Muxia

The 0.00km sign in Muxia in in front of “the wound” monument

Phil flipped a coin today as to whether he was walking to Muxia or not . Heads he walked . We chose the bus as I’m still in discomfort from the falling out the bed incident and it’s going to rain . We’ve been from one end of the country to the other so I have nothing to prove. I would like everything to be easy from now on . Our lucky weather patterns have come to an end and it’s now stormy and pouring. But we are warm and snug in Arribada which has the best kitchen ever!.

I had my first argument of the Camino today with a hospitalero in the public albergue of Muxia ( which we left ) . We used the bus today after we completed the 90km or so walk to Finisterre due to aching body parts and the stormy weather . He told us we couldn’t stay unless we had a doctor’s note from the medical centre . I argued and questioned whether the last 900km walk was worthless to him and that I wasnt the bionic woman and just wanted a day of rest . However we went to the medical centre ( who all thought it was bizarre In winter when we probably would have been the only pilgrims in the 32 bed albergue) but in the end it would have meant a doctor’s appointment , a wait, and phone calls to American insurance company and beaucracy for Sin (a US citizen) just to stay there. We said thanks but no thanks , argued our case with the hospitalero but got nowhere. We ended up at a much nicer albergue in the end . I can understand not letting pilgrims who use the bus come im before the walking pilgrims in higher season but Phil who walked didn’t see a single walker on this day of abysmal weather . He didn’t find a single place open so couldn’t get his stamp. God doesn’t require stamps anyway . Pilgrrims remember if you want to get a bus, go to a private albergue even if you deserve a days break after 900km of walking and its the middle of winter.. Rant over .

I thought about all the shipwrecks and deaths that has happened around this coast of death . ( a Costa del morte). Much the same happened near our home town of Ramsgate on the Goodwin sands. Instead of crashing into rocks, they crashed into lands of sand which appeared at low tide out at sea. The sea here is tempestuous and I watched the icy white waves chase each other until they landed ashore. The boats in the harbour would crash into matchsticks if they weren’t anchored down and all they could do was bob up and down violently !

Anyone who is deciding to walk to Muxia from Finisterre, you need to have your wits about you. Eventually there will be a sign saying coastal route or inland route. Phil chose the coastal route and the only markers were red painted circles which were easy to miss. He was led to the river Lires but had no way of crossing it so had to walk back towards Finisterre until he found a river crossing. He eventually saw the concrete Galician signs again .

Can you see the little red arrow above?

It rained cats and dogs today. So we stayed in the wonderful albergue Arribada with its massive fully equipped stainless steel kitchen which we had to ourselves. ( best kitchen on our camino) Time to relax and rest . You get what you pay for on the camino. 12 euros gets a lot more than a 6 euro municipal !

The next day we turned up at Little Fox retreat , a donativo house 7 km outside of Muxia. Patty was a wonderful substitute hospitalero and we chatted with her from afternoon till evening. However it poured with rain again all day and evening, the house had no heating except for a portable gas heater in the kitchen and the shower was broken . Cats seemed to rule the house too so it wasn’t possible to light the chimnera in the fireplace due to the cats’ rooms by the front room. They also seem to sleep in all the bedrooms which as a cat lover I don’t mind but might not be appreciated by others. So it was lucky that for 9 hours we enjoyed each other’s company in the 1 room but you couldn’t really call it a retreat as you couldn’t retreat anywhere else except to the kitchen ! 1 lovely night was enough but we may have got cabin fever if we had stayed any longer!

So today we have found yet another bargain apartment for 95 euro for 3 nights in Santiago. Phil and I are off to Porto for the night before flying from there. We can test out a pilgrim albergue there also and discuss our Camino Portuguese in May.

Ive eaten my last pilgrim meal . Ive hardly had any on this camino due to the bloating feeling I get due to carbs and meat which I know isn’t healthy and can’t wait to eat normal evening meals again with lots of vegetables!

We’ve been with Katharina and Sin for weeks and shared every part of the day together. This is a unique experience in itself. Even with friends we have had for years, we have never had 6 weeks of sharing most of the day and evening together. Tomorrow will be the big goodbye. A very important chapter of our life will be over and a new one will start . The globe is small and goodbye never has to mean permanently by moe . Our memories and experiences will most certainly remain in our hearts forever.

