Trip Update - Camino de Santiago

According to my Garmin watch, I walked a total of 435 miles (701 km) on the Camino de Santiago from Lisbon to Santiago. Then I walked an additional 60 miles (97 km) to Fisterra. This brings my grand total up to 495 miles (798 km). I made many new friends along the way, saw some incredible places, and observed 54 bird species! Speaking Portuguese again was so much fun! I have so many fond memories to last a lifetime! Thank you all for following along on my journey!

Writing my blog every day was a challenging task. However, I am so thankful that I did it! I put off writing about my rest days in Coimbra, Porto, and Santiago. I was also unable to upload videos from my phone while I was over there. I am slowly working on catching up on these posts. I also need to write about my final days walking to Fisterra. These remaining posts will be coming soon, I promise! I am putting the published date and time as the correct days they happened and so they will appear on my blog in chronological order. For those of you looking back for the new posts, you can check out the archive on the left hand side of the blog main page. Below are the most recent posts I have added and expected posts currently under construction for my journey:

New Posts 

Fado de Lisboa is on October 4th, 2022

Dia de Descanso - Coimbra is on October 14th, 2022 

Dia de Descanso - Porto is on October 20th, 2022 

Minha Lista de Passaros - Porto a Santiago is on November 6th, 2022 

Dia de Descanso - Santiago is on November 1st, 2022 

 

Coming Soon  

Trip to Fisterra - Days 1-4 is from November 2nd-5th, 2022

*Additionally, I am working on improving the Relive video links in each post to see on a map where I walked. These videos are fun to visualize where I walked each day! They showed up as hyperlinks before, but seeing them from my computer it looks like they did not actually link to the video.

Minha Lista de Pássaros - Porto a Santiago

My Bird List - Porto to Santiago 

10/21/2022

Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus)

Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)

Yellow Legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

Gray Heron (Ardea cinerea)

Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)

Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

Common Swift (Apus apus)

Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)

Gray Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)

European Greenfinch (Chloris chloris)

Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica)

Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)

European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)

Rock Dove (Columba livia)

10/22/2022

Sanderling (Calidris alba)

Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

10/23/2022

Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra)

Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)

Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)

10/24/2022

Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis)

White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

SPAIN

10/25/2022

Common Loon (Gavia immer)

Mediterranean Gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus)

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis)

Eurasian Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)

Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus)

10/28/2022

Coal Tit (Periparus ater)

10/29/2022

Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)

10/30/2022

Common Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla)

11/03/2022

Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

11/04/2022

European Greenfinch (Chloris chloris)

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

54 Total Species Observed

Dia de Descanso - Santiago

Dia de Descanso - Santiago

Rest Day - Santiago 

My rest day in Santiago was more relaxing than my previous rest days in Coimbra and Porto. Several people left the hostel early in the morning and after that disturbance, I was able to sleep for another couple of hours. Xenia, Yeji, and I had a late brunch before walking down to the cathedral. Unknowingly, we entered through the Porta Santa, which are special Holy Doors that only open during Holy Years. A Holy Years occurs when the Feast of the Apostle, July 25th, falls on a Sunday. This last happened in 2021. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pope Francis has declared 2022 to also be a Holy Year. Additionally, today was All Saints Day, which is considered a Holy Day in the Catholic Church and many people had gathered to visit on this day. Somewhere I heard that this entrance into the cathedral was meant only for those persons having walked the Camino de Santiago on a pilgrimage. Yet, the doors seemed open to anyone on this day, as most persons entering did not look like they had walked hundreds of miles to be there in their fancy clothes. According to tradition, pilgrims who walk to the Santiago de Compostela during a Holy Year can enter this special door and be forgiven of their sins after attending the Holy Mass and confessing their sins. This tradition started in the 12th Century by Pope Callixtus II and is a form of plenary indulgence.

Inside the cathedral I saw a crowd of people seeking forgiveness of their sins by confessing to the priests in designated rooms. To accommodate the multitude of international persons, signs at the head of each line indicated the language to be spoken during the confession. Pushing past the crowds, I noticed a small set of stairs going down into a room below. Following a few people down these narrow stairs, I found myself standing before a gated chamber.

In this room is believed to be the remains of Saint James, the Apostle of Jesus Christ. After pausing momentarily and considering the significance of this place, I returned to the main level and lit a candle for the waiter in Coimbra, who had asked that I do this small act for him once I arrived in Santiago. I then reunited with my friends and we decided to leave the cathedral before mass started. It was far too crowded at this time, likely because they were going to perform the ceremonial swinging of the Botafumeiro, a large metal container used for burning incense.

