Ultreya! & Finding "My" Shell

And so the Camino is over, but I know the journey will still continue!  Ultreya - onward, go farther- words that I learned from good friends +  I will look forward to seeing where the path will lead from here and what is next !

The symbol of the Camino is the scallop shell. There are many explanations for this, but one I read said that when the pilgrim got to Finisterre, they brought back a scallop shell from the ocean to prove to those back home that they had been all the way.  These days most everyone carries one with then from the beginning of the journey.  In fact they give them out at the Pilgrims Office, but for some reason  I didn't get one and I didn't think of it til later.   I thought about buying one, but Andy said, "you can get one in Finisterre, when you've earned it!   

So when we got to Finisterre, I walked the beach for a couple hours and here's what I gathered up....

Felt like they were there just for me-different sizes and colors, though not the big whitewashed shell that others carried, to me, these are a symbol of perseverance !  Many days I doubted what I was doing or if we would make it all the way, or if it even mattered!  But, it was a great gift to find these shells and know that we had accomplished something special  

We will be on a plane home tomorrow- can't wait!!

Thank you all for sharing this journey-- your prayers, notes, encouragement & cheering us on meant so much!!  I'm sure we will continue to share the story when we return and will look forward to whatever is next!

Ultreya!

The Cathderal of Santiago de Compostela

We had a chance to do something unexpected and very cool- a rooftop tour of  the Cathedral!  Construction of this building began in 1075 !  Of course it has gone thru many changes of the centuries.  The original building was a Romanesque style with a stepped roof and battlements around the top -- it was to be defended.  Later additions of the clock towers and the front facade are a fancier Gothic & Baroque style.  The front facade makes the Cathderal look much taller than it really is- kind of like a movie set.   Here is the middle section of the facade, from the backside, as we were on the roof

This photo shows the front side of the first photo and the actual roof line where we were standing behind the facade

Have more photos on Andy's camera that I will add later 

The interior is not really beautiful like the Cathedrals of  Leon and Burgos- no stained glass at all and many of the original windows were covered over in later additions so it is dark.  The altar area and baldacchino are very ornate and there is a large statue of St James in the center with his crypt below

The other famous area is at the entrance- the Portico of Glory. It is a 3 part arch, ornately carved with many biblical symbols.  It is being restored now so scaffolding around it, not able to get a good picture.  But as I posted before I left home, the center post, the Tree of Jesse, is where pilgrims traditionally touched as they entered.  The portico is made of marble, but not polished marble.  But where hands have touched for centuries has polished and worn grooves in the column. No longer allowed to touch it, but you can only imagine how many hands have been laid there in gratitude for a safe journey

The Butafumerio Swings!

One great tradition at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is the butafumerio, a oversized incense burner if you will--  quite a sight to see !    We had a great view -  More photos later - took me 3 hours to upload this clip !

http://youtu.be/6PCwW1cagTY

0 Km

At Finisterre is the last marker of the Camino, the 0 kilometer stone.   We began at St Jean, 790 km from Santiago, so it has been quite a journey!

And this is the cross that is on the sunrise side of the cape, the same on that is one the blog heading

It was a great day and evening- we will return to Santiago tomorrow for the weekend-- home on Tuesday !!   

Sunset at Finisterre....priceless

So one thing I was really looking forward to was to see the sunset at the lighthouse at Finisterre.   Before Christopher Columbus, this appeared to be the end of the world-- and it was the last leg of the journey after Santiago.   The rocky cliffs go right into the ocean, no sandy beaches on this side of the cape.   It was colder than I expected and really windy !!   But so worth it- all that I imagined : )

Santiago de Compostela !

We are here!  From St Jean de Pied Port, France to Santiago de Compostela,  Spain!   500 miles,  33 days of hiking the Camino : )   Since we arrived a few days before we had planned to we are going to head to the ocean coast tomorrow, Finisterre- the End of the Earth in the Middle Ages, before Columbus.  Then we will be back here for the weekend and explore more of the city and the Cathedral.  Didn't go inside today, just went to the plaza to see it -- it is enormous !  

Will write more later, just wanted to let you know we made it !

Almost there!

