Going for a little walk

[JPSmit]

So you may not get pics tonight- they are uploading but painfully slow. Today was the walk to O Cebreiro- my phone says 20.2 km it also says 89 floors. Basically we had about 750 metres to climb- this is 1 1/2 CN towers. The path was good- no shale but sort of limestone- so kind of steps in some places. Imagine it as walking upstairs for four hours.

Amazingly while hard after after three weeks it was not exhausting. The view was magnificent including fields of purple flowers. O Cebreiro is a lovely little village- though cold and windy at the top of the mountain. The Church dates from the 9th century and is one of the earliest pilgrim churches. We also entered the province of Gallacia. We are soon to where the Romans didn’t get - a Celtic region. Different food already. All in all a great day but glad to be done!

 

[Basil]

JP we’re traveling through Utah with limited internet. Should be home by tomorrow and can catch up with posting your great oics!

 

[Bob McElwee]

JP, i get a kick out of my 'floors climded' being in the upper teens when we drive from out home to our sons home in Oklahoma and all i do is sit in a car all day. Also, my right hip would absolutely refuse to let me walk uphill for four hours!
I've really enjoyed your posts and pictures. Would have loved to do something like this when we both were younger and more mobile.

 

[JPSmit]

Well if yesterday was up today was down! Almost. Woke up to 3 deg C and ate in a place that looked like it should have Gandalf at the door. The view was beyond beautiful- and stayed so for most of the day- you could see for miles! Walked up some to the high point of the day. The last bit was very steep with a bar at the top- as each person came to the top everyone started cheering! Much fun. We then had much downhill-
easyish but hard on ankles and knees. We were to stay with new friends but we missed their destination and rather than go back we just checked into a place in town- (2 stories to the front door and on the 4th floor- no elevator! Went for supper with new friends- German Swiss and Swedish- nice restaurant and outside.

It it is hard to believe we have only 6 more days- it seemed like we would never get there when we started!

now you can actually look behind you and see the tall snow covered mountains and look ahead to see the more gentle foothills.

 

[DavidApp]

How did you plan the return flight? Carefully calculate the distance per day or allow a generous allowance of extra days?

So you have only 6 days or about 120 kilometers to go to get to Santiago.

Great trip and tale. The photos are fantastic.

David

 

[JPSmit]

How did you plan the return flight? Carefully calculate the distance per day or allow a generous allowance of extra days?

So you have only 6 days or about 120 kilometers to go to get to Santiago.

Great trip and tale. The photos are fantastic.

David

My original hope was to buy a one way ticket but alas you have to have a return ticket anymore. So we are flying back June 8 from Paris. We picked Paris partly because you can get there from anywhere and mostly because it was a cheap flight. So if we had to change our plans I would only have to swallow a cheap ticket.

the book says you can walk the Camino in 33 days - I think 40 is more realistic. Especially if you need to work up to full days.

(and we are putting up our feet at the end by which I mean we decided five days ago to book a cruise of the Mediterranean (Italy) for something completely different! :grin:

 

[Basil]

Sorry for the delay posting pictures - been traveling myself. Here are the latest. (JP - some of the pictures you uploaded were duplicates. For example, the picture of the hill with the house's roof on the right side was uploaded 3 times and the rainbow picture was uploaded twice).

 

[JPSmit]

Boss I know some have come more than once - wonky inter web sometimes things all upload and other times partial- and I have no real way of knowing. You will have just received a few duplicates again.

 

[JPSmit]

Today Sarria. This is a milestone. For pilgrims to receive their Compostela (indulgence) they have to walk at least 100 km. So many start here (113 km) and walk the last bit. It also means we have only five days left.

today was truly gorgeous- lovely weather- sun shining birds singing and not too hot. We started going up about 300 m and then reasonably gently down over about 10 km (22 total)

shortly after we we started we passed and artists studio-‘instead of a stamp he did a small painting in our credentials. The morning was small hamlets with no bars - after lunch much better. Oh and Tom we were walking above the clouds for a while. Stunning!

 

[Basil]

I've updated the Flickr album and it now has a new link: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmjMwC7j << Go here to see all of JP's photos.