Unfortunately, we missed this experience and made our way back to the hostel after exploring some souvenir shops. After we returned to the hostel, I noticed that the cleaning staff had already been downstairs to clean the rooms. My walking shoes that I had left by the back door, along with everyone else's shoes last night, were nowhere to be seen! I started to panic. I looked for them everywhere, even in the basement, which had signs saying "Staff Only - Keep Out". I looked down there anyway and found a pile of abandoned walking sticks, but no shoes. Yeji and Xenia helped me look all over the hostel several times. Still no shoes! The front desk was vacant despite signs saying it is staffed until 3 pm. Eventually someone returned to the front desk and I asked them about my missing shoes. The woman informed me that two pairs of shoes were left behind in the morning and they had taken them somewhere else to be disposed of later. They were "near" the trash can, so the cleaning staff assumed they were trash. Many people leave things behind at the hostels in Santiago because it is the end of the trail. Who wants to fly home with stinky shoes they may never wear again? She left to retrieve my shoes from their secondary location down the road and I was so relieved to have my shoes back when she returned. I was not looking forward to spending another Fall week in Spain with only my sandals to wear. I then took an afternoon nap, while Xenia was kind enough to go to laundromat and wash all of our clothes together. 

Later in the evening, we returned to the cathedral to attend the Pilgrims mass. It was a very similar experience to the one I had in Padrón, just two nights prior. Only this time, the priest emphasized the meaning of our pilgrimage and acknowledged the international diversity of persons arriving this day over the multiple routes of the Camino de Santiago. Germany was mentioned multiple times and the priest even spoke a little German. Xenia noticed that part! After mass, we looked around for a dinner spot. We eventually found an Asian restaurant that Yeji was excited to try. I had a bowl of ramen and I think the girls might have stolen my hard boiled eggs when I left to use the restroom. There was a lot of food to eat, so I wasn't concerned. Yeji approved of my technique using chop sticks. 

The three of us then returned to our hostel for bedtime. Overall, it has been a fantastic journey up to this point! However, the fun is not over yet! Tomorrow, I will begin my walk to Fisterra and thankfully I will be wearing my walking shoes!

Santiago de Compostela - Day 25

Padrón - Santiago (17.0 miles) 

This is it! The last day on the Caminho Português to Santiago de Compostela! We all slept in until 8 am, despite the sun being up. I don't know if it is tiredness or knowing that this journey is about to end, which kept us in our beds. Probably a mix of both. We tracked down what seemed to be the only breakfast café open in Padrón this morning. It was busy and the staff appeared rushed with so many orders. Dirty dishes were piling up on the counter. This sight foreshadowed the Caminho today as there were far more pilgrims walking today than I have seen at any point so far. I decided to start off fast today. I was walking at a 16:30 minute/mile pace. Only stopping to collect a stamp at the Igrexa de Santa María de Iria or to peer at the occasional bird with my binoculars.

After about 8.5 miles I needed to stop and have a lunch break. I found the Casa Rural Parada de Francos and had some eggs, bacon and french fries. It was, as per usual, a ton of food for one person. I shared my location in the group chat and Yeji soon arrived. I was done eating by that time and shortly before Yeji's food arrived, so did Xenia.

After a long break for me, we set off once again down the trail together. I didn't have it in me to continue walking at the pace I had been. Yeji was also starting to have pain in her shins and slowed down. Xenia and I pushed on ahead.

I had my first view of the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela with about 4.5 miles to go. It was exciting to know that I was so close to the finish. I started noticing more and more stone markers indicating the remaining distance. I also started to question the accuracy of those markers because the physical distance between two of them didn't appear to be the same as the numerical distance indicated.

As we came into the city, the yellow arrows seemed to be less noticeable. Continuing forward, we found the busy streets and souvenir shops below the cathedral. It was wild navigating through the crowds and into the Plaza del Obradoiro. I was not overcome with strong emotions once I was inside the plaza, standing before the steps of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Perhaps I felt a small sense of relief for having accomplished such a long journey.