Hard to believe, but only 20km left to Santiago!  It has been an amazing journey and though I can't say I've loved every bit of it,  I am certainly glad that I have done it.  It has been the hardest physical challenge that I have ever done and some days very mentally challenging too !   3 little boys that hold my heart have been very hard to be away from and many days I considered what in the world am I doing ??    The thing is, there isn't much choice but to keep going-- yes, we did take the bus and taxi a couple times, but when you are out in the middle of the forest or halfway up a muddy mountain, that is not an option--you just have to keep on going.  I guess that is part of the lesson-- in life we can sometimes take shortcuts, but it usually catches up with you in the end-- you just have to keep going forward.  I started out on this adventure as a spiritual journey and I have learned a few things... But no "Neon Sign" from God on what it has all been for.. not yet anyway, but hopefully someday it will be more clear.   I wouldn't trade the experience and the time hanging out with Andy- a great gift !

I have listened to my music quite a bit while walking, and having my favorites has brought new memories to songs that have always had special significance.   The day going over the Pyrenees was only possible by 6 hours of my most very favorite Canon in D over and over and over. Other songs and random phrases have taken on different meanings here- I know that is a way of God speaking to me.  Today as I was walking and wondering what this has all been about, this song came on - it says a lot of what I have been feeling  

http://youtu.be/1q8pWgDsv1E

Please keep us in your prayers for these last few miles--I feel like you are all going with us!

I Walked Across Spain for this....

Well the moment has finally arrived, one that I have been fascinated & horrified by... PULPO!  I don't know much Spanish but I was sure to memorize this word so that I could make sure to avoid it at all costs-- and today came around the corner to an open window and this...

Yes that's right - boiled octopus is the specialty in this region --OMG!    I won't tell you how it tastes because I won't ever know -- but I can guess !!

The last couple days I have been constantly thinking about the food I want to eat when I get home!  I think I have lost at least 10#, maybe more- my hiking pants are like clown pants now- so I won't be able to indulge too much!!  But there is a reason I have never seen a Spanish restaurant outside of Spain-  we have not been big fans of the food.  I have eaten more carbs this month than I have in years-- that only works when you are burning 3000 calories a day : )   Found a fresh market that was open today and going to have a great salad for dinner. And some 1906 Especial ciervazas  : )

Mercadoiro

So, there are really no "rules" on the Camino except that if you wish to get the official Compostela in Santiago you must walk at least the 100km from Sarria to Santiago.   So there are now many more pilgrims on the road.   We are now in the Galicia region of Spain, on the western side of the mountains, where it rains a lot!  It is very green here, lots of interesting moss and plant life along the path.   Here is Andy in his camouflage poncho amongst all the green!

Since most everyone follows the same guide book that gives suggested stages, we took a shorter stage  today to avoid the big crowd at the suggested stop for the day.  Too bad it is too cold and rainy to enjoy the outside patio but curled up inside with a blanket!  There is a strong Celtic influence in this region so the music reminds me of Cu Rói - not a bad way to spend the afternoon

The way to Sarria

Today's walk was to Sarria- this is a big milestone since we are now just 100km to Santiago !   I have to admit that we are getting tired and ready to be done & come home !!  Not that it hasn't been a great experience but it has been a long journey... Please keep up your prayers that we can finish strong, I still want to experience fully these last few days.
So today had 2 options of route and we decided to take the route that followed the road more, not our usual choice, but it was 6.5 km shorter ( and we are tired : ).   Well you guessed it, missed the marker again and took the more scenic but longer route... Aargh!   This route took us to Samos where there is one of the oldest monastery in the world- built in the 6th century.

  Interesting, but not worth the extra 6km!!  
 Also not much in the way of food available along the way so it was a long day. When we got to Sarria, found our beds and spied an Italian restaurant down the street-- but of course it was still siesta !  So we camped out with some ciervazas until the kitchen reopened.  Had an awesome pizza--almost forgot to take a picture since we jumped on it so fast --delicious and a fun waiter made us feel better

Catching up....

