Hi everyone, We are still alive! Sorry for the lack of communication but computers and the Spanish language have been a problem.
We reached Santiago on 14 October. It was a bitter sweet moment. Sadness that the walk was over by great joy that we made the whole walk. It was disappointing that the Cathedral is under repair and draped with shadecloth and scaffolding both inside and out. It helped knowing that we still had our walk to Fisterre to look forward. I cant believe that I did not feel relieved that the walking was over but thatI still wanted to walk further.
Since my last update we have had big weather changes. Our walk on the Primitivo was mainly in rain or misty conditions. This was unfortunate as we missed seeing the great views. The day we had to walk the Hospitales route, reportedly the most difficult day on all Camino´s but also one of the most beautiful, started off sunny. Within an hour of starting up the mountain the mist rolled in. There was the occassional 20 second break in the mist where we managed to glimpse some of the view. We had been warned that there would be no civilization for the 27km route and must carry all we would need to eat and drink for the day as well as supper for the evening. I loved the remoteness of the route. There were route markers, roughly every 20m, which stood about 1m up out of the ground. The frequency and height of the markers is due to the heavy mists and snow experienced on this route. I must say I appreciated seeing the markers, only one at a time, throught the heavy mist. At one point I turned around and could not see David anywhere. It was a frightening moment being alone in a mist so thick that you could not see anything. We reached our destination for the day tired but exhilarated. We had climbed over 1200m in height. One highlight on this day was seeing two groups of wild horses.
The weather continued to be misty and wet. On one day it rained so hard that it stung our faces walking but you have no choice but to carry on. Once you start a day on this route you have two alternatives, either you continue to the next albergue, usually 25km or more, or you go back to where you started. No accommodation of any kind in between. It was a great experience and I am so glad we chose this route. We got to experience authentic rural Spain. We experienced Basque, Austarian, Cambian and Galacian cultures. It was interesting to be able to feel these differences.
On our way to Santiago we met a couple from US, Larry and Sharon. They arrived in Santiago the day after us and we bumped into them when they arrived. They decided to stay at the same Hostal (a hostal is Spain is actually a level of accommodation just below a hotel not dormitory type accommodtion). As the weather forecast for next few days was more rain we all decided to go to O'Porto in Portugal for the weekend. It was a good decision and we spent two wonderful days in Porto. As we had done no research on the City it was a lovely surprise to see such a lovely place. The Portuguese people are also so friendly and helpful.
Sunday eveing we were back in Santiago to prepare to leave the following morning for Fisterra. The weather had cleared so we were looking forward to a sunny walk. The distance is 90km and we decided to take 5 days to get there. The terrain now, instead of mountainous, became hilly. We enjoyed being able to amble along each day. The highlight of the walk to Fisterre was our stay in a hostal right on a beach. We had a room which looked over the beach and slept with the windows open listening to Atlantic waves breaking on the beach.
Fisterra itself was a disappointment. A dirty neglected fishing village with unfriendly people. We did the traditional walk to the lighthouse at 'the end of the world' at sunset. We did not burn our clothes but quite a few people were burning theirs. We sat on the rocks waiting, and then a school of dolphin appeared and started playing about it the waves. It was quite an emotional moment knowing our walk was now really over.
Luckily for us the weather was once again sunny and hot so we spent time on the 2km long Longesteria beach and we even swam in the sea.
Thats it for now, back in Santiago for two days and then we leave for Madrid.
Tuesday, 28 October 2014
Monday, 6 October 2014
Grandes de Salime - 600 km
Hi, It is me again at last. I am in the library with free internet!
Where to start? We are having a really good time, it is even better than I expected. I will try to give a quick run down from where I left off last time.
Sunday 21 September - GUEMES This was such a surprise. Everyone we met said we must stay at Guemes. This is a donativo (donation) Albergue which takes about 60 pilgrims. Situatued in a remote area on a hill in beautiful countryside. We were one of the first to arrive for the day and shown to a room which slept 11 pilgrims. Very spacious and clean. On arrival we were offered lunch and given something to drink. After showering and doing some washing I walked around the grounds, beautiful gardens on a farm. There is a really large recreation room / lounge, a library and a wonder dining room which has the atmosphere of a pub. It is under the orgininal farm house and used to house the cattle.
At 7.30 in the evening we were all called to a ¨meeting¨ Ernesto the owner told us the history of the place and explaing its philosophy. We then had a very festive communal supper in the dinning room with lots of red wine. The following morning there was breakfast for all before we carried on. There is a wooden box into which you put any donation you feel you would like to give.
