Rúa to Santiago de Compostela
We made it Santiago de Compostela!
We left the hotel in Rua at 6:00 am as we wanted to get to Santiago before the hordes of pilgrims arrived. With the heavy rains yesterday, the Camino was very muddy and littered with broken branches. Parts of the trail had been washed out. We got to Santiago around 10:15 am.
As soon as we arrived we walked by the Cathedral and then to the pilgrim’s office to get our Compostela. Again, this document certifies that a pilgrim has completed the Camino de Santiago and it is awarded by the Church authorities. At the pilgrim’s office we scanned a QR code that displayed a form to complete. Once done, we received a number (kind of like the DMV). Once our number was called, they reviewed our pilgrim credentials to ensure we have the proper number of stamps. They collected some additional information, and boom - we got our Compostela! The line wasn’t too long so we were out of there by 11:00 am. We then went back to the Cathedral and our eyes welled as it hit us that we met our goal and completed the pilgrimage. It has been quite a journey: 39 days walking the Camino Frances with a final distance of 496 miles. Last night a storm arrived and we could see waves of rain passing outside our hotel window. Forecasts said today could be similar. We prayed for dry skies and received it. When we arrived in Santiago the sun was shining and the Cathedral bells were ringing! We missed the 12:00 pm Pilgrim Mass at the Cathedral, but there is another one at 7:30 pm tonight. There is a maximum number of attendees allowed, so we hope we are able to attend. If not, we will be back. Jim and I have already started talking about our next pilgrimage!
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Arzúa to Rúa
Because our hotel was not in the village of Arzúa we needed to take a taxi from the hotel back into town. We said goodbye to Bimba, got in the cab, and started to walk the Camino at 8:30 am. We walked 11.4 miles in three hours and 30 min. Because it was a shorter day with rain we didn’t take a break. It was raining when we started. It then stopped for a couple of hours, and started raining again for the last two miles.
In the cab, Jim reminded me of a story I have not discussed here. A couple of days ago we were walking by a farm. A gentleman was using a pitchfork to pull potatoes from the ground. As we passed him, we came upon a barn where there was a cow whose head was stuck in a fence. As she tried to free herself, chicken wire was scraping her face. Concerned for the cow’s safety, Jim pulled out Google Translate on his phone and told the farmer about the situation. The guy barely looked at Jim and did not seem interested in helping the cow. Frustrated, Jim gave up and we continued down the trail, lamenting about the cow’s situation and how callous the farmer seemed to be. In the cab this morning, Jim reviewed his Google Translate history and started to chuckle. He realized what he told the farmer is, “You’re a cow and the cow is stuck in the fence.” No wonder he didn’t look at Jim. Although we got a good laugh this morning, we still feel bad for the cow. We have been seeing these odd, pointy seed casings on the trail while we have been walking through Galicia. There was a familiar looking nut inside and we wondered if they were chestnuts - like the kind you roast on an open fire. We Googled it it, and yup, that’s what they are! They are quite prolific in Galicia.
We also came across a biergarten called Casa Tia Delores. It is rather well known on the Camino for it’s artistic display of empty beer bottles. Because of the rain we did not stop to add to the collection.
Tomorrow is our last day on the Camino. We are 97.4% complete and have 13 miles (20 km) to go! We plan on hitting the trail early so that we arrive in Santiago de Compostela before the hoards arrive. There are few tasks for tomorrow: 1) Show our stamps at the pilgrim’s office to receive our Compostela; 2) Go to the pilgrim’s mass in the Cathedral; 3) Look for souvenirs to buy to help us remember the Camino. Hopefully we can do all three.
Palas de Rei to Arzúa
We had an 18.9 mile day today to walk to Arzua so we left out hotel at 7:30 am. The trail was much less crowded today and we believe it’s because we left earlier than the hordes we saw yesterday. A peaceful Camino returned.
The day started foggy. With our headlamps on, our vision was obscured by the mist. The countryside was beautiful with tree-covered hills, green grass and ferns, with the occasional flowering mint and eucalyptus providing a lovely scent as we walked the Camino.
About halfway through the leg, we came upon the small town, Melide. Although we had breakfast, we were hungry and wanted something to eat. Walking down a main street we saw a number of restaurants. As we walked by one, a man began talking to us through a wide open window. He pulled a large octopus out of a simmering caldron and told us his restaurant was the best in town. Impressed by his active marketing skills, we entered. Jim wanted to try the octopus (pulpo), and I wanted the grilled peppers (pimiento de Padron). I also ordered chorizo con patates (french fries).
We arrived in Arzua and called for a transfer to our hotel. We saw a number of hotels in town, but this place is a little gem. The service is great and the grounds are beautiful. Our host brought us a great bottle of white wine and although there is a fire burning inside, we opted to sit outside in the lushly planted garden. But the best part: there is a small black lab who is hanging out with us. Her name is Bimba. She is super sweet and makes us miss the Bud Bud more than we already do.
We have only have 24 miles and two days left on the Camino. Tomorrow we head to Rua.
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AuthorsGreg and James live in Pleasanton in Northern California and are on a pilgrimage on the Camino De Santiago in Spain. Their adventures are captured in this blog. Archives
October 2021
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