So it's been a few days since we had wi fi or anything interesting to share.   We pushed out a long walk on a hot day to Villafranca del Bierzo and by the time we got to town many of the albergues  and hostals were filled up   Had to walk for a out another hour thru winding streets to find a place and got the last 2 beds there.   The hosts were very nice and took good care of everyone!   The albergue is actually built into the side of the mountain !

This rock in the entry is part of the next day's path-good grief!!  So we made an executive decision to send our packs ahead and walk without the extra weight, which seems to multiply with the climb & effects your balance.   So the next day we headed up, up, up- very steep and not as picturesque as the other day--  just a long hard walk !!  There was a nice stretch of quiet forest 

We got to the village just as the cows were coming home!  

 Finally made our stop for the night at 26km, whew! 

Remember the downhills here are as bad or worse than the uphills.... At 2 am I awoke to a noise quite loud even with my earplugs.... Rain!!   Didn't get much sleep after that anticipating a wet slide down the mountain : (    By morning it was about 40 degrees, pouring rain and solid fog !!   I just couldn't deal with it !!  When we went down for coffee and tried to size up the situation, there was a young man who had bad tendonitis who didn't want to risk further injury so we decided to share a cab and just get off the mountain!  This was the last big climb, so even if it rains again ( which is in the forecast)  it won't be as big a deal as sliding down the mountain !

We are in the final days... Anxious to be done and come home!  I have enjoyed the experience, but it has been a long trip and it wears on you to have to pack up and move on everyday, not knowing where you will sleep or what the day will bring ... I know that is part of the pilgrimage experience and it has been a good learning experience that I know I will always remember

We cooked a great lunch of carbonara, salad and our new  favorite ciervaza, 1906 Especial

Feeling better! : )

A few random photos...

Here are a couple more photos from Andy's phone

So we stopped before we got all the way off the mountain because we were tired.  The small albergue  was okay-- not great.   A group of 4 in the next set of bunks had their alarms go off at 5 am, loudly and then they proceeded to get ready- loudly.   Very rude ....

So as I said, still had some downhill to go--a friend had told me. " hey, the downhills are easier ..."

Not exactly on the Camino ...

Here is one of the tougher sections. Very glad it was not wet!  We did a shorter day today and stopped in Ponferrada-- there is a real 12th century castle here

 

The Best Day

As my friend Russell used joyously say  " this is the best day ever ! " I have to admit I was not looking forward to the climb today-- the highest elevation on the Way at 4940 ft, especially after my heart pounding episodes with other climbs : ). The morning was cool and windy and we could see ahead that the mountains were covered in mist. Off we went and soon the hills were covered with beautiful colors and flowers and fragrance! Hedges of heather in violet and white and other flowers in bright gold were everywhere- it was really awesome and the mist gave it all a dreamlike quality. It was very peaceful. Walking, walking and before long we were at Le Cruz de Ferro, the Iron Cross- the high point! Wait a minute-- I had hardly broken a sweat !! I was happy but also a bit disappointed- maybe let down that I had worried about it so much and it was not hard at all. Hard to explain. ( J Lo, I was thinking of you and our other climbs- Wish you were here!)
So the Iron Cross is where people leave their burdens, symbolically by a stone or a trinket, maybe a note... The hill is all built up of stones that have been left....

( yes I did use some artistic effect on this photo- it was pretty gray and starting to rain when we got there)

So now the downhill-- the awesomeness continued and no pictures can capture it-- maybe that is our gift for being here in person : ). The entire way was flowers as far as you could see and a wonderful scent - absolutely quiet with a haze of mist over all- really wonderful  

I thought about how sometimes fear or anxiety makes us miss the gifts right in front of us and many times what we "think" may happen never does and things can turn out quite beautifully!!

So when the path is rocky and you can't quite see the way-- keep going and enjoy every gift that is given !

