Trischs Travels

Arriving in Caldas De Reis late in the afternoon of what had been a big day, I was feeling hopeful that my accommodation would be as fabulous as the advert. I decided I should treat myself to a few good nights before I headed home in a few days. That, along with transporting my backpack, has made it possible for me to do the kilometres necessary to arrive back in Santiago on 21 April and make my connecting flights home.

OMG, I was in absolute heaven. I had booked the option of a spa, and there were no words to describe how wonderful that was. I will try and find some online photos of the spa as naturally it wasn’t possible to take my own photos. I was on heaven on earth and felt like I was floating on clouds. There is a video in the link below. It cost me 94 Euro (converts to approx $150 AUD) for bed and breakfast and the spa. Unbelievable.

https://www.balnearioacuna.com/

To top it off, they had given me a room that I had heard about but not yet seen. All across the caminos I have seen and photographed Horreos, also called a Galician granary. It is believed the oldest still standing date back to the 15th century. They are structures raised off the ground by pillars and usually have flat straddle stones at the ends, preventing rodent’s from getting into the grain.

What, you might ask, has this to do with my accommodation. Being a fan of making what is old new again and reimagineing everyday items, I was thrilled to stay in a Horreo that had been made into an awesome little suite. When I expressed my delight to the receptionist, she told me it was pure luck. The man who had been booked in there didn’t like it, so they gave him another room. His misfortune and my good luck, especially since it was away from the main road and the only room with air-conditioning. Double bonus for me.

I will add a video clip of the to the FB post. slept soundly and started out straight after breakfast.

This morning saw the start of another day where I got hopelessly bamboozled leaving the city. Clearly, this trip has not enhanced my hopeless sense of direction at all. First, I was heading the wrong way, next I took another wrong turn, and then I couldn’t find any arrows. Google maps was telling me to head north; if I knew which way was bloody north, I probably wouldn’t need Mr. Bloody google. It was not a good start. Fortunately, I had caved in and organised my bag transfer, so my load was light today.

I cursed Mr google for about 5 minutes, oh all right more like 10 minutes, I took a breath and found a bar that was open for coffee. You may have noticed google is of male persuasion today, and that’s because only a male would be silly enough to talk in terms of north or south when giving me directions. Me, the person who lost her car in a car park once, or maybe twice. 😳

I decided the sensible thing to do was to repeat yesterday and grab a taxi to drop me at the juncture where the route splits. I wanted to take the original route in the hope I would find the waterfalls I had read about at Briallos. As I sat pondering my decision, I spotted, right in front of me, the legendary yellow arrow. How did I not see it sooner? It’s the coffee, I have become quite addicted, it fixes everything.
As I was going to reduce my walking by a few klms, I decided to do a little shopping before I left. I found exactly what I was looking for in a little shop right by the cathedral. So I paid a visit there before heading off.

I asked the taxi driver to drop me at the juncture where to Camino route splits to make sure I headed in the right direction. I intended to take to original route as I hoped to see the waterfalls I had heard much about.
The route ran along the train line for a while before turning left onto a quiet lane way. I was so relieved to be away from highways and city traffic.

Almost before I was ready for a change, I saw the signs for the Natural Park of the Rio Barosa and the waterfalls. The park is only half a klm off the route and so worth the little diversion. The guidebook says there is a bar and amenities. Unfortunately, the bar was closed, but I was okay, I had water and snacks with me today. The place is a spectacular little oasis, and if you are on the Portuguese don’t miss it. I will let the photos tell the story except to say that many Pilgrims were enjoying themselves, cooling their feet in the refreshing waters.

I was tempted to stay longer but knew I still had about 10 klms to go and was afraid that if I dallied too long, I might not have the energy to get going again.

The next section was a bit uneventful except that there were more lush green paddocks and amazing wildflowers, which is what I have come to expect by now. Suddenly, off to the left in the distance, I spotted the stark white wind turbines that I experienced days of waking toward on the Camino Frances a little over a week ago.

