Short video compilation

I took some video along the Way and edited together quickly. I am not much of a video person, but I really like seeing this. The crunch of the boots and some of the sounds really bring back the memories.

A brief list of locations:

• first scene is crossing the Roman bridge in Hospital de Orbigo
• the guitar player is walking down the mountains into Astorga
• the bells are in the Plaza Major of Astorga
• the miles of fence with the nature crosses was just before Rabinal del Camino. Laurel's pack looks pretty big in the video, but is it the rain cover ballooning in the wind..
• the fog and the wind are at the high point and high light of the Camino at the Cruz de Ferro
• the next set of trails are climbing to O Cebreiro, the second highest point and the highest place to stay for the night.
• The crowds and cows are on the way to Portomarin and three days from Santigo where the crowds can pickup.
• The music in in Portomarin with a local band playing Celtic music. The Celts were here before they migrated to Ireland.
• The video ends when we get to the Obradoiro Square in front of the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela. I stopped the video partially because of the Italians taking selfies and partially because I wanted to enjoy arriving at our destination.

I hope you enjoy.

Final thoughts back in States

Now that we are back in the USA I thought I would share some final random thoughts that might have been good blog posts if we had WIFI everywhere, and I felt like typing after a long day.

Food quality 

We never had a bad meal the entire time in Spain, if we I exclude one dodgy fish empanada in a road side bar. This was a bit unexpected. We were in a lot of villages with fewer than 100 inhabitants and without exception the produce was fresh, the food well prepared and served, and the wine excellent. Laurel would want me to make a special shout out to the amazing tomatoes. We ate salad at least once each day the tomatoes all tasted like those wonderful fruit you get off the vine in your backyard.

Also, we never saw salad dressing in Spain. They would give you olive oil and bit of white vinegar. In hind sight it would have been a shame to hide that produce with heavy creamy dressings -- even if they had even been on the menu.

We hear in the USA about our portions being too big. Well I ordered a ham and egg sub (jamon y huevas boccadio) and it had five fried eggs and cost $3.

Hands down the best food experience on any vacation, including any cruise ship we have every been on. An interesting side note is that we only spent more than $10 per person on two meals the entire trip, even with wine and dessert included.

Waiters

There is no tipping expected in Spain and waiters make a living wage in what is considered a good profession. We saw waiters doing amazing work while proving outstanding customer service. Our last night in Spain we watched a waiter handle 15 tables in an upscale restaurant without breaking a sweat. Whenever he left the dining room he had trays full of empty plates and whenever he returned he had trays full of food. In between he poured wine and handled people paying their bills.

I did leave a small tip a few times. At one cafe the waiter added the tip to a jar above the bar. All of the wait staff contributed for a staff party at an upcoming soccer match.

Cleanliness

The worst restrooms of the trip where in airports/airplanes. Even the pit toilet that "Tomas the last of the Templars" maintained was clean and odorless. Granted there was no seat and only three walls, but Laurel was pleased that there was a nice pole you could hang from and a roll of toilet paper. The restrooms were spotless and the fixtures were shiny clean. This probably says as much about the attitudes of 150,000 annual pilgrims as it does about the owners of the facilities.

We heard rumors of bedbugs before we left. We treated our clothes and silk sleeping liners appropriately. We never saw a bed that we didn't feel perfectly comfortable sleeping on. All of the sheets, pillows, blankets, etc. were spotless and fresh. We only had one place that gave us paper sheets and they were hermitically sealed and pretty comfortable. We even had Temperpedic foam mattresses at small pension in O’Pedrouzo. We payed from $3 to $20 person for the night.

Necessities

 At a pilgrim mass after the second week the priest said 'you started the Camino with only the necessities, and the necessities become less each day'. He was right. We started the trip with 14 pounds each in our backpacks. At the start of the second week when I got sick, we reassessed our 'necessities'. What do we need to get us to Santiago in time?

We made a bundle with our pack rain covers to forward and reduced to two sets of clothes each. We eliminated other items we had not used or could do without. We also checked the weather and eliminated rain gear -- we shipped the bundle to our room in Santiago for 2 euros. It was much easier walking with our new necessities.

You may have noticed in my pictures that some pilgrims leave behind items along the way. Boots are the most common casualty as people switch mainly to running shoes. Laurel did this during the second week, but shipped her Italian hiking shoes to Santiago. Her new 'memory foam' running shoes got her to Santiago, but the soles were letting rocks in on the last day so they were in the bin before we left Spain. Like a bike racer, I found myself throwing away full water bottles once we sighted the Cathedral for the first time.

Bucket list?

I thought before we went that we would check the Camino off our list. To my surprise both Laurel and I have added other Caminos on our wish list -- maybe two or three. This was a once in a life time experience that we plan to have again.