The weather was perfect this afternoon for our arrival. Xenia and I dropped our packs and sat on the ground, with the sun at our backs. We watched others arrive and joyfully reunite with those they had met on their individual journeys. Before long, I spotted Yeji coming into view of the plaza. She was emotional upon her arrival, but Xenia and Ilaria, who appeared out of nowhere, were there to comfort her. It was a beautiful experience being all together at the end. I have shared many wonderful days on the road with these strong women!

There are others from my journey I wish to have met here as well, but each has their own way to go on the Caminho de Santiago. I had also arrived two days ahead of my original plan. After a few photographs, we headed to the Pilgrims Reception Office to receive our final stamps and official certificate of completion. We also received a certificate of distance confirming how far we walked. This was almost as questionable as the stone markers because we each had a different number. Mine says 675 kilometers from Lisbon to Santiago, but I think it was less. I'll have to do some calculations to confirm. We found our hostel for the next couple of nights, but before I could shower and rest, I had one more goal to accomplish this day. In January I decided to run 5 kilometers at least once a month. With today being Halloween and the last day of October, I needed to do this or I would not maintain my running goal for the year. Putting my shoes back on, I left the hostel and ran around the streets and parks of Santiago. I passed by the cathedral two times and watched the sunset from the Parque da Alameda, a nice park on a hill. It was spectacular, but I might be a little crazy for doing this after such a long walk! After my run I showered and we went to meet Ilaria for dinner. It was difficult finding a place, but once we did, the food was delicious and the dessert was even better.

I can't believe I have arrived. This past month has flown by like a flash. Then I start to think back on each day, each hostel, café, and restaurant, the cities and villages I passed, the friends I made along the way, the many kilometers walked, the birds I identified, stone paths and busy streets traversed, the foggy mornings and early starts, views of the ocean and valleys, wide rivers and flowing streams, old fortresses and historic buildings, the numerous churches, and finally my Credencial full of stamps. Each stamp is a memory in itself of my month-long journey. To others it is just some colors on a page, but to me it tells a story for me alone to know and remember. This blog as well can only tell so much of my journey through Portugal and Spain. I am grateful that I took the time each day to record my experiences. It is honestly more valuable to me, yet I wanted to share it with all of you. I appreciate the many comments and the support I have received through it. Thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings. 

I may have arrived in Santiago de Compostela, but my journey doesn't end here! I will continue walking this week to Fisterra, the end of the Earth. I'll start on Wednesday and should arrive there on Saturday morning. My return flight to the U.S. doesn't leave until Monday morning.

Check out Santiago de Compostela - Day 25 on Relive! https://www.relive.cc/view/v8qkGGZYKKq

Cogumelos e Bicicletas de Montanha - Day 24

Mushrooms and Mountain Bikes

O Cruceiro - Padrón (15.9 miles) 

Today is Sunday morning in Spain. It was also daylight savings time and the clocks moved back an hour! I was a little confused when a little before 8 am I could see daylight peaking in around the edges of the window curtains. It felt like a long night and I had trouble sleeping after 2:30 am. I woke up every hour or so. It seemed warm and then cold. The fog was thick around our albergue and neighboring farms. We had already burned an hour of daylight by sleeping in and decided to get on the road before stopping for breakfast. Yeji, Xenia, and I found a nice café in Caldas de Reis. It was decorated for Halloween and had delicious looking pastries. I ordered a small one with strawberry jelly spread on top as well as a large doughnut with chocolate frosting. The waitresses take your order and then you wait at a table for them to bring it out on a plate. While I was waiting, I saw a man working there who was bringing out more pastries from a back room to stock the glass display cases. He was re-arranging the trays in the display case and took my doughnut off the plate and switched it with another chocolate covered doughnut that had chopped nuts sprinkled on top. The waitress then brought it out to me. It wasn't the one I ordered and I wasn't sure about the nuts. Showing the waitress a picture of pecan nuts, she said yes they were that kind. I told them I am allergic and they kindly switched the doughnuts back to the plain chocolate one I had asked for. We continued walking and passed the Igrexa de Santa Mariña in Carracedo. There were farm fields with horses and grape vines throughout this area. 

A couple of things I noticed about the way today was there were many mushrooms and mountain bikes. I passed by the mushrooms and the bikers passed by me. The trails were wet and muddy from all the rain that has happened in the last couple of weeks, however there was no rain today! It was a dry and sunny day. The rain has probably helped the mushrooms to grow and has made the mountain bikes look hard core all covered in mud.