This morning I headed out early before the sun was up. The sky had a pretty pre-dawn pink hue to it and I realised I would be in the shade for some time as the sunrise would be behind the mountains.
My plan was to get the bus to Vigo and walk the last 13 klms to Redondela where I had accommodation booked for the night. As we all know ‘the best laid plans’ etc.

I left early to give myself plenty of time to get to the bus stop and was still a little distance away when along came a bus. I started to run when a man across the road called out ‘not to rush’. I thought that meant the bus would stay at the stop until it was the correct time, so I immediately stopped running. Wrong move, as I watched the bus pull away. The Rome2Rio app told me there was not another bus due for over 2 hours.

After getting such an early start and still being by the coast, I was content to set off following the yellow arrows once again.

Almost immediately the path split off from the shared bike/walking yellow path that runs along the main road. I opted to take the walking track. I had ventured about a kilometre to where the track goes uphill to meet the shared path again, when almost to the top, the bus I thought I had missed, sails past me.  Oh well, it was a beautiful day for a walk. Though the next time the route split, I opted to stay on the shared path rather than the ‘goat track’.

There was nothing open for coffee, so I trudged on to As Marina where the guide said I could get food. I was too early and nothing was open. In my eagerness to find substance I completely missed the warning that the route splits just before As Marinas in favour of a hiking trail that is shorter than the coastal route and that the arrows I have come to rely on would be scarce. Bugger.  I tossed up if I should backtrack to find the shorter route, but the allure of the Atlantic Ocean was too much, and I continued onward to Baiona, keeping the coastline close to my left. The day was starting to awake while I watched some fishermen. Giant waves crashed against the rocks they were fishing from.

I am amazed at the wildflowers growing beside the ocean. They are abundant along the sides of the roads and in the paddocks, which I expected as it is spring here now. It is the varieties that grow so close to the salt water that surprises me.

Stopping every now and then to watch the ocean, the crystal clear aqua coloured water and the crashing waves made it an easy walk and time passed quickly.

Along the way, I passed cafes that had not reopened since COVID, and I am reminded of the impact the lack of people walking the Camio would have had on many of the little villages along the route.

The sun finally came up from behind the mountain and it soon warmed up. I started what is jokingly known as the Camino strip, removing layers of clothing under the 20 C temperature that feels more like 30 C.

Arriving in Baiona, I found a cafe for breakfast and decided to have a look around while I pondered my next move. Walking along the shoreline, I came across the Monterrey Castle, a 12th century fortress that wasn’t completed until the 16th century. Initially, the castle was a strategic point for the defence of the maritime territory of the Rias Bajas.

The Catholic Monarches later transformed the castle into a town where over 200 families lived within the walls. It has had many iterations over the centuries, and since 1966, it has housed a National Parador, which is a Spanish public hotel chain. It is classified as an ‘Asset of Cultural Interest’, which I expect is similar  status as Australia’s National Trust properties.
Its other claim to fame is that on March 1st, 1493, Martin Alonso Pinzon, a Spanish navigator and explorer, along with Christopher Columbus, returned here after his trip to America, making this town the first in Europe to hear the news of the discovery of the New World.

Biaona is a pretty seaside town that has retained some of its old-world charm, so I took my time looking around.

This morning, after a sleepless night, I bid Oia farewell. I didn’t fall asleep until almost 3 a.m., so I slept late. I chatted for a while with Eduardo from Mexico, who also stayed at La Cala Pilgrims Inn last night. Eduardo was to start out early this morning but had a foot problem and opted to do the sensible thing and seek treatment before he started walking again.

I finally walked out the door at 9.30 am. I headed toward the beach for one final look, and again, I am following the all-important yellow arrows. They will guide me on the way.

