful greeting: Minnesota! Italia!
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Using a smart phone, they show us their home and we locate our farm zooming in so close we could see the junk behind our grove of trees. Green Acres is the place to be. Too bad Google doesn’t let us know ahead of time so that we can spiff up the yard for the satellite picture.
I may have to learn some Italian in case they come to visit since our address is in their phone.
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What are you looking at? Crazy pilgrims…
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One cow decides she wants to explore a different path so Randy, the experienced cattle man, blocks the way so she must now follow the rest. Good try, Bossy.
Image by Joyce Meyer
A lot of pilgrims use Sarria as their start point because to receive a Compostela you have to walk at least the last 100km, or cycle the last 200km and this is a convenient location.
Our goal today for day #9 is Portomarin which should be about a 25 kilometers walk. Pilgrim traffic increases tremendously as we leave Sarria.
Today’s section is along small country roads and paths.
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This is not a fashion statement – I am a walking clothesline drying laundry from yesterday. Whatever works.
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A long walk for these doggies.
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Above is the very same spot that was flooded with rushing water in March of 2013.
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The blue line shows where the water was March 2013 when the Spanish Angels helped us across. It just covered the wall of rocks.
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Behind this local woman we see a horreo which is used to store grain off the ground away from rats, mice and moisture.
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The narrow sections of the trail are packed with school groups, moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, babies, dogs, bikes, strollers, as well as the typical backpackers. Many are day packers and have very little gear to carry. I am beginning to feel like a martyr as I haul my backpack down the path. I must be burning more calories than they are, so there!
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100 kilometer marker. Yes, we can do this!
We’ve had our typical breakfast of tostadas (toast) and coffee only to step outside and discover pea soup fog this morning as we leave Fonfria, Spain. Kind of pretty in a surreal way, but not good for viewing scenery.
Fog clears off and the trail starts descending, steep in places.
It’s turning out to be a lovely day as we walk through the quaint village of Biduedo Above is a tiny chapel dedicated to San Pedro.
Arrows continue to point the way. I sure hope we keep seeing these helpful guides.
This little guy is quite friendly and does not pose a threat.
This spectator doesn’t seem to mind our presence, either.
Hey, you are walking the opposite way! Inquiring minds want to know… We stop to chat and discover he is Australian and walking backwards to meet his wife who is walking with her sister. Hmmm… familiar story here. I play back the camera images from the albergue near Vega de Valcarce and it is confirmed that we are both talking about the same lovely Australian sisters. Technology is useful, even on the Camino.
Meet World Peace.
Randy poses for a photo opp with Australia and World Peace.
The trail now descends down to the small hamlet of Pasantes.
Huge size to this tree so it may be worth stopping to read the sign. Locals claim this unusually shaped chestnut tree to be around 800 years old. An albergue is located right next to the tree.
Need to take a picture since I know I won’t remember what it said.
Sparse population with just a few homes and yards appearing along the trail. It’s another good day for laundry.
We stop for coffee in the town of Triacastela and meet this American woman walking the Camino alone from Burgos to Santiago. Flight landed on her first day at 4:00 p.m. and she started walking immediately, arriving at an albergue at 8 or 9 p.m. after walking in the dark. Brave lady!
We leave Triacastela and need to choose the best route to Sarria. Left or right? O.K., left it is.
We pass a church with its adjoining cemetery.
Gardens are maturing all around the old cemetery.
Thank you, Random Gardener, for wearing a color complementary to green.
Open areas nestled in with wooded areas are used for growing crops for feed that are cut by hand.
This section of the path is steep and slippery and we don’t see any other pilgrims. Are we lost? Did we miss a sign? We come to a fork in the road and see no yellow arrows. Should we turn back? Should we panic? We gingerly trek to the right. Thank goodness... we finally see a yellow arrow.
Coloring with his daughter in front of his home along the Camino de Santiago. What a great dad!
The Camino takes us along the village of Samos and the Benedictine Monasterio de San Julián de Samos. It was founded in the 6th century by San Martin Dumiense and renovated by San Fructuoso in the 7th century. Unfortunately soon after the monastery was renovated it was abandoned because of the Moorish invasion and it wasn’t until the Asturian King Fruela I reconquered the area did the monks return. Some years later King Fruela was assassinated and the monks gave refuge to the King’s wife and son, who was later to become Alfonso II of Asturias. Because of this the monastery was granted royal protection. ~ Galicia Guide
13th century Iglesia San Salvador. The belfry is a later 19th century addition.
Pilgrim Statue along the Camino route.
Finally, we reach the town of Sarria. How much further to the albergue? Elizabeth and Bryon have gone ahead to get us booked into the albergue in time so we try to make radio contact now. We make contact and we must keep going through town to the other side. A-r-g-h…
Really, this many steps? We’ve already gone about 30 + kilometers (extra credit since we find out later that we took the long route) and we are hungry and tired. Our albergue is at the top of these stairs, but at least we see the yellow arrow indicating it is on the Camino route.
O.K., here we go... anything for a bed to sleep in tonight.
RJ Meyer Arts 