Ernesto who is in his last 70´s and owns/runs the place is the parish priest for two parishes in the area. Anyway more about this really interesting place when I return home.
Monday 22 September BEZANE SANTE CRUZ some rain today but luckily not too heavy before we arrived at our destination, an Albergue run on the same prinicipal as Geumes and recommended by them. This one was much smaller, in a family home. Also had a wonderful atmosphere with a communal supper around one table. So interesting all trying to chat with no many nationalities. An interesting lady here was a lady from Lithuania walking with her 3 year old who she is pulling along in a wagon type pram. She told us the wagon broke so she went to a garage where they repaired it for her for nothing.
Tuesday 23 September SANTILLANA DEL MAR. Left Santa Cruz and caught a train!!!! Yes we got onto a train, from a station in a place called Boo. The reason for the train is that the ferry no longer runs and people have been banned from walking 900m along the railway line to cross the river. So instead of a ferry we took a 2 minute train ride.
Santillana was such a shock. From the top of the hill it looked like a derelict town but turned out to be a wonderful medieval village which has hardly changed at all. Lots and lots of tourists and tour busses but because of the narrow streets the busses and cars are out of town.
Wednesday 24 September COMILLAS Once again some cooler weather - lovely. It is really tiring walking in hot humid weather. Arrived to find the Albergue closed for fumigation due to bed bugs! Walked into town and booked into a Pension. So nice to have real towels and our own room. Todays walk uneventful, just beautiful and peaceful, lots of harvesting taking place.
Thursday 25 September SERDIO Mornings are getting darker now. When we arrived we could leave at 7.15 and it would be light enough to see our way. Today we left at about 8 and it was only just light. Arrived in a seaside town, San Vincente de la Barquera at about 10. I really liked this place. Somehow it appealed more than the previous places. All the seaside resorts are on hills, some even have escallators to take you up the steep hill and one even had lifts.
Serdio is a very small place, no shops and one bar, bar Gloria where we fetched the key for the Albergue. There were only 6 of us tonight in this lovely peaceful little village. As per Spanish life, the children and families all appeared about 18h00, the children outside playing on the Plaza while parents socialised.
Friday 26 Sepetmeber PENDULES and another donative Albergue with communal meals. This one is run by a hospitelero named Javier. It is also in his private home and once again we had a wonderful evening.
Saturday 27 September CELORIO -We woke to wonderful music which Javier had warned us would be 15 minutes before breakfast. Once again we had the usual Spanish breakfast of Coffee, bread and something sweet, this time Marie biscuits and cake.Javier suggested that we deviate from the Camino due to roadworks and follow the E9 or GR route which is a well know European marked hiking route. This took us all along the coastal cliffs on a stunning day. Picnic overlooking the ocean and lovely deserted beaches.
Sunday 28 September SAN ESTEBAN and a walk of 32km! It was raining when we left this morning but our new poncho purchased en route worked well. Over the past two days we have hardly seen any other pilgrims while we are walking, one yesterday and the a group of 4 we have met regularly. Arrived at our destination, Ribadsella but as it is a tourist town and was Sunday afternoon, we found it too hectic after our quiet times so decided to carry on to San Esteban at the top of a LONG hill. San Esteban consists of an old Church and across the road, the Albergue. There was some sort of festival at the Church and everyone, including the horses there, was having lots of fun. The Albergue building was very old and extremely spacious with high ceilings. Once again only a few of us and a pleasant evening.
Monday 29 September SEBAYO Sunny and hot again today. We saw a lot of strange house type structures today. Looked like low roofed houses built on pillars. Discovered that they are Horreos, and they are built to dry the corn. The reason for the pillars is to keep the mice out. Another interesting fact is that they can be dismantled and moved. Tomorrow will be a big day for us, we make the choice of continuing on with the Northern/coastal route or branch off to the Primitivo but that is for my next blog post.
Where to start? We are having a really good time, it is even better than I expected. I will try to give a quick run down from where I left off last time.
Sunday 21 September - GUEMES This was such a surprise. Everyone we met said we must stay at Guemes. This is a donativo (donation) Albergue which takes about 60 pilgrims. Situatued in a remote area on a hill in beautiful countryside. We were one of the first to arrive for the day and shown to a room which slept 11 pilgrims. Very spacious and clean. On arrival we were offered lunch and given something to drink. After showering and doing some washing I walked around the grounds, beautiful gardens on a farm. There is a really large recreation room / lounge, a library and a wonder dining room which has the atmosphere of a pub. It is under the orgininal farm house and used to house the cattle.
