A ten day adventure in Northern Spain, in an area called Galicia. Despite months of planning, it feels like this trip roared up to us as we were still doing last minute packing till the last moment. I could probably write pages (wait, I did in a journal!) but surmise it to say, it was an experience of a lifetime. Walking the Camino Ingles, while touted as the ‘easier’ routes, it was challenging for us. I feel we were provided the full pilgrimage experience – blisters, bug bites, sunshine, heat, and rain – as well as many of those reflective moments where you are in awe of the beauty around you, filled with gratitude and reminded of humility. The gift of shade, a cup of coffee, a friendly “buen camino” gives hope and encouragement.
We did know that we were not good candidates to do the albergue (hostels for pilgrams) so we made hotel arrangements and had a one bag-transfer managed for us. That said, these accommodations could be 0.75 – 1.5 miles from the Camino path, which added more walking time. Arriving at the end of day 3 into Bentanzos, all good humor had left me. We arrived into town on a very steep, cobblestone street… cross the bridge, over the river, only to find out our hotel was still another .75 miles, uphill and the sun was beginning to set. We found our hotel, and realized that the dinner accommodations that were part of our package was offsite, about another .25-.50 miles. 15 miles that day, I felt stinky and tired, and hungry. A quick shower energized me enough to run back downhill to a deli and buy a bag, ingredients for a chacuterie dinner and gourmet chips. Picnic on our hotel bed. We earned it, deserved it. Watching Big Bang Theory or Blue Bloods in Spanish or the BCC News (when available) was a way to chill out. We slept hard.
Midway, we had to have a down day. A day to rest our bodies, settle some upset stomachs and do some laundry. I was disappointed but realized that if we didn’t rest, we would likely need to quit altogether before getting to Santiago. Paul was starting a cold too. We found a laundromat nearby and what joy to have clean, dry clothes! These washers had an automatic detergent drop in, which I’m sure contributes to better maintenance and convenience for customers. I am convinced that the entire country uses the same detergent, as we could smell the same wonderful scent in the sheets and laundry hanging on the line. Folks seem to use washers all over Europe, and use the dryer sparingly, hanging out clothes for the final drying.
We saw so many fields of corn, fruit trees, (some fruit was even left out specifically for pilgrims) eucalyptus trees, hyacinth bushes and countless numbers of flowers, shrubs and greenery. The terrain was a mix of cobblestone streets, asphalt, to muddy trails, rocky, pebbly paths. Having good shoes, a hat was essential.
To compensate for the down day, we did have to take a cab ( 16 minutes!) to rejoin the Camino Walk. We started off again, rested and in a better place mentally, and finished in Santiago de Compostella mid afternoon, a few days later. Our eyes just welled up with tears as we passed through the black portal, the entry gate to the plaza in front of the Cathedral in Santiago. A bagpiper played in the portal, echoing, to encourage pilgrims to come. Pilgrims just sat, laid down, stood in shock and awe, that they had made it. We felt the same.