Concurbion to Finisterre 13km

I fell out the bottom bunk early this morning swaddled in my mummy liner so I landed on the bottom side of my back and hip. I haven’t fallen out of the bed since I was a child and I had no chance here. I am thankful it wasn’t the top bunk because few albergues have guards. However in many dorms, the springs are poor and you slump safely into the middle of the bed preventing such accidents .

Walking uneasily to ease my hip, we set off in beautiful sun and a direct contrast in atmosphere and colour to the day before. Everything had come alive like you would expect amongst Atlantic coves. First we stopped at the local beach. Pale almost creamy beige sand moved in rhythm with the ebb and flow of the tide and the foam made leopard patterns which gradually evaporated and washed away. We shared this cove only with a lone woman and her dog watching fresh water gush over great smooth stones whilst the dog thirstily drank and then put his sandy paws on me wanting to play.

We continued to Finisterre and the main beach of Langosteira. The waves thrashed and thundered against the shore and you could smell the spray of the salt. The noise was similar to yesterdays howling and rumbling of the wind through the trees but water was more exciting especially as we had finally reached our destination town after nearly 6 weeks. The tide threw up numerous shells but unusually this beach was stone and pebble free. The river ran into the sea cutting the sand Into a ravine that was impossible to cross or get close to without getting really wet. The sandy sides fell in the river like melting glaciers tumbling in the sea so we had to backtrack across a dodgy wooden bridge. A woman from new Zealand was busy collecting litter and explaining how she was trying to improve the area. I am glad she hadn’t started on the beach before because the rubbish and old fishing remains were going to take far more than 2 black sacks. More like a dumper truck full unfortunately . Perhaps the local government will clear before the tourist season . This reminded me of the times I had been to Japan’s beaches . The main beach would be pristine but as soon as you went around the corner it would look like the start of an Indian landfill. I don’t know why the locals don’t organise beach cleans like we do back at home .

We spent time on the beach absorbing the energy and environment . We live by the beach in Margate, Kent so this Instantly felt like home. The sun pierced through the pine trees and provided interesting silhouette photo opportunities that we can’t find at home . There is a real peace in Finisterre . It is the end of pilgrims long journies and the locals seems very relaxed . As we sat amongst the rocks at the lighthouse ( and the zero km sign) the wind seemed to swirl around us in directions covering 360 degrees and we had to be careful with our footing . It’s not hard to have a serious accident here . There are a lot of places on the rocks where pilgrims have traditionally held a burning party for items of pilgrimage. I hold dearly what I have in my rucksack . Nothing’s being burned of mine! There is a bronze boot moulded to a rock that you can stand next to ….at your peril if the wind suddenely pushes you back . I don’t know what people were thinking about when they placed the object there . Phil wanted to take his chance but poor Katrina said she would have fallen off the rocks if her friend hadn’t grabbed her. It’s called the coast of death due to the deaths and shipwrecks . When you stand here and witness the force you can understand why . I sat smiling and drank wine from a carton while Phil and Sin explored the rocks and took their life into their own hands.

You can learn more about the legends at http://www.revolvy.com/page/Cape-Finisterre

There are some interesting peace loving characters who live in Finisterre like the New Zealander we met earlier and this old huge fluffy white bearded old guy who is campaigning for peace. He sold us a postcard of a sculpture he made and chatted to us about his cause: Zero armies, one economy. It’s great to see people of an advanced age with passion, are multilingual and have artistic ability who are willing to chat to strangers .

Phil went for a dip in the sea in his underpants and said he had now quit smoking. I needed to video the event of course so couldn’t go in. I’ve been in the Atlantic ocean in August and couldn’t get further than my knees due to the sea temperature so I’m certainly not trying in March.

We also struck gold and rented a luxury 2 bed apartment with sea views and heated and covered pool for 40 euros. ( 10 euros each!) We forgot we were pilgrims for the evening and we tumbled around in the pool while it rained outside .

Finisterre really is a spiritual place to sit and ponder about your epic journey, look back on your diary notes and smile. It has become the place where the old life finishes and the new one begins either in practical or emotional terms. Time to live life as a free spirit where possible and live in the present!

Olveiroa to Concurbion 21km

I wasn’t very pleased with the cafe which rightly proclaimed itself as the “last one for 15km”. The owner also took advantage of that fact by raising his prices and charging exorbitant amounts for snacks . He tried to sell me an old black spotted banana for 95 cents . I made him exchange it and begrudgingly handed over 1 euro . We were then in the wilderness for nearly 4 hours armed with water, a banana, a few pieces of chocolate and some nuts and raisins.

