So Thursday and Friday were spent in Santiago, doing a variety of things, mostly in the company of the German guy.
Later on Friday night, after he had to head back to the family that was hosting him here in Santiago, I went back to my room at the pension (cheap hotel), and there in the pension I met a group of architecture students studying in the UK, and they invited me to come out to dinner with them and the rest of their group.
There was a group of about 28 of them from their program (students from all around the world studying in London), and they´d walked about a week of the Spanish part of the Portuguese Camino route (the route I walked was the French route, there are many different ones), since they´re working on a project about the pilgrim hostels, and ¨how to build a better pilgrim hostel¨.
The four that were staying in the same place with me consisted of two girls, one from Sweden and one from Poland, and two guys, one from New Zealand and one from Latvia! So now I´ve been able to use all of the languages I know or have studied on the Camino - Latvian was the last one I was waiting to use.
During the dinner, I was introduced to others from the program, and their supervisor, and they were all very impressed with the amount of walking that I had done. I got contact information for some of them, so I might meet up with them again when I get to London. I told them more about the pilgrim hostels I´d stayed in, and what was good and bad about them, to help them with their projects.
Saturday, the German guy and I made a spontaneous visit to A Coruna, on the northern coast of Spain - round-trip train tickets were only 8 euros, and the train took only an hour each way (unlike the bus to Finisterre, which takes three hours each way).
We walked around the city, visited the Tower of Hercules (the oldest working Roman lighthouse in the world, though it has been restored many times), walked along the beach, and walked a few kilometres of the English Camino (medieval English pilgrims to Santiago would take a ship to A Coruna and walk from there, and some people still do it today). Learned that the English Camino is terribly marked - the tourist office drew the route in on a map for us, but we only saw about three markings the entire way.
Then we returned to Santiago in the evening (almost missing the stop, since we both fell asleep on the train), and then it came time to part, since he was flying back to Germany early this morning. He has some things to do in Germany before he can continue his walking around the world. I hope to see him again at some point in time when we´re on the same continent, but I don´t know when that will be.
Today I´m wandering Santiago on my own, since everyone I know has headed home. And tomorrow morning I leave for Porto!
Hasta luego, for what is probably my last post in Spain!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Santiago!
Arrived in Santiago at the Cathedral yesterday around 5:30pm in the company of the German guy, and we met back up with the Italian not long after we arrived.
Got our Compostelas, and the Italian had already found a good place to stay - 13 euros a night, single rooms, and just around the corner from the Cathedral.
After the evening mass (where they swung the botafumeiro, a gigantic incense burner that requires several men to power the ropes), a celebratory dinner, which continuing in the trend of the past month, was twice as expensive as the place to sleep (most pilgrim hostels were 3 to 5 euros). A huge pile of seafood - crab, scallops, and so on. Yum yum.
Anyways, lots to do in Santiago today, so I must be going. Not sure of my plans for the next few days, I´ll let you all know when I do.
Hasta luego!
Got our Compostelas, and the Italian had already found a good place to stay - 13 euros a night, single rooms, and just around the corner from the Cathedral.
After the evening mass (where they swung the botafumeiro, a gigantic incense burner that requires several men to power the ropes), a celebratory dinner, which continuing in the trend of the past month, was twice as expensive as the place to sleep (most pilgrim hostels were 3 to 5 euros). A huge pile of seafood - crab, scallops, and so on. Yum yum.
Anyways, lots to do in Santiago today, so I must be going. Not sure of my plans for the next few days, I´ll let you all know when I do.
Hasta luego!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Arca!
Arrived in Arca today, 19km or so. Spent most of the walk chatting with the German guy I mentioned yesterday.
Now we are in a private pilgrim hostel here - more expensive, but so much nicer. It has Internet (unlike the public hostels run by the Galician government), and lots of space, and since most people seem to be going to the public one, it is quieter as well. There are only six of us here right now, but more people might come.
There is also a pastry shop across the street. This could be a problem, because I love Spanish pastries, and will eat them as often as I can. I´ll try not to be tempted too much today, but since I haven´t had a bocadillo (Spanish sandwich) today, I might get lured in by the chocolate eclairs and other assorted pastries.
Tomorrow - Santiago! About another 18km I think.
Mixed feelings on it - on the one hand, that means the Camino is over and I don´t have to carry my bag for 20km or so everyday. On the other hand, there comes the uncertainty of what comes next. I´ve arranged things with a Couchsurfer in Porto, but nothing is clear for the UK yet. Nor is what I will be doing between Thursday morning and Monday morning, when I leave for Porto. I will take the bus to Finisterre at some point, but I don´t know for how long I´ll stay there. I´m sure everything will work out.
Hasta luego!
Now we are in a private pilgrim hostel here - more expensive, but so much nicer. It has Internet (unlike the public hostels run by the Galician government), and lots of space, and since most people seem to be going to the public one, it is quieter as well. There are only six of us here right now, but more people might come.
There is also a pastry shop across the street. This could be a problem, because I love Spanish pastries, and will eat them as often as I can. I´ll try not to be tempted too much today, but since I haven´t had a bocadillo (Spanish sandwich) today, I might get lured in by the chocolate eclairs and other assorted pastries.
Tomorrow - Santiago! About another 18km I think.
Mixed feelings on it - on the one hand, that means the Camino is over and I don´t have to carry my bag for 20km or so everyday. On the other hand, there comes the uncertainty of what comes next. I´ve arranged things with a Couchsurfer in Porto, but nothing is clear for the UK yet. Nor is what I will be doing between Thursday morning and Monday morning, when I leave for Porto. I will take the bus to Finisterre at some point, but I don´t know for how long I´ll stay there. I´m sure everything will work out.