Sent from my iPhone

Rabanel

Today was a nice walk out of Astorga and back into the country.  Not much shade and lots of sun but also a cool breeze.   The mountains are in the distance now but we will be in them tomorrow

We started about 7:30 and got to Rabanel about 1pm.   Hope you don't think we are lazy, but most people stop at least by 2pm as the albergues start to fill up and you don't want to have to walk another 5-10km at the end of the day.  We also have to do laundry- usually by hand but sometimes there is a washing machine/ dryer.   Clothes just dont get clean by hand wash in cold water, just takes off sone of the smell.  I an quite tired of my 3 outfits !  Also if you want to eat you must do so before the siesta or you are out of luck!  We are staying at a nice little place with a bar next door ( bars are more like cafes with beer and wine) and our lunch was really good!  Andy had a grilled chicken sandwich with cheese and bacon and about 1/4 c of mayo!   I had gazapacho... Meh.. but I tried it!   Thought it would be more like chopped vegetable soup but it was puréed.  Not bad just not what I thought. Also ordered a tuna sandwich..   Out came a 12" long sandwich of tuna and tomato-- that's all.  Thank goodness Andy had mayo to spare from his sandwich : )

 Heading up to the monastery for evening Vespers and then some dinner ! 

Market Day!

It was Market Day here in Astorga so wandered around a bit- bought some fruit and churros- hot fried dough with sugar  : )

The biggest Calla lilies I have ever seen !

Meats and salted fish

Churros  - delicious !   Andy and  I are both having a tough time with the food here-- very monotonous and not very flavorful : /.  I guess I had thought Mexican & Spanish food would be similar,  kind of spicy but haven't found that to be true.  The bocadillos ( sandwiches) are offered everywhere and are cheese, ham & cheese, chorizo or tortilla, like an egg & potato omelet on bread.   The bread is very crusty and good, but makes a mess when you bite into it-- and condiments and butter are scarce, so just a dry sandwich.  A lettuce salad sometimes comes with tuna and corn on top (?)   At one of the albergues the shared meal that was offered was lentil soup topped with chopped hard boiled eggs -- two of my least favorite foods !   So when possible we buy some pasta and veggies to make our dinner or fresh fruit when we can.  Yesterday bought some wonderful fresh cherries.     Can't wait to get home and have a big ribeye at DG Sullivan's  : )

Astorga

Set off today on the right path : ) and had a very enjoyable day --about 70degrees and partly sunny.  Took time to take a few more pictures

More storks...

This is the view at the top of the hill going into Astorga

Will be headed into the mountains in the background soon!

Leon to Hospital de Oribga

When I lasted posted I was pondering my fate as a pilgrim flaunting the law -- but we arrived in Leon without further incident : ).  We stayed at the alburgue run by the Benedictine nuns-- they were very welcoming.   We wandered around and toured the Cathedral.  It is a Gothic gem with the largest collection of stained glass in the country  ( which were very hard to photograph).  Also attended Mass     at a small church and the priest looked so much like Paul Sarantakos that it was hard to focus.   Also attended night prayer with the nuns.
We headed out the next morning for the "suburbs" Virgen del Camino at a nice albergue and did laundry & rested.  I was all ready for a day in the country after the city and today's route had 2 options.   Guess who missed the " delightful countryside by the river " route and ended up on the shorter but 26km ON THE SHOULDER OF The HIGHWAY route !?    That's right- we did and spent 6 hours almost completely on the highway -- it was dreadful and very tiring !!  Will definitely pay closer attention next time.   Anyway ended up at a wonderful albergue called San Miguel.   It is lovely and has fresh flowers and soothing music.  Also there is art everywhere that has been created by pilgrims.   It is very nice!! And as a great treat, when we arrived , my Internet friend Annie from Portland, Oregon was here.   She has a blog about her many trips on the Camino and she gave me a lot of advice before I left-- very nice to meet her in person and share some stories with her : )

The Most Ridiculous Day!