The scenery of pine and eucalyptus with their accompanying flora can get a little repetitive but today came with a new challenge. The wind was extremely strong and gusts were at a record high for our camino. We felt as though we had to push our bodies through the watery clouds and our hiking poles were being blown sideways as we contended with the nature. I smiled . We were battling against energy much bigger than humankind. We were just passing through this world but nature’s forces will work with or without us. The wind sounded like fierce waves howling through the trees as the eucalyptus swung and bent chaotically in every direction . Loose leaves swirled around the gravel path piling up in the corners . We felt stronger in the gales with our muscles working far more . It was too much for a pilgrim to ask that the wind could have blown us along ! The gravel paths which spanned practically the whole stage were still teasing our tender soles. This cheap and fast tyoe of path is not kind to a pilgrim who has done over 800km. But it wasn’t cold nor wet and this semi extreme weather became meditative as we lost the sound of everything else around us except for the wind. But despite all of this , water in this region was so clear plats shimmered under the ripples and the water looked good enough to drink.

The path to the sea was unsurprisingly very steep. I carefully walked down backwards hunched over so I would only fall upwards. Gravel was loose and required concentration to work our way down unscathed. The sea was barely visible as we spent a great deal of time walking in low lying cloud but eventually our prize awaited us after over 880km. The grey sky and waves almost blended in until we were nearing sea level . Fluffy yellow flowers on the acacia gave something different to focus on. The tree plantations were very dense in places and blocked out most of the remaining light making the paths downwards a little gloomy . The weather was gradually worsening and the walk into ” a Costa da Morte” s Corcurbion wasn’t easy. Declared a historic artistic site, this harsh weather was not going to allow us to see this pretty town in its full glory . The normal rich colours became a range of dull greys due to the black clouds and our continued battering by the rain made sure we did not stop too long to admire this Cornwall looking quaint seaside town. We knew we would have plenty of time the next day at Finisterre.

We had to make our excuses to a gentleman who wanted to practise his English with us in the pouring rain. Unfortunately he wanted to discuss terrorism and Brexit! It seems that most non pilgrims that meet me nowadays want to ask me about Brexit. Just as the ghastly problem starts to fade in my mind , a European brings it up again !

Cold, wet and tired we eagerly walked up the steep and sometimes slippery and trecherous paths and saw San Roque albergue. ( highly recommended to us) I almost rushed to the door and was in complete dismay when we found it closed for repairs. We faced about 30 minutes back downhill or 3.5 hours to Finisterre. We sat on the chair to rest when the hospitalero Pedro answered the door and said we could rest inside. We were grateful for the tea and chance to take our damp coats off. As we were getting our coats back on he looked at our sorry faces and said we could stay but there was no usual meals etc. I hugged him. We not only had the place to ourselves but it was just like home inside- sofas with blankets, photos on the walls, radio and brightly coloured decor. He then ended up cooking for us and we spent 2 hours that evening talking in Spanish and drinking his whiskey and wine . He said he appreciated speaking because mainly Koreans had been at the albergue lately and they could only say a few words like hello, please and thank you. He doesn’t speak English and the language between pilgrims is usually English . Not all hospitaleros speak English. I have found that my Spanish conversation has added greatly to my camino experience. A good hospitalero really makes a difference in the albergue experience, being responsible from everything. Pedro is one of the really Special ones. We awoke in the morning to a breakfast laid out for us and a happy smiling welcome . We were sad to go.

Negreira to Olveiroa 34km

Another very long day of hills ( were we expecting anything else lol!) And lush green scenery typical to Galicia and the days before. The menacing black clouds still followed us right to the end but never emptied so we were able to appreciate Galicia at its winter best.

There are always plenty of cows and cowsheds on route . Some you can go in and say hello to the cows if you can tolerate the smells . I adore cows even more after being in Spain . I would actually have one as a pet and call it daisy if it was practical. I understand why people work with cows now . There is a spiritual calmness around them if you spend long enough in their company. Like most animals, most of the time, they live in the present like we should all try doing more of. Walking through Galacia allows you to appreciate these moments more .