Hasta luego!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Arzua
In Arzua now, another 15km or so.
Walk was pretty uneventful, the path was exactly like the guidebook said, up and down, up and down.
Had my octopus yesterday. It was good, but not something I particularly want to eat again. Shared it with a German guy who wants to walk around the world - the Camino is just the beginning. Very ambitious project. Exchanged contact information so we can share information in the future about our travels.
Tomorrow - Arca. Then Wednesday we arrive in Santiago!
Hasta luego!
Walk was pretty uneventful, the path was exactly like the guidebook said, up and down, up and down.
Had my octopus yesterday. It was good, but not something I particularly want to eat again. Shared it with a German guy who wants to walk around the world - the Camino is just the beginning. Very ambitious project. Exchanged contact information so we can share information in the future about our travels.
Tomorrow - Arca. Then Wednesday we arrive in Santiago!
Hasta luego!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Melide
Relatively calm 15km to Melide today. I say ¨relatively¨, because while the walk itself was calm, the leaving the pilgrim hostel wasn´t, because before we could leave, we had to unpack our entire bags in the reception area for the police, because someone´s camera had gone missing. So that delayed our departure somewhat.
Once that was finished, came the rolling hills as per usual, and eventually we arrived in Melide. I had a nap, and now went out in the town to find Internet. No octopus yet, that comes later.
Tomorrow on to Arzua. Hasta luego!
Once that was finished, came the rolling hills as per usual, and eventually we arrived in Melide. I had a nap, and now went out in the town to find Internet. No octopus yet, that comes later.
Tomorrow on to Arzua. Hasta luego!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Portomarin/Palas del Rei
Yesterday went to Portomarin, about 22km or so I think. The last 9km was a lot faster paced than usual, since it was getting late, but it was okay since we made some new friends, two Venezuelan men, a Swiss German girl and a Brazilian girl (who lives and works in Mozambique), and all of us pretty much raced into Portomarin together.
Portomarin is an interesting town, in that it has only existed in its current place since the 1960s, when Franco decided the river needed to be widened so it could be dammed and made into a lake or something, so the town was flooded and moved up the hill. You could see a bit of the remains of the old town, but not much, and nothing good enough to get a photo of.
Today was up and down and up and down, as per usual, across to Palas del Rei, which was again one of those towns hidden out of view until you stumble upon it. About 24km, depending on which guidebook and which guideposts you pay attention to (everything seems to say something different).
Tomorrow is a short day of about 15km to Melide, which is a town that is very much known for its pulperias - restaurants that serve pulpo (octopus) as a specialty. One of the things on my list of things to do in Europe is eat pulpo in Melide, so that shall be done tomorrow night. I´ve eaten squid ink already, I can eat octopus too!
Just a few days away from Santiago now. From Melide is Arzua, then Arca, and then Monte de Gozo, and then Santiago!
Hasta luego!
Portomarin is an interesting town, in that it has only existed in its current place since the 1960s, when Franco decided the river needed to be widened so it could be dammed and made into a lake or something, so the town was flooded and moved up the hill. You could see a bit of the remains of the old town, but not much, and nothing good enough to get a photo of.
Today was up and down and up and down, as per usual, across to Palas del Rei, which was again one of those towns hidden out of view until you stumble upon it. About 24km, depending on which guidebook and which guideposts you pay attention to (everything seems to say something different).
Tomorrow is a short day of about 15km to Melide, which is a town that is very much known for its pulperias - restaurants that serve pulpo (octopus) as a specialty. One of the things on my list of things to do in Europe is eat pulpo in Melide, so that shall be done tomorrow night. I´ve eaten squid ink already, I can eat octopus too!
Just a few days away from Santiago now. From Melide is Arzua, then Arca, and then Monte de Gozo, and then Santiago!
Hasta luego!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Sarria!
Got to Sarria today, taking the long road via Samos, so around 24km I think.
Along with hiding towns in little crevices that can´t even be called valleys, Spain also somehow manages to magically create mountains or hills out of thin air. You´ll be walking up one, and see the top, and then upon reaching the top, find that there is an even bigger mountain or hill behind it. Today was full of quite a few of those.
Sarria is an important place to reach, because it is the last major urban centre before Santiago de Compostela, and also the last big place from which someone could start the pilgrimage to qualify for the ¨Compostela¨ (certificate of completion of the pilgrimage), because you have to walk at least 100km to qualify, and Sarria is about 110km from Santiago.
I don´t really qualify to get a Compostela, because you have to have religious or spiritual reasons for doing the pilgrimage to do so, and I don´t really think that I do. But apparently there is an alternate certificate they grant to non-religiously-motivated pilgrims, so we´ll see what happens.
Hasta luego!
Along with hiding towns in little crevices that can´t even be called valleys, Spain also somehow manages to magically create mountains or hills out of thin air. You´ll be walking up one, and see the top, and then upon reaching the top, find that there is an even bigger mountain or hill behind it. Today was full of quite a few of those.
Sarria is an important place to reach, because it is the last major urban centre before Santiago de Compostela, and also the last big place from which someone could start the pilgrimage to qualify for the ¨Compostela¨ (certificate of completion of the pilgrimage), because you have to walk at least 100km to qualify, and Sarria is about 110km from Santiago.
I don´t really qualify to get a Compostela, because you have to have religious or spiritual reasons for doing the pilgrimage to do so, and I don´t really think that I do. But apparently there is an alternate certificate they grant to non-religiously-motivated pilgrims, so we´ll see what happens.
Hasta luego!
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