Well this day turned into quite an adventure!! The plan was an easy 5 km to Carrion where we would catch the bus to Leon. We got to the cafe which serves as the bus stop 2-1/2 hours before the bus but the lady at the counter says " Completo"--the bus is already full!! I stare at her and she repeats-- yes, I understand, but Noooo! That was not part if the plan! So we sit for awhile and consider our options-- stay here in Carrion til tomorrow and take the bus then or .... After a little research- thank goodness for wifi and smartphones! I figure that we can take a taxi to Sagahun where there is a train station to Leon. Hmmm... That would work. A taxi pulls up outside and the driver comes in for a coffee so we ask him the fare-- more than the bus but considering if we spend the day here, not so bad. So we decide to go and jump in the taxi. I have to admit that I feel a bit guilty- the bus seems okay but a taxi seems a bit more of a luxury for a pilgrim. Anyway we are off -- then in about 5km there is a police roadblock and the taxi is directed to stop. The stern policeman looks in the backseat at us and motions to me to put on my seatbelt -- I hadn't even thought of it! He wants documents from the driver and then comes around to demand my passport ( Andy wants me to mention the HE was wearing his seatbelt). The policeman walks off with my passport for several minutes. He walks back finally and speaks to me very loudly and sternly in Spanish about wearing a seatbelt as I try to look contrite and apologize in English. He is not happy that I cannot speak Spanish so walks away again- still with my passport. He comes back finally with a smartphone that he has translated to English-
Passenger must wear seatbelt - fine 100€ " No, no señor, peregrino! " But he would have none of it and kept pointing to the screen. Thank goodness Andy had enough cash or I may have been rotting in some Spanish jail by now !! I really thought he would have some mercy for a pilgrim, but no. So today we helped boost the flailing economy here and now Grammy has an international police record-- my first ticket ever!! Might as well go big or go home : ).
So, not the end of the story yet... We get to the train station and I go to the bathroom. I notice that my passport is not in my inner waist zipper, and I do remember putting it back there while in the cab. Now I am panicked and start emptying my pockets on the bathroom floor--nada! OMG! I can't have left it in the cab.... I search my pants to see if I have forgotten one of the many pockets and as I reach down my leg realize that the passport has fallen down inside my pant leg and is down by my ankle...another blessing that it has not fallen out & been left on the ground somewhere. So now I am sitting on a bench quietly waiting for the train and praying that the adventure for today is over- I guess that's what I get for not wanting to walk the boring Senda. Andy says I have to get a tattoo now that I have a police record : )
Don't worry Mom, it's all good!

The Senda

Today we began a stretch of the Senda--kind of a pedestrian version of the Camino    Many call it
Soulless Errors of National Development Agencies !   It is basically a gravel path right next to the highway, meant for convenience I guess, as many tour busses along the way .  One group jumped off their bus, all fresh and hiked about 3km with small packs. When a picnic area came up, the bus was there with their lunch all laid out for them.   Ok, so maybe a bit envious : )    But it is not really very interesting to hike along the highway

But one good thing about it is that we clicked off 30km today!    That's over 18 miles - yeah !!  We stopped about 5km from Carrion de Los Condes because we were tired and it was about to storm.  Wandered around a bit to find the albergue but couldn't find it, so stopped at a bar/ hostal  that had private rooms-- very nice and the best part-- a private bath with a deep soaking bath tub!!   What a luxury after a long day : ).  

So with 4 more days of the Senda ahead we have decided to bus into Leon.   There are a lot of pilgrims doing the Camino and of course there are no "rules".   But many think you must walk every step or you are "cheating".   Or many have a transport take their packs ahead and they walk with just a small daypack.   So everyone has to do their own way and we are happy to take the bus every once and awhile : ).   After tomorrow we will be halfway to Santiago! 

Day 2 on the Meseta

Today was day 2 on the Meseta-- a long stretch of flatland, fields, no trees or shade. A cool breeze and overcast condition made it fairly pleasant.   It is a mainly flat stretch except a steep climb today of 1025 meters at a 12% grade -- at least it had some bends to make it a "bit" easier -- the downhill side was a 16% grade straight down !  But the view was wonderful -- all the different shades of green and tan field parcels looking like quilt squares spread out over the countryside.  It is so hard to get pictures that convey the vastness of the landscape.  

  We passed San Anton on the way, built in the 11th century.

Not much else to see today.   I noticed that I still had The Shack on my phone as an audiobook so listening to that again.  I had to chuckle as Mack was meeting God just as I was halfway up the big climb this morning- seemed appropriate as my heart was beating out of my chest again!!      Will try to make Carrion de Los Condes by Saturday morning so we can get the bus to Leon and probably stay there a day or two to explore