We passed “Bovine World” yesterday . I’ve found out it’s a 2 year project that is combining 13 breeds and rearing them under the Galician system. This means they will eat the best feeds made with maize for 18 months and then native maize for 6 months. It’s a world’s first of this kind of project. But for us, we rarely eat meat and the thought of eating one of these beauties is even more off putting as I look at my cow photos ! Useless fact…..there are 3 types of Galician corn- yellow, white and black!

We were told by a pilgrim yesterday that the Estonian guy who fell in the river lost his wallet. Poor guy . Perhaps he has it by now. I don’t know what people do who lose their wallets. I expect they will have to knock on an albergue and ask for a bed for the night whilst they sort out finances . I have insurance but I don’t know how many pilgrims pay . My motto is “Can you afford NOT to have insurance?”

I said in a previous post that I had hardly seen any molehills. Now I am seeing large numbers of fine black mounds and now think about the innocent cows grazing and hurting their legs in the holes! The soil is almost black in this area. Galician farming is famous for its more natural and less intensive system . We saw them spray liquid manure on the farms and there are far more small holdings in contrast to the mega fields of the meseta . The constant manure smells, the abundance of rain and richness of the soil make you feel that the produce of Galicia is definitely healthier for you.

Passing the hundreds of chestnut trees this time of the year is a little disappointing as harvest is in the autumn and all that is left are thousands of spiky brown open cases on the earth. There are 100 or so types of chestnut in Galicia. I thought there was one! What is amazing about this camino is taking photos and then doing research back the albergue and learning even more about the wealth of Spanish culture.

Although our feet have toughened during the last 5.5 weeks, they are still not used to the gravel paths especially on 25km plus days. The balls of our feet ached and we winced at the sharper and larger stones which we stumbled on. Gravel paths are preferred to mud paths in Galicia which would become impassable but the tradeoff is sore feet . I’ve lost mine but pilgrims- bring some poundshop ball of feet gel insoles ! I’m feeling the punishment of not having mine. Putting a thick wrap of toilet roll in my sock is not working.

The slugs are black here. Even the slugs look cute in Galicia as they slowly cross our paths. Dung beetles also cross our path and they are equally as interesting to look at and consider their amazing role on this earth . Without them , we wouldn’t be able to rear animals easily as they bury dung and prevent mass fly and disease infestation . They disperse seeds and improve soil . At one point , many were sent from Spain and Europe to Australia to reduce to the bushfly and biting midge population ( which went down by 90 percent ) and saved agriculture!

Phil’s beard is still growing (to my amusement) and family back home are calling him Father Christmas . It still amazes me how a beard and hair can be two completely different colours. People have never seen Phils camino beard growth before and are telling me he looks distinguished. I’m looking forward to a pre camino smooth face again and I just care about how it feels on my skin. Do other couples have the same beard issues or am I just being fussy?

Santiago to Negreira 23km

We decided to walk to Muxia so the blog and wonderment is continuing at least for a few more days! The Galician weather performed miracles again ( stayed dry) yet the dark clouds silently followed our path and remained belligerent looking all day .

I’ve been armed with an excellent free plant identifying and information app for over a week now which has really heightened my interest in flora. Whether I remember the information is another thing but It’s great to be able to make things around you rather than pass them by. It’s called pl@ntNet and I would recommend it to anyone who has questions about what flora lives in the environment . It automatically links to further Google information and you can log your finds.

I feel for anyone who hasn’t done any training who started at Santiago for the Finisterre Camino. The hills were gruelling today in parts and is set to be as difficult almost every day until Muxia. But the twists and turns, puffs and groans were always worth the views and highs especially when we reached the top of Trasmonte after some steep but pleasing paths going through a forest .

About 3km from Santiago, we met Kurt from Estonia who was trying to reenact the famous scene from the cult camino film ” The Way”, where Tom dropped his bag in the river. He didn’t really try of course but unfortunately he dropped his bag in the river and had some items drooped over bushes to try and dry them out. The rest of it was in a dirty heap on the grass. It was never going to dry on this overcast and cool day and Kurt looked clueless. We suggested he take it all to a local albergue back in Santiago. It weighed about twice as much as before bless him but there was nothing we could do.