The reason is the people you meet. We walked much of our final day with Lee and Lorain -- a couple about our age we had met in Portomarin.

I walked with Lee, a fire rescue expert from Queensland Australia.  After his recent wife's death he planned a long trip to Ireland to take a break.

Laurel walked with Loraine. She was from Dublin, Ireland and recently separated from her husband. After the separation she had a long trip to Australian to take a break.

The two met in Australia during her holiday, they got to together again in Ireland again during his holiday, and now they were on the Camino with plans to settle together back in Queensland. He had lost 40 pounds in the 35 days they spent on the Camino and had a new view on life. It was with a touch of sadness that we separated about 5 kilometers from Santiago on our last day. Lee and Lorain wanted to walk to the Cathedral at sunrise the day we were flying out and we had to move on.

The people like this you meet that have a wiliness and even necessity to share their stories. I think I will find people too guarded now that I am home.

Final thought

 At the Pilgrim mass in the Cathedral of Santiago, there were 6 priests con-celebrating. I recognized one of the priests as someone who con-celebrated the mass the previous week in O'Cebreiro. He was introduced as a fellow pilgrim and a priest from Ecuador. It was special to know he shared almost every step with us and presided at the two Saturday vigil masses of our Camino.

The final homely from the priest was a powerful message. It was delivered in simple Spanish so even I could get his message. He said, "During your Camino you stopped each day to help  your fellow pilgrims at the side of the road. You helped bandage their blistered feet, you gave them food or water, and you helped them find an empty bed for the evening. You were their brother pilgrim. When you return home and you see a person by the side of the road -- will you just walk by?  Will you say not my problem?".

Quite a challenge to live up to -- but it is the experience of the Camino.

Day 15: Santiago de Compostela back to Jacksonville

We had to catch the 6 am train from Santiago to Madrid. We carried our packs to the lobby and Laurel tried out her Spanish skills by requesting "a taxi quickly"  -- "taxi exprés" in Spanish.

The desk clerk looked a bit annoyed and I added emphasis by saying "pronto". We soon had our "taxi expresso" -- taxi with two expresso coffees

The Camino provides.

We're now on the train about halfway to Madrid.

Day 14: We made it! Awarding of the Compestela

Holy years, or Jubilee years, only take place every 25 years, unless the Pope requests an extraordinary Holy Year to highlight a specific topic. In this case, Pope Francis has declared 2016 a Holy Year of Mercy.

Santiago Cathedral opened  the Holy Door of the cathedral (Porta Santa). When it is not a holy year the door is locked and then bricked over -- just like the holy door of St Peter's basilica in Rome.

When we walked in to Santiago the first order of business was to visit the tomb of St James the Apostle. The holy door opened directly to the tomb that houses the saint's remains below the main altar.

Tomb of the Apostle St. James the Greater

Then we snaked through short narrow passages carrying our backpacks, to climb up into the wall above the main altar where we could reach around from behind and embrace the statue of St James as pilgrims have for hundreds of years.

The second order of business was to go to the Pilgrim's Office and stand in line for an hour or more to get our compostela.

The compostela has been given since the Early Middle Ages. The compostela is a certificate of accomplishment given to pilgrims on completing the Way. At the Pilgrim's Office our credencial was  examined for stamps and dates. We were also issued a distance certificate Showing we started in Leon.

Everything  is in Latin so Shane could read it, but here is the translation:

The CHAPTER of this holy apostolic and metropolitan Church of Compostela, guardian of the seal of the Altar of the blessed Apostle James, in order that it may provide authentic certificates of visitation to all the faithful and to pilgrims from all over the earth who come with devout affection or for the sake of a vow to the shrine of our Apostle St. James, the patron and protector of Spain, hereby makes known to each and all who shall inspect this present document that [Name] has visited this most sacred temple for the sake of pious devotion. As a faithful witness of these things I confer upon them the present document, authenticated by the seal of the same Holy Church.

Given at Compostela on the [day] of the month of [month] in the year of the Lord [year].

It sounds even better in Latin.

Finally to our beautiful Hotel in the shadow of the Cathedral.

The train to Madrid in the morning.

Day14: All paths lead to Santiago -- 19km left

As we approach Santiago many of the people we have met all converge on the holy doors at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral.

We have enjoyed each others company for a few hours or even a  few days, but we walk at different paces. Even if we stayed in the same town we may have stayed in different lodging.

Yesterday as we ate lunch, and last night has we finished our dinner with a very nice couple from Amsterdam, we started seeing faces we recognized.

Our South African friend we shared a room with is here. We caught a glimpse of the German girl with the bad feet from our first night and she was walking with a spring in her step. We saw a man with a large backpacking dancing a jig and it was the man who started at his house in Sweden.

