Observations
Been in Santiago Compestella for 6 days. Two would have been enough but I am on schedule. Mind you Santiago is a beautiful city. It’s anchor of course is the magnificent Basilica of St James.
From the Alameda Park you can see beautiful vistas of the Basilica and supporting buildings. The park also provides a much needed respite from the enormous crowds here and the over the top commercialism.
Two women that were known for their silent protest. The statue sits at the entrance to the park. It is a peaceful oasis from the maddening crowds in the old town.
Terraces are everywhere to enjoy that European pastime of eating and drinking outside. You have to eat at some terraces. At others a coffee or a beer is good enough. Beer is relatively cheap. I have paid as little as 2 Euros and as high as 5. They will up you unless you specify little or grande.
It’s a cool place with cool dudes just like me.
Very few speak English whereas in Portugal most people spoke some English. Now that is not a criticism but an observation. I am told that the Portuguese people learn English at a very early age. The Spanish do not.
Santiago is very clean. The stone streets are cleaned every few days by a street cleaning vehicle. Just like we used to do in Canadian cities back in the day.
The food is good. Beer is wonderful. The Galician soup is full of flavor and their bocadillo with local cheese and ham is delicious. They also have a MacDonald,s, Burger King to have it your way, a Taco Bell and a KFC- all on one street. We call that the American quarter.
Santiago is the capital city of Galician. It is very old dating back to the 800s. It has a population of about 100,000 but grows by 25,000 students every year. The University is a very impressive and important aspect of the city. As is tourism, some manufacturing, and the end of 5 pilgrimage sites. It has thousands of acres of green space. It is a place for Pilgrims but also a meeting place for people from all walks of life from all over the world. A Caruna is a gem but Santiago is the pearl of Spain.
I will not go into my accommodations as they are cheap and very, very modest. Gerry and I discovered this place when we did the Spanish Camino in 23. We paid 25 euros a night. That says it all but the deaf landlady is a sweet ole gal who has to scream and shout just to understand herself. At night she lovingly screams at her husband like some impaired banshee and keeps the whole place awake. She is probably saying that she loves her husband but the tone would indicate otherwise.
Tomorrow? Rome. No more posts.
Thanks for following this adventure.
Luv ya .
A Coruna
Day 10 and 11: Padron to Santiago: The Last Post
You just can’t get away from it. Check out the flag!!! Even at Camino ground zero a political statement has to be made. This place is supposed to be sacred non partisan ground. Spiritual enlightenment not political malfeasance. Oh well.
The last two days were really uneventful. Walking through the burbs. Excited to finish? You bet. Did I have an “ah hah” moment of truth? Yes but not in the way you might think. Got into Santiago around noon, booked into our regular place where I stayed in 2023, went to collect our Compostela then chilled out. Walked around the plaza a bit gawking at the thousands of people here.
Thousands.
My boots blew out so I bought another at a great price.
They lasted 2 Caminos. Merrill’s. Great boot.
280 kilometers done between Porto Portugal and Santiago Spain. The Portuguese part was fantastic. Great coastal scenery, big huge rollers and surf worthy swells hit the rocky foreshore with great strength causing spray and massive blowholes. The onshore sea breezes were heaven sent in furnace like temperatures. And all of this under clear blue cloudless skies and an indigo blue sea.
The people of Portugal were super friendly, helpful and serving. The food was great and the beer even better. We had a great time.
Spain was a huge disappointment. People were very unfriendly and unhelpful. I had heard that the Spanish people were anti tourist and going out of their way to make it known that tourists were not welcome in their country even though the Pilgrims made up a good portion of the Galician economy. Santiago is becoming a commercial hub. I knew things were changing when they were charging for a credential stamp. Everything was at a price. And the crowds in Spain after Rodendella were unreal. Hundreds and hundreds of pilgrims walking in the same space. Things were staged – from the beggars at the Basilica to the mariachi band at the plaza and square to the bag Piper at the arches every evening just like they were 3 years ago.
The picture doesn’t do the crowd numbers justice.
Thousands of pilgrims. Every single second of the day 100 euros is paid for a compestella. Do the math.
We had no rain for the whole time. Temperatures were in the mid 30s. One day it hit 38C. Too friggin hot. The cost of the Albergues have gone way up.
Majority of the Pilgrims were women. Young people as well. All looking for something whereas us old farts have found it and are trying to get rid of it.
Accommodations after Rodendella were scarce. Food has increased as has beer. If you are going to do this I would recommend October or April. Don’t believe the historical records. I have done 4 Caminos now in September and every one of them have been furnaces.
Everyone has a reason for doing a Camino. That is great. Remember though that it is just a walk. You can do the same at home. Gerry says that it is a great way to lose weight.
As for me? Would I do another?
NO?
Commercialization and social media has destroyed the Camino and the Camino spirit.
At least in my mind.
Thanks for following.
Tomorrow? The city of A Coruna. A real gem. Beautiful 😍 ❤️.
Day 9: Calda de Reas to Paldron
Got in bit of trouble with accommodations as in we could not get any. The three Portuguese Caminos merge at Redondela. Every pension, every hotel and every private or public room was booked. It was also the hottest day yet at 38C or 100.4F. Gerry and I couldn’t go another step so we decided to take a bus to the next town but only after we drank Lake America.
Hot and frazzled. That tee that I am wearing is soaked through. But Pilgrims are supposed to suffer and not have fun so I “feckin” pressed on. No, that is not swearing. It is the title of an Irish folk song so Gerry tells me.