We were visited by a camino mouse on our walk today . It calmly walked past us after appearing from under the light brown oak leaf litter. Perhaps the thing was a bit blind or mentally impaired as it walked towards us and stopped by Phil’s feet. It did shuffle a bit as Phil tried to usher it into the undergrowth but wasn’t afraid of us and stood still for a movie clip and photos. I have never been able to appreciate a mouse in its own environment. Usually I see them dead in our cats mouth or witness their droppings after they’ve been for a rummage in our cupboard under our sink! Mice usually have a negative connotations so today my negativity over mice was altered . ( who knows for how long?) They have their right to their place in the right environment like everything else does and have an important place in the food chain.

There are lots of stone walls in Galicia. We walked past some huge ones which looked as if they long forgotten just like the one in Burnett’s famous book “The Secret Garden”. Decades of dark ivy spanned the walls whilst old and new moss of varying shades of green grew where it could . Ferns made their way out of the cracks and crevices and other weeds and nettle grew around the walls . I could almost find myself looking for a door and an old iron key to let myself into the other side . Other walls span both sides of the eucalyptus forest in much the same decor throughout depending on their age. I thought about the huge amount of work that had gone into these walls and what they symbolised . These would have all had to have been dug up or quarries, shaped, carried and built.

Spring is evident wherever we go now . Bees were looking busy today as they danced from flower to flower. Their hum was a delight to listen to amongst the birds. The desire for music ( even though ibusually refrain) when walking outdoors is becoming less and less with all of nature’s sounds around me .

O Pedrouzo to Santiago 18km

I couldn’t wait till we left this morning. All the photos and movie clips of other peoples posts would soon be a moment in our life too. The fire red sky was supposed to be a “shepherds warning ” but we didnt care for any shepherds today. An hours worth of showers were not going to dampen our spirits . It was just an excuse to stop at a bar for half an hour. The rugged stone walls of the bar contained hundreds of cents all balanced in the grooves from customers . It was a great gimmick but added greatly to the character of the stone. The barman laughed when I ordered my cola cao ( hot chocolate) and said It was for children.

We decided that perhaps the rain and ponchos were almost necessary today to remind us we had gone full circle with the seasons. We had started with a poncho, had experienced all 4 seasons and therefore ended in a poncho! It was strange to witness the greying of the countryside due to the black fast moving clouds thay were quickly consuming the white clouds and blue sky. I can’t say I dread the rain any more . In the UK we either drive or hide under an umbrella or stay in. We never go out for 6 hours in the rain . I may just decide to wear my poncho back in Margate and see what looks I get! I still contend that I have the best poncho on the camino with its built in rucksack pouch and doesn’t want to take off in the wind.

I suppose the saddest ( or funniest) thing we saw today was the Korean who had to walk back to Lavacolla from Santiago because he left his mobile phone in the bar. He might have been sick of pilgrims telling him that he was walking the wrong way especially when he had only got to Santiago and went to take his selfie and realised he couldn’t! (16km round walk)

The most amazing things we saw today were an elderly man’s life stone carvings in his garden by the Monte de Gozo park. We knocked on his gate after staring at awe at his carvings . When we thought about the passion, creativity and dedication to his art over the span of his life, we felt nothing but admiration. He never asked for anything yet let us in to view his work . Monte de Gozo is about 5 km away from Santiago and has 400 pilgrim spaces in what looks like a pilgrim village. During the high season , hundreds of pilgrims leave early to get to the Cathedral for sunrise or just really early to join the queue for the compostela which can be several hours long !

The scenery continued to be rich green pasture land and woods, similar to yesterday . We skirted around the airport which felt rather like the aeroplanes were taking off from behind my backside they were so powerful but interesting nonetheless. The hills weren’t as evil as yesterday although I still found a few to do my backwards hiking knee saving manoeuvres.

We made a diversion up to the cathedral to drop rucksacks off in our apartment ( which ended up cheaper than 3 beds in a hostel and came fully equipped so its worth looking round booking.com with pilgrim friends ). Then we decided to shower and wash clothes before going out. Im not sure if this was the right thing in the end as the photos were not of us lying on the floor with our bags looking puffed out . I came out all fresh and put make up on for the first time since January and we hadn’t followed the yellow arrows into the famous square .