 

[JPSmit]

Let’s talk about culture in Spain shall we. Just got in from supper- pilgrims meal is 10 euros and is always a three course meal. First course is salad/soup/last night calamari. Tori regularly had ensalada mixta - mixed salad with a huge dollop of tuna on top - very good very fresh. Tonight I had the soup- a chick pea chorizo bacon soup- so good . They brought a bowl big enough to serve a family! (Oh and paella regularly a first course)

second course is a variety fish/chicken/beef/you name it - almost always with French fries. Tonight was chicken with enough garlic to kill a vampire and last night veal ribs.

dessert is always ice cream/ some kind of pudding/ a flan (like creme caramel) and the local delicacy- soft cheese with honey. Tonight was cheesecake. Ice cream btw is usually an ice cream bar of some description.

lunch was a plato combinado- eggs and bacon and French fries. Or really nice sandwiches or salad. And croissants and chocolate croissants.

No food complaints here. I may have already mentioned that I swear this whole country is high functioning alcoholics. Most days we go to the bar for breakfast someone is having a beer or some liquer at 8 am. Amazing.

all restaurants close at four and reopen at 8 (sometimes even 9) for supper. Making for a late meal. OTOH it amazing to see families and friends everywhere out walking and talking- puts North America to shame.

and in the topic of culture- of course TV in every bar (we eat in bars and have coffee in bars - everything is a bar) we have seen some chains KFC/ McD/ etc in cities but everything in smaller places is independent.

every bar has a tv- news or soccer- BUT - I can’t tell you the number of bars we have been in for supper playing 80’s pop rock on VH1 - or even on the radio. I have heard more Michael Jackson/ Tina Turner / Phil Collins in the past month!

Speaking of music - as the Camino broadens it’s base it looses some of the Catholic Theming. So we have stayed in a Hostel de Gaia seen a Druid Albergue and even a Feng Shui albergue. And turns out that when you hear music playing in stores and albergues that are Camino themed- it is basically 70’s folk rock- again I have heard more James Taylor or Simon and Garfunkel- it is hilarious.

so if you wondered where the 80s went they are alive and well and living in Spain. :grin:

 

[Basil]

Sounds like you are having a wonderful time! I'll get the newest pictures posted as soon as I get a chance.

 

[Basil]

This morning's offerings. (Note JP that I have pinned this post to the top of the Pub Page for now).

 

[JPSmit]

Thanks again boss! Tonight finally awesome internet. BTW the church in the previous pics is the 9th century one referenced earlier.

so today Sarria to Portomarín

started earlier as as we are finding we are walking longer. First thing was a big flight of stairs and through town - got all the way to the trail AND it was the opening of Walmart on Black Friday. People everywhere must have been 50 people hitting the trail at once - and cyclists- and three women hustling donations under the guise of a petition. And every 10 feet another group would stop for selfies or pose for pictures.

well first of all we came to cross railway tracks- the first time. I jokingly said “what if a train comes?” And the lights started flashing! What a hoot. Fortunately shortly thereafter we had a fairly steep hill which separated the wheat from the chaff in a big hurry. We didn’t bunch up again.

another lovely day - not so high but nice vistas. We walked with a father- daughter pair from the Bay Area. Very nice. You can see some of the terrain- the little stone bridge and the beer waiting to be consumed!

the big milestone was passing the 100 km marker stone. Three weeks ago we thought we would never finish now it is four days away. Unbelievable. We are 92 km out. The town tonight is much more crowded. And many more shiny new shoes and extensive outfits. Weird. We met a group of 18 from Ireland- a walking club - still pretty whipped through. Another big polish group- even people riding horses who drop them off at the end of the day for grooming and start again tomorrow- very surreal.

the water in the river is the edge of town (and we ended with stairs also) this river and the lake is the result of a dam so they actually moved the Church to higher ground.

nice supper more beer and tomorrow off again.

btw two car stories- a week or so ago our father daughter team were in an albergue. One guy was very loud obnoxious and late - she had to let him in after lights out. Next morning she is looking for a taxi to get them part way and not having any luck. Obnoxious guy rolls up in his Lambo and offers them a ride. Turns out he was only staying the night- was not a pilgrim and was actually very nice.

they other day one of our new German friends was telling the story of two guys from Germany who last year drove their antique tractors all the way from Germany to Santiago and back- fun

oh and yesterday in Sarria saw a guy cruising in a bad Caterham 7 kit car - sounded nice though!

thats it for tonight- over and out.