We have seen many others as well--some we know only by their walk or the back of their packs.

We know many others are still out on the Camino behind us. We wonder about the lady and her companion in the three wheel wheelchair and the blind kids who were following the guide by all holding on to long pipe with their left hands. Did the guide dogs that were being trained learn how to recognize the yellow arrows?

It has been very eye opening. I love the movie "The Way" but to have been part of this for 15 days has been remarkable.

See you in Santiago.

Day 13: Arzua to O Pedrouzo on Friday

About twenty kilometers today through Galicia in the rolling farm country. We saw only one small 18th century church today, Santa Irene, but it was closed.

Depending on the map we have from 17-19 kilometers to the Cathedral. I don't think it matters at this point we might run there. Some people walk barefoot once we get in town -- not us.

Historically pilgrims would stop in this town to wash for the first time on their pilgrimage and be clean when they arrive in the cathedral. The Latin translation of the town name is "wash your tail". I'll keep this G-rated and let you figure that out on your own.

We may go for the octopus again tonight for dinner. That is the most common local delicacy in this part of Spain.

Interesting side note. I thought we would learn a lot about Spanish wines on the trip and we would make sure we made note of the labels so we could buy some when we get back to Jacksonville. We've only had one bottle the entire trip with a label and it was the worst bottle of the entire time in Spain. Every wine without a label has been fantastic.

Tomorrow in Santiago we can go to a winery where you just fill your cup from the large barrels and they don't even bother with the bottles.

The more observant may notice that I'm wearing a different hat. My trusty Tilley hat that I've had for a couple years, and went on the Appalachian Trail with me last year, is gone. The Tilley hats carry a lifetime warranty for damage, theft, or hats that finish the Pilgrimage with a different pilgrim. (may Santiago strike them down in the square)

Laurel got me a very nice new hat that saved me additional trips to the dermatologist.

  

Day 12: Melinda to Arzua on Thursday

We're feeling 100% today and took a fairly short walk to the town of Arzua. This region is well known in Spain for its cheese. The cheese is made with no chemicals and no preservatives and is so good it is all eaten here in Galicia or shipped to other regions in Spain. None of its exported. Sorry.

Today at lunch I had a  jamon y queso bocadillo and Laurel had Galicia soup with a cheese platter.

We passed many churches today all from the 15th century or earlier. They're all very tiny only sitting a hundred people or less but they have spectacular paintings and statuary that any church in the United States would pay a  fortune to have Most of the statues are very vivid in color,  particularity the Mary statues. Almost every Church has been Santa María "something" up until the last two days. Now most churches are some derivation of  Santiago for Saint James.

The highlight of the day was seeing a man walking the Camino in 14th century clothing and equipment. Just with the clothes on his back. Makes you feel decadent to be carrying two changes of  clothing.

A final note. You can buy a good still for making moonshine at any cookware store in town. 

Day 13: The journey is the destination

When we started it was all about reaching Santiago. We still have that as the goal but will treasure the people and stories from each day.

Yesterday we walked part of the day with a retired man from Maryland who is now a  PhD student in history at Auburn University. The conversation got philosophical. He did walk a bit fast for Laurel so we took a break to separate.

Last night we had four single beds in a room. We shared with a young man from Santiago and a women our age from South Africa.

The young man just took his civil service exam to qualify for a job in the Spanish Government. (as I type this the phone suggested Spanish Inquisition) He timed his Camino from Leon so that he arrives back in Santiago two days before his test scores are posted.

The woman from South Africa was talked in to the Camino by a friend who planned for years. Her friend was not able to come so she started solo from Leon two days before us. In her words "It wasn't my dream, but it has been brilliant."

Back the US sharing a room sounds strange. However, all four of us started our Camino in Leon and through providence ended in the same room for the night. We all experienced the same terrain and weather over the last two weeks and have crossed paths with some of the same people. It just seems natural.

Fresh water pool to cool off in the summer

Grain storage -- we thought they were graves

Never very far from a church

Day 11: Palas de Rei to Melide on Wednesday

I was still recovering from the "Samos flu" so we walked a quick 15 kilometers to Melide. This town is famous for their octopus stew, but went for other fare.

We saw some fantastic churches today. Beautiful fresco's from the 15th century.

The main church in town is Iglesia de San Pedro and it was packed for 7 pm mass.

We are about 50 kilometers away from Santiago.

We shared a room tonight with a college student from Santiago who was walking the Camino in hopes of good grades and a chief from South Africa who was taking a long food tour of Spain.

The chief gave us a recommendation on a 5* restaurant that served us a 10 euro pilgrim meal because we ate before 7 pm. Their normal diner is at 9 pm and we are in bed. Great food, but I must say that we have had food equal to it in several local cafes in the villages.

No vino no Camino!