I’m not sure what I felt really . It was great to walk in with Park, our 62 year old Korean friend. We’ve been with him nearly every day since day one. With just Google to translate or another Korean, we have walked, laughed, bantered, cooked dinner and slept in dorms together . Where else in our life experiences could we have ever done this with someone who is a so far away in language and culture? We watched a few other pilgrims have their picture taken but at 5pm most would have already had their photo shots. We chatted to the teachers and children that walked alongside us . Many had bought blue teashirts with yellow arrows and were busy taking selfies. Celtic music in the form of bagpipes and drums were being played by 2 ladies which certainly helped authenticate the atmosphere . We are actually looking forward more to tomorrow when most of our original group will be together and plan our walk to Finisterre. Torn between resting my knee, getting back to our new grandchild and family or walking to the “end of the earth” will be a hard decision to make in 2 days. Until then we intend to live in the present and have gratitude in what we have been able to do .

The first time in Spain we saw an equestrian centre . A common sight in the UK, I only imagined Spanish people having horses to work . Wrong was I and still making judgements after 5 weeks of camino! I also assumed camp and lodging areas used lawnmowers . We passed one that had sheep and goats tending to the lawn. Why not !

I think I might get more emotion from watching others enter the square than ourselves tomorrow. I can wonder about their dreams and growth and how they might take the camino home with them . I’m pretty clueless about my own feelings at the moment . Perhaps there is a sense of loss from this chapter of our life nearing the end the friends we have made coming to a close. Discussing planes and trains for returning to the UK isn’t much fun either ( especially when the return tickets seems to be about 3 times the money we spent coming out) . No matter what camino we do next, we ‘ll never forget the first journey and friendships. The magic of feeling free of responsibility and not knowing where your next bed is is liberating . I’ve learnt not to fear on the camino and have faith in its magical energy. I’m a bit more tolerant now having been on hostels for the last 5 weeks ( although I have a few more caminos to do to become as relaxed as some pilgrims) and realise everything works out in the end . If you want something enough it will come if it’s meant to. Caminos don’t have to end . We go home and we have to learn to integrate the camino into our lives somehow …..

And for the first time in my life ( apart from at school) I have written creatively for pleasure and not for academic purposes . This is camino magic for sure. Each day has taught me to look at my environment more closely and analyse things I never thought about.

We are still thinking about Finisterre ….perhaps the camino isn’t over yet …

Arzua to O Pedruzo 20km

It was an easier walk today with fewer gradients. Shade was plentiful through the eucalyptus and oak forests. The trees seemed to become more like a forest from a fantasy film as we ventured through them due to their size and vigour. Noise would be greater in the oak forests and would suddenely get quieter through the eucalyptus (because they dont sustain a lot of wildlife unfortunately) providing a stark contrast and a reminder that countries need to be very careful about monoculture planting. A lot of eucalyptus debris littered the floor of these forests . (This is illegal in Portugal because of the forest fires in 2017 which burned over 5200 km2 of land. A contributing factor was debris on forest floors .) It’s great when forest debris becomes rich leaf litter but this isn’t the case when the leaves and branches dry completely .

We passed a dead mole. A strange thing to write about you might say but when did you ever see one alive ? They remain under the earth making hills on farmers land . I haven’t seen many holes so perhaps its not a great problem here in Spain. However livestock owners must be vigilant because mole hills can cause injuries to livestock if they stumble in the hole.

As we are getting closer to Santiago, we spent more time noticing the countdown markers. Unfortunately most of them now have been defaced by grafitti or had stickers put on them . One of them had even had the numbers forced out of the concrete. This is a shame and is hard to believe that pilgrims who want a compostela ( and therefore absolution of some or all of their sins) could do this .

Palm trees are also common in Galicia . I looked up at the huge trunk which dominated some gardens. They appear more passive than trees and their geometry and contrasting colours make Galicia very tropical looking on a sunny day. There used to be hundreds of thousands more palm trees in Europe but the invasion by the palm weevil has caused large scale cutting down and burning . Once discovered it is often too late. This weevil is also affecting the date and coconut palm industry across the world and there are very few palms it doesnt like. There is something about taking a selfie on front of a blue sky and palm tree and automatically feeling fantastic. I hope I’ll be able to do this in the future . I saw the sadness at our friends home in Portugal when he was forced to destroy his prized palm and showed me the huge monsters living in it.