 

[Basil]

Another batch (Did a small amount of post-processing on some).

 

[JPSmit]

Short day today- Tori’s back is way out of alignment so we walked half and grabbed a cab the rest of the way. Hoping a hot bath and some yoga and a rest will help. One of the things people suggest is taking a day a week off - we didn’t and probably should have. Just walking today- lovely and open but what a lot of people! Matthew 20 tells the parable of the workers in the Vineyard- if you recall the owner of the vineyard goes at different times of the day to hire workers. At the end of the day all get paid the same- which is resented by those who work the longest. It is hard not to feel that way as you are passed by people talking talking taking selfies wearing bright white t shirts and shiny clean shoes. It is certainly a different Camino now.

Palas de Rei is another Camino town - a market right across from our hostel- huge peppers and lovely cheese and meat.

no much else to report- buen Camino all!

 

[Basil]

This morning's set.

 

[JPSmit]

A much better day today. After voltarin Advil and rest Tori was able to walk 17 km today- and a lovely 17 km it was. Beautiful weather nice breeze and a stop for coffee every hour or so - or at least a bathroom . No hills to speak of but did have the new experience of having to negotiate cows. Ran into some old Camino friends and met a lovely family from upstate New York grandparents with two grandchildren walking the Sarria to Santiago bit - my they had a lot of luggage though! Speaking of luggage when Basil posts the pics you will see a woman dragging a shopping cart. In (on) the cart is a rolling suitcase and a reusable shopping bag. We have watched her drag this up hill and down for two days now - today we were chatting and she too started in Sarria. I pointed out that she could have her luggage forwarded for three euros. She told me she knew but needed to keep it as authentic as possible. All I could think was that I was pretty sure those pilgrims of a thousand years ago likely didn’t use shopping carts. that said it was her Camino not mine.

stopped for lunch in melida- ate on the corner of the main intersection- market across the street and much hustle and bustle. In the midst of it all a guy cruises through in one of those Tiffany type car conversations- you know where they take a modern chassis and put an “old” body on it - the ones that never look quite right- no idea how it got here.

all in all a very good day and unbelievably only about 42 km to Santiago!

 

[Basil]

22 km to Navarrete today- mostly lovely walk through parks and trails- though almost all of paved. Saturday so lots of picnics and families to pass. A couple of big hills and some amazing churches! Tonight we snuck in at the end of mass - the church is overwhelmingly gold and sculpture and art. It is hard for us to imagine that not much more than a century ago a Church organ would have been the loudest man made sound people had ever heard- and really only thunder in nature. Combine that with the good of the alter and compared to the rest of people’s live it really would have looked like a glimpse of heaven to go to mass.

In less spiritual news I have spotted a couple of Rovers a few Land Rovers - today the oldest car to date a very old Land Rover in the back of a dump truck and this evening a triumph motorcycle.

finally supper- we had a drink with some new friends- two glasses of wine (I walked past the winery earlier) a pint of beer and a latte- 7 euros. Then bread/ paella/ vegetables and about six different tapas plus wine and a coke - 18 euros. I love this place but sure won’t fit the Midget much longer

cheers all

Today's pics

 

[JPSmit]

Well that was embarrassing wasn’t it. First the confession. Tonight is O Pedrouzo. Unfortunately we were having such a good chat with new friends from Malta and Canada that we missed the turnoff and walked about five extra km. Oops. Had to take a cab back into town. :blush: OTOH guess where we start tomorrow? And who would have guessed 27 days ago that we would walk 5 extra km by mistake and not even notice.

a Really nice day-‘Tori’s back is much better and the walk was lovely. And we walked the whole way as mentioned. The day started foggy and didn’t clear up until almost noon. First walk was two hours and then a village every half hour till we were done. You will see the pics including the fiat- saw two actually. Looks like Doc has been here before by the Peregrina brand beer and all the “labelled “ empties.

not much else to add except we saw the “under 20 km” milepost which means tomorrow is Santiago- unbelievable