The route is fairly simple to start, following the coastline for several klms, which I am happy about. I told myself I could not take as many photos today as I needed to keep my wits about me and make sure I don’t miss any of the important yellow arrows. If I miss them, I will have to backtrack and add more steps. There are so many beautiful things I easily forget and reach for my phone/camera.
After a couple of klms that path diverts from the coast and just like that, I am sharing the path with bicycles and cars again. Although I had only walked a few klms, I stopped at a cafe on the beach for a cortado and potato frittata. The path then crosses the road and slowly climbs uphill and over some rugged paths.

Out of nowhere, a van appears. He is the bread delivery man who opens the back of his van to offer his treats to me and other pilgrims. Although I had just eaten , I was tempted by a delicious little coconut treat. Home bread deliveries are still a ‘thing’ here as there are no shops close by. As I have walked the Camino, I have often seen bags hanging on a gate, and the bread is left there. Other times, like today, the delivery man calls out to a household and passes their bread over the fence. It evoked memories for me of when I was little, and we lived on the sugar farm at Aborgowrie. The bread was delivered weekly, and in between deliveries, mum made damper or fried scones. How the world has changed for those of us who live in cities in Australia..

After a little section of uphill, the path winds down again toward the main road, and I find myself close to the beach again. Another pretty little beachside area. There is not much here except a bar and an Albergue. I have only done about 8klms but decide to stay here tonight. The next section does not have many accommodations. I found a place on Booking.com for 42Euro ($69 Aud) for a private room. I can’t register until 4pm so am sitting across from the beach, drinking coffee, and catching on on messages, etc. I think the accommodation is only about 1 klm away and so I have time to fill.

I am off to find my accommodation now.

Sea glass is weathered glass. Wave-action and salt water are the forces that give it its frosted look and a satiny feel. It is also called beach glass and even mermaid’s tears by some. It is sometimes sought after by jewellery makers. I have always loved it and been interested to understand the journey from the discarded bottle or broken something to the precious piece of sea glass it becomes. One man’s treasure they say.

Serious sea glass collectors can explain how glass colours are connected to a period in history – e.g. orange glass is connected to the art-deco period, and how certain colours can be dated by their manufacturing methods eg yellow glass had uranium-content up until 1940. Me, I know none of that and am only interested in the joy of finding some. It might make little sense to people that I have come in search of a piece of broken glass that I can’t even keep, but that matters not to me. My joy in finding the beautiful pieces today was worth it to me.

Alone on the beach I was joined by a dog. He kept running back and forth between me and the ramp I had thought I could leave the beach by, then he would run back to the stairs I had descended onto the beach from. He did this several times and when he ran to the ramp he would run back and forth across the entrance to the ramp as if telling me not to go that way. After a few episodes of this I decided to go back via the stairs. The dog then waited at the top of the stairs until I left the beach. I was lucky to meet such a smart dog as when I continued on my walk, I realised the water from the mountain ran out across the ramp, perhaps making it slippery. Also, with my limited understanding of Galician language, I thought the tide was running out when, in fact, it was on the way in. I am greatfull for the lovely black and white collie dog.

Oia has been the perfect spot to rest and reflect on my learnings from on the Frances.

The next stage of my journey will be different as I will be travelling on my own with no one to rely on except myself and maybe a bit of my friend Ms Google. Until then, I have been enjoying the beauty and tranquilty of Oia.

It is the last night before I reach Santiago de Compostela, a journey of 126 klms if you only count the time on the Camino. My watch app tells me I have walked over 200,000 steps equivalent to 160 klms.

I have walked through little villages that I had only read about as I followed other Pilgrims journeys over the years, dreaming of when I would someday be here. I have slept in hamlets where it is so quiet I could hear my own breath and I have slept in cities where the noise of people has been overwhelming. I have followed the paths treaded by many before me and been in awe at the thought that I am walking on the path carved out by others so long ago.

Galicia was formed in what is called the Copper Age around 4,500 to 1,500 BC. This was the first great culture to inhabit Galicia and their strength was in construction and architecture.
The Bronze Age came next when a new importance of metals led to intense mining for production of weapons and ornamental bronze and gold objects and jewellery.