We have been staying in the xunta (municipal) albergues on and off. For some unknown reason they have great looking kitchens and no utensils or pans . So all you can use is a microwave or make a sandwich! So my microwave cup with lid has ensured Phil gets his morning coffee . My chamomile tea has been drunk so I drink water first thing until we find a cafe to get my regular “Cola Cao” ( hot chocolate) This isn’t always an easy task out of season and we have often had to walk up to 10km or more to find the first watering hole. So bring at least a penknife, cup and spork when you enter Galicia if you want to stay at 6 euro albergues or pay 10 euro for a better equipped private one!

The kitchen with no equipment

My eyes kept being drawn to Spanish churches with adjoining graveyards. They usually have what looks like large outdoor stone coffins . These above ground crypts are called a nicho. Burials usually happen within 24 hours in Spain which is a lot different to the UK. I suppose burials stacked on top of each other will be normal in the future ( where cremation isn’t used) I kept thinking about the day we bought some white goods from an older couple in Portugal living next to a cemetery. We asked them their reason for sale and they told us they were moving because weekends were too noisy with funeral mourners, church bells and cars all day! I shall never think of graveyards as quiet places anymore.

We seemed to be on an autopilot mode and a 5 hour walk today went in a flash. Perhaps this was because we were anticipating Santiago tomorrow . I have started to think what I might feel when I arrive . I have heard some people break down and cry yet others simply say ” is that it? ” and realise they aren’t going to be walking again soon and drink a vino. Psychologists in the 1960s said it took 21 days for an old mental image to dissolve and a new one to gel. I am sure walking all day for almost 5 weeks with the freedom that comes with the camino will have firmly altered most people’s patterns of thought. The idea of holidays in chaotic cities or locations rammed with people is currently frightening but I am going back to Japan to work later in the year. Sooner or later we have to earn cash and still try to maintain the frame of mind that we have been accustomed to here in Spain.

What i have been reminded of over and over again is to respect the environment and not take the noises, sights and smells for granted. Perception is everything and even the least noticed and annoying things in life can be appreciated as being part of life in the environment. We must all live interlinked and relying on each other as part of a delicate ecosystem. The more life we notice around us, the more positive energy we will absorb and emit. Who i thought were “annoying” schoolchildren ( my original perception ) I quickly changed my attitude and we’ve been greeting each other for 3 days now and we look forward to seeing them smile . We are at the same albergue as 1 group so I may see their faces as they walk into the square! We feel very lucky to have had the chance to do the full camino Frances and can’t wait to start at Porto in May!

The bar where every bottle you bought you put your name and it decorated something.

The tree that looked like a person’s profile .

Palas del Rei to Arzua 33km

We left San Marco albergue after a good night sleep. This is a purpose built albergue rather than a conversion so there are lots of smaller rooms, beds are solid and has a purpose built social area etc. One of the school parties were in too making a lot of noise in the village street but I expect villagers are used to it even though we aren’t . What amused me was the hospitalero who obviously didn’t want to put the pilgrims names in the book or take details because the cash was not going to be declared ! She barely glanced at my passport and didn’t even bother with Phil’s. Perhaps a lot of albergue work is done undercover.

I don’t often mention food as we shop in supermarkets and prepare our own as we aren’t great meateaters. However tonight we went for a pilgrims meal in Arzua. I ordered fish and got what was basically fish fingers in rings! They tasted ok but for 10euro 3 course meal with wine I don’t suppose real fish was affordable.

If you like going up and down steep hills nearly all day then you are in for a treat . I think I spent more time going backwards down hills to save my knees to the amusement of Phil . The kilometres your phone will show will not include the gradients . Brierly ‘s book includes the extra km for this though. Today’s stage was over 5km extra in hills! The landscape looks like a greener Portugal here due to all of the eucalyptus trees in this section. We were amazed at some of the older trees. We estimated then to be more than 50 metres and the trucks were the size of 4 men. We felt very small strolling through the Woods. The shelter and shade was appreciated . By midday I was down to my crop gym top and praying the rucksack didn’t start chafing my stomach ( it didn’t). The eucalyptus plantations were amongst the old oak woods which hosted a lot of bird song. We laughed at finch type birds fighting for their dominance and robins eager to hold their territory ( robins don’t migrate ). Magpies called from tops of poles and crows “cawed” . Perhaps they were trying to find mates even as early as February . This weather has probably confused every form of life here! Bird song and nature sounds has kept us from the urge to listen to music. I never thought I would last as long as I have without music . Only twice have I played a bit of classical for an hour or so although I have played quite a few camino podcasts on some flat roadside stretches only. Other music would have taken me away from the camino mindset.