At lunchtime, I ate a lentil stew with Spanish chorizo at the Buen Camino Bar and Cafeteria. It was really great food. Yeji helped translate for a Korean couple who then bought us all treats. So I had another doughnut today, this one with Halloween sprinkles, waiting for me when I came back from the restroom.

We finally arrived in Padrón and found our hostel. There were only two other women staying here. One from Brazil and I don't know about the other woman. Once again, I was the lone man in the group. The WiFi did not work upstairs in the dormitory, just downstairs in the café that was closed for the night. We looked around for dinner and ended up at the church on a hill above the Rio Sar. While looking around at the ornate carvings and depictions of religious figures in the Catholic church, I noticed a man walk past me to the corner of the building and started ringing the church bell. More people were gathering at the church and we decided to sit and watch the Catholic Mass that was about to take place. It was my first time ever attending and although it was in Spanish, I could still understand most of what was being said. It was an unusual experience for me seeing the priest up front address the congregation and the woman at his side quoting scriptures from the bible. Members of the congregation, who I assume were Catholic, knew when to stand and when to sit, what verses to recite, and when to express praises and gratitude to God. As an outsider, it all felt strange to me. I also find it strange that you must pay £1 to light a candle. I assume it is meant to go with a  prayer for someone and their health or success in some endeavor. I have been asked to light a candle for a person I met in Coimbra when I reach Santiago. We do something similar in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but you just write their name down to be included on the prayer roll in the temple. There is no cost to do this.

After attending Mass, we struggled to find a restaurant for dinner. You would think a cafeteria would serve food, but the ones here in Spain only have drinks at 8 pm. Another restaurant took us in and had us sit down before letting us see their menu. The five meals they had on the menu looked strange and very expensive. I had no regrets walking out of that place although the server appeared disappointed. We settled on an Italian place that seemed to be the popular go to take-out place this Sunday night. So many people were getting orders to go, but we stayed and enjoyed our food there. I ordered a normal calzone with ham and cheese and it was gigantic. Every meal here, except for breakfasts, seem to come in such large portions. I thought the USA was known for their large portions, but Spain seems to have us beat. While we were eating the power went out in the city. A restaurant worker assured us this was no problem and the lights came back on a few minutes later. However, they were still off in our neighborhood when we returned to the hostel. It took another hour or so to come back on and I was able to charge my phone and watch over night. Tomorrow is the big day when I arrive in Santiago! I am getting more and more excited the closer I get. It won't be long now!

Check out Cogumelos e Bicicletas de Montanha - Day 24 on Relive! https://www.relive.cc/view/vMv8BJDGgP6

Um Dia Ensolarado - Day 23

A Sunny Day

Arcade - O Cruceiro (18.7 miles) 

Today was very simple. We left the hostel around 9 am after a quick breakfast at the restaurant down the street. I had the scrambled eggs with toast. I haven't had many eggs on this trip, so this breakfast was special.

We walked together out of Arcade and through vineyards and forests to Pontevedra. It is pleasant walking through vineyards again. Although, I tried a few grapes and they were very sour.

We passed through Pontevedra without stopping and saw a few familiar faces from the trail as we went. Yeji and I were almost attacked by a pigeon in the plaza. This city was far better than Vigo and the narrow streets with shops and cafés reminded me more of Coimbra than any other city we walked through on this journey.

On our way out of town, we passed a man riding a tall white horse and leading a pack horse. Later on another younger looking man came riding by on another tall white horse. He was playing traditional Galician music on his phone as he rode past. I enjoyed listening to the sound of horse shoes striking the cobblestone street. There were several new faces on the road today and several familiar ones from previous stages. Overall, it was a sunny day after the rain showers this morning. My face got a little sun, but it was not too bad.

We found the albergue not far from the route. Most people we had seen stopped prior to it or continued to walk past. It had been a long day of walking and my feet were tired. Once again, I had the mens restroom all to myself, while there were four other women not including Yeji and Xenia using the women's restroom. This albergue also had an adjoining restaurant. I ate chicken noodle soup and carbonara pasta. It was alright, but the soup and pasta I had in Souto Redondo, before Porto, was the best. There is only 50 kilometers left to walk to Santiago de Compostela. That means only two more days and I will be there!

Check out Um Dia Ensolarado - Day 23 on Relive! https://www.relive.cc/view/vKv2Q1JDN4q