At 7.30 in the evening we were all called to a ¨meeting¨ Ernesto the owner told us the history of the place and explaing its philosophy. We then had a very festive communal supper in the dinning room with lots of red wine. The following morning there was breakfast for all before we carried on. There is a wooden box into which you put any donation you feel you would like to give.
Ernesto who is in his last 70´s and owns/runs the place is the parish priest for two parishes in the area. Anyway more about this really interesting place when I return home.
Monday 22 September BEZANE SANTE CRUZ some rain today but luckily not too heavy before we arrived at our destination, an Albergue run on the same prinicipal as Geumes and recommended by them. This one was much smaller, in a family home. Also had a wonderful atmosphere with a communal supper around one table. So interesting all trying to chat with no many nationalities. An interesting lady here was a lady from Lithuania walking with her 3 year old who she is pulling along in a wagon type pram. She told us the wagon broke so she went to a garage where they repaired it for her for nothing.
Tuesday 23 September SANTILLANA DEL MAR. Left Santa Cruz and caught a train!!!! Yes we got onto a train, from a station in a place called Boo. The reason for the train is that the ferry no longer runs and people have been banned from walking 900m along the railway line to cross the river. So instead of a ferry we took a 2 minute train ride.
Santillana was such a shock. From the top of the hill it looked like a derelict town but turned out to be a wonderful medieval village which has hardly changed at all. Lots and lots of tourists and tour busses but because of the narrow streets the busses and cars are out of town.
Wednesday 24 September COMILLAS Once again some cooler weather - lovely. It is really tiring walking in hot humid weather. Arrived to find the Albergue closed for fumigation due to bed bugs! Walked into town and booked into a Pension. So nice to have real towels and our own room. Todays walk uneventful, just beautiful and peaceful, lots of harvesting taking place.
Thursday 25 September SERDIO Mornings are getting darker now. When we arrived we could leave at 7.15 and it would be light enough to see our way. Today we left at about 8 and it was only just light. Arrived in a seaside town, San Vincente de la Barquera at about 10. I really liked this place. Somehow it appealed more than the previous places. All the seaside resorts are on hills, some even have escallators to take you up the steep hill and one even had lifts.
Serdio is a very small place, no shops and one bar, bar Gloria where we fetched the key for the Albergue. There were only 6 of us tonight in this lovely peaceful little village. As per Spanish life, the children and families all appeared about 18h00, the children outside playing on the Plaza while parents socialised.
Friday 26 Sepetmeber PENDULES and another donative Albergue with communal meals. This one is run by a hospitelero named Javier. It is also in his private home and once again we had a wonderful evening.
Saturday 27 September CELORIO -We woke to wonderful music which Javier had warned us would be 15 minutes before breakfast. Once again we had the usual Spanish breakfast of Coffee, bread and something sweet, this time Marie biscuits and cake.Javier suggested that we deviate from the Camino due to roadworks and follow the E9 or GR route which is a well know European marked hiking route. This took us all along the coastal cliffs on a stunning day. Picnic overlooking the ocean and lovely deserted beaches.
Sunday 28 September SAN ESTEBAN and a walk of 32km! It was raining when we left this morning but our new poncho purchased en route worked well. Over the past two days we have hardly seen any other pilgrims while we are walking, one yesterday and the a group of 4 we have met regularly. Arrived at our destination, Ribadsella but as it is a tourist town and was Sunday afternoon, we found it too hectic after our quiet times so decided to carry on to San Esteban at the top of a LONG hill. San Esteban consists of an old Church and across the road, the Albergue. There was some sort of festival at the Church and everyone, including the horses there, was having lots of fun. The Albergue building was very old and extremely spacious with high ceilings. Once again only a few of us and a pleasant evening.
Monday 29 September SEBAYO Sunny and hot again today. We saw a lot of strange house type structures today. Looked like low roofed houses built on pillars. Discovered that they are Horreos, and they are built to dry the corn. The reason for the pillars is to keep the mice out. Another interesting fact is that they can be dismantled and moved. Tomorrow will be a big day for us, we make the choice of continuing on with the Northern/coastal route or branch off to the Primitivo but that is for my next blog post.
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