Month: September 2023

September 24: Gonzard to Melide

32 klicks today in great walking weather. Lots of hills again. The guide books and apps are misleading because the elevation levels do not reveal the real story. When you go from one town to another the elevations at the two places may be the same. You get the idea th you have a flat path or a level walk. In reality you walk across one or two  valleys in between those two villages. In Galicia, which is very hilly the orientation of the valleys us north and south. As we are walking east to west we have to cross the valleys, which means going downhill on the one side,cross the valley floor and then climb out if the valley on the other side. In that sense today’s walk was brutal. we crossed 4 valleys over 25 klicks  one of which was 3 klicks long yet the elevation at the start was the same at the end. I broke the pilgrims’ third rule and cursed a great deal today. Our only saving grace was that the scenery was awesome:

Spanish lunch in the town of Azula:

God I love this country.

Read ya tomorrow. 52 klick to go.

 

September 23: Barbedelo to Gonzard

 

Yes, about 65 klicks to go. if you can believe the Camino road signs. I Don t.

Walked through Portmorin to Gonzard because the majority of the pilgrims would have stopped at Portmorin including all of the part time Pilgrims who started at Sarria, and there were hundreds of them. Unreal. I Don,t like this. it sucks Bigly.

We have noticed that the feel and atmosphere is changing a great deal. It is becoming more expensive and commercialized. Many of the Albergues and cafes only take cash. Up until we entered Galicia 70 % or more of the Albergues and cafes and restaurants took credit but not now. Also the landscape is changing. It is flatter as we are out if the mountains now.

We look back and cannot believe we walked across and through the mountain range. Yet there are still hills here. Undulating hills. lots of hills. every village,town or small city is on top of a hill, which we have to climb. It seems that we are always climbing. The scenery is beautiful. Very lush and green. Small hills but hills nevertheless. I dream of hills. Weird. I know. A Pilgrim,s worst nightmare…hills.

A tree tunnel. Cool in a hot sun.

Hydrangea bush. Dot would love this.

Barbedelo had a pool. Very cold but we went in regardless. Gonzard was a very quaint Albergues with great food and beer. Loved it.

Tomorrow we walk to Melide, the octopus capital of the world or so Jerry tells me. 32 klicks.

Sorry for the lateness but the wifi over the last few days suck.

Read ya tomorrow.

Galicia province.

100 klicks to go.

More hills. Sure looks like Mexico to me.

 

 

September 22: Triacastille to Barbedelo

Decided to walk through Sarria and go to the next Albergure 5 kilometers past Sarria. Sarria is important because it is the last major village before Santiago. You have to show that you went through Sarria to get your certificate or Compestelle. Many  many people start here and walk the final 100 klicks. Jerry calls them plastic pilgrims or pretend pilgrims because they have not suffered like us and as I have said Pilgrims have to suffer. They cannot have fun and they cannot swear. Shyte!

2 euros for a glass, 3 euros for a bottle. Man oh man how I love this country.

Our pilgrim meal tonight.

Dinner for 12 euros or about 20 bucks. But remember we have to suffer so forget that you saw these pictures. They will self destruct after the pilgrimage is over.

 

Typical terrain

Done 670 klicks so far. About 100 to go.

Jerryisms:

“I am so hungry I could eat the scabs off of a badger.”

When describing another Pilgrim who walks very fast: “He takes off like a scalded cat.”

Read ya tomorrow. Galicia province is so beautiful. God’s country but it does rain a lot.

Cheers.

 

September 21: Faba to Tricastilla

4.5 kilometer walk straight up hill first thing in the morning to reach O Cebreiro. Hard yes but the scenery at the top of the ridge in these mountains have been worth the slog. God how I love this country. Rolling hills covered with dark green forests, emerald green field withe a delicate dull white mist that flows down into the valley floors. There is a God.

We had our morning coffee and beps (Bun) in O Cebreiro. After a 30 minute break in a very rustic, Spanish Cafe at the top of the mountains. This always reminds me of the scene in the Great Escape where the Spanish guide welcomes the James Colbourne character of his welcome to Spain and safety.Then we headed downhill????? to Triacastille. Oh it is downhill all the way they said. Terrain is good they said. They lied. It was brutal. A 4 kilometer uphill climb coupled with hard core downhill grinds. The only way to  decribe it is to say it is like walking through a gravel quary.

Then Jerry said he saw a cafe through the mist and trees. I don’t see it I said. Its just around the corner and over the ridge, he said. He lied. 5 more kicks later and we reached it. It was cold and raining. A woman inside was sick and hacking like a Pilgrim. We were worried about catching something. We left. Rain and cold.

A cold and rainy day.

We made it to our destination, crashed with 50 of our closest friends, then went out for a spaghetti and then crashed again. What I can say is Galicia province is awesome.

A Jerryism: About junk food:”a second on the lips means a month on your hips.”

Read ya tomorrow.

 

 

 

September 20: Villa Franca to O Cebreiro

Walking today to the highest point of the Camino in O Cebreiri, which is code for a bitch of a walk up a steep grade. After doing this and being a veteran Pilgrim one gets to learn the various nuances of the hike: ” Oh no not another freaking hill.” That is Irish for you know what.

Our Camino guardian in Villa Franca

Jerry and I enroute.⁸

We left Villa Franca around 730am. Very dark. I was a tad anxious because of this notion that it was the highest point yet for the first 18 kilometers it was easy going. Very flat terrain on the side of a highway. We counted 17 bridges for the main motorway above us. It was very impressive, but boring. So I put on some tunes and sang along. Soon, I found myself alone!!!

The final kilometers were really hard. And that is what is interesting about this walk. Just when you think you have it made, a curve is thrown your way. In this case a kilometers walk uphill over the most treacherous terrain you have ever seen. Rocks, boulders, loose gravel and shale With a slate base. You do not want to fall. This over a very steep grade that slows one down to a crawl. Indeed some pilgrims had to crawl to the top. But no matter because pilgrims have to suffer and they can,t have fun and they cannot swear but today that last rule was broken many,many times. Forgive me lord.

Great Pic

This country is beautiful. We ended up 4 k short of our destination because we were exhausted and could go no further. O Cebreiro will have to wait until tomorrow. We bedded down at a monastery run by Germans but before we did Jerry and I and a few others imbibed a few beers and a pilgrim’s dinner at the local cantina.l

Great day if even a tough slog at the end.

Read ya later.

Man oh man how I love this country.

John the Pilgrim.