There are plenty of albergues in between our stages during the season . A new German albergue has opened in Boente called ” El Aleman”. I wonder if it attracts all the German pilgrims? If I saw an albergue called “El Ingles” would I be attracted to it? Perhaps if they offered a full English breakfast in the morning. In this tiny hamlet, this “herbergue” and it’s cafe are the only business so isn’t going to benefit the Spanish residents at the moment but is an opportunity to seasonal “pop up” shops to appear and transform the energy there . It would be nice to hear the locals opinions on these issues.

Equipment update.

The spikes on my hiking poles are no longer spikes but barely there at all. The zip hon my coat from Mountian Warehouse never worked properly since day one and after 2 weeks I only have the poppers and Velcro to close the coat. Thank goodness it’s been warm and the front rucksack kept it closed! My money belt is great as long as loose change doesn’t weigh it down although constantly feels sweaty now weather is warm. I may try a small over the shoulder material bag for our May camino. My compression (tights material) socks have been lifesaver since injury . I would recommend anyone carrying a pair as they weigh next to nothing and can be put on at first signs of muscle problems in legs . My feet are the same size and as soft as start thanks to Vaseline! My Gelert waterproof trousers ripped about 2 weeks ago all around both bottom legs so I’m thankful that it hasn’t rained ! A cap is ok but I will bring a wide brimmed hat for May due to sun being to the left of face for much of day .

It’s good to see that in lots of villages and towns there are a lot of camino improvements being done. The 3D Palas del Rei coat of arms and new flower/ gravel beds were just one example.

I’ve seen new albergues, roads and decor being prepared. Much of this is in preparation for 2021 Holy year. Whenever St James day (25th July) falls on a Sunday then it’s a Holy Year . Pilgrims doing the camino in these years are granted a plenary (full) indulgence ( pardon) from sins and not just in part . Consequently thousands more people chose to be a pilgrim. In previous holy years the numbers have jumped by over 100 thousand. Last year nearly 350 thousand did the camino . If previous holy years trends continue then pilgrims could reach 450 to 500 thousand!

Acacia dealbata trees bright yellow powdery blooms are really brightening the skies of Spain at the moment . They really do look terrific . However pilgrims may not know that this is an invasive species in Europe and is illegal to cultivate . It’s a problem in Portugal, having been left to it’s own devices and has now taken over roadsides and is found virtually everywhere. It’s seeds blow for miles and will stop other things from growing as the seeds grow into trees really quickly.

We met a Paralympic shot putter who sat in the woods today giving pilgrims special wax stamps for 1 euro. We also bought a camino teashirt . All the money goes towards the team and his souvenir shop opens in Palais del Rei March . He diligently melted the wax and proudly stamped his own designed stamp in my credential. Furthermore there are a lot of stamps to be had from Sarria. We still have plenty of blank spaces to fill.

Another day of different scenery and gradients around every corner . Palm trees make Galicia look even more tropical and the bar we went to this morning made us feel like we were reallymon holiday ( Garnacha cafe)

6 euros for 2 large wines, 2 hot drinks and a snack . Don’t you just love Spain!

Another challenging day especially in the heat and after 1 month of walking but still smiling ! Furthermore we’ve met up with our Korean friend ( the one who doesn’t speak English who we stayed with for 3 weeks) so we will walk Into Santiago together !

Palas del Rei to Arzua 33km

Equipment update.

It’s good to see that in lots of villages and towns there are a lot of camino improvements being done. The 3D Palas del Rei coat of arms and new flower/ gravel beds were just one example.

Mimosa trees bright yellow powdery blooms are really brightening the skies of Spain at the moment . They really do look terrific . However pilgrims may not know that this is an invasive species in Europe and is illegal to cultivate . It’s a problem in Portugal, having been left to it’s own devices and has now taken over roadsides and is found virtually everywhere. It’s seeds blow for miles and will stop other things from growing as the seeds grow into trees really quickly.

6 euros for 2 large wines, 2 hot drinks and a snack . Don’t you just love Spain!

Palas del Rei to Arzua 33km

Equipment update.

It’s good to see that in lots of villages and towns there are a lot of camino improvements being done. The 3D Palas del Rei coat of arms and new flower/ gravel beds were just one example.

6 euros for 2 large wines, 2 hot drinks and a snack . Don’t you just love Spain!