The Galicians were originally a Celtic people’s prior to the arrival of the Roman Empire in 19 BC to 410 AD. The influence of both the Celts and the Romans is evident today in structures still standing from centuries long gone now.
I have sat in chapels built in the 12th century and that are still used today. It is so humbling to know you are in a place where for centuries people have found comfort in handing their troubles over to a higher power. This part of the country is such a contrast to the throwaway world we live in. It is hard for me to grasp what it is really like for people who live here.
I expect like most places there are people with more financial means than others but it seems to me that when the cost of food and accommodation is so cheap then it follows that wages also must be low. I pass by homes that have been beautifully restored and where it is clear there is some wealth and I wonder what it is like for the average workers. Things like electricity infrastructure appear to be quite primitive with overhead wires crisscrossing the streets and running through trees, although on the train from Madrid to Sarria I saw large solar farms and I had several days of walking toward big wind turbines.
I have spent 10 days and evenings with a group of beautiful women from other parts of the globe, supporting and encouraging each other as we journeyed through our individual Caminos not just the physical actions of walking the up and down hills but possibly some of our internal Caminos. It seems to me that the internal journey is the more important one, we can all walk, we have no disability stopping us, it is the other that we come here to achieve. Some, like me, have been grappling with the idea of retirement and what will be next. I know now that I am ready for the ‘what next’ part of my life and that excites me.
Life is a journey not meant to be lived in one place. So Carpe Diem and remember, if you get it wrong, you get a chance to try something different tomorrow.

8 days ago I set off from Sarria with a small group of other women, ranging from 41 years (the baby of the group) to 80 plus years. That’s a lot of life experience right there. None of us think we are particularly brave or wise but collectively we have experienced much and we know ‘stuff’.
The first few days were physically challenging for me as I expect they were for others. We didn’t talk about that much but rather chatted to each other, getting to know each other and sharing little bits about our lives and perhaps even less about our aspirations. My mind was jumping all over the place, with memories of things not thought about for a long time, emerging to taunt me with the ‘what if’s’. I know the secret is to let them arise then ebb away. Nothing I⁹ think now will change what has passed and nor should it. Our experiences are what shape us and what we might think is the answer now would not have been right before.
I have read that on the Camino you form bonds unlike what might be normal as we go about our everyday lives and I can see that is a real possibility. As the days unfold we seem to be more in sync with each other, understanding when someone needs a ‘are you okay?’, or ‘can I help you with that?’ It feels good.

The past couple of days I have walked a lot on my own. My mind has quietened and the internal dialogue is less. There is something comforting in knowing that all I need to do is walk, put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Nothing else matters and if I keep moving forward I will eventually reach my destination, not a bad metaphor for life in general.

I have been listening to music sometimes and that too evokes memories and adds a lightness to my walking.
As we get closer to Santiago there are more people on the path, some rushing to get there quickly, but I am content to continue at the pace dictated by what I signed up to and that is to arrive in Santiago on day 11.
For a short time yesterday, it was so quiet that I was sure I could hear the blood coursing through my veins. I know I could hear my heart beating, and there was no little voice reminding me of things past or forcing me to think about what I will be doing next.
I said at the start of my journey that I didn’t know what called me to the Camino. Perhaps it was to silence my mind and learn to live in the moment. If that was it, then I couldn’t have chosen a better place to do just that.
I feel as though I could just keep on walking, so perhaps that is what I will do after Santiago.

The Castle of Pambre has had a lengthy association with St James Way dating back to the 15th century, when the King ordered the Way be guarded and Pilgrims given safe passage.
Despite its long history with the Way, many pilgrims are not aware of it or visit it. This is possibly because it it around 7 klms from the Camino path up a winding, almost dangerous road. We took a taxi who waited for us to drive us back down.
In the 15th century medieval uprisings took place across Europe, with the largest being in Galicia, the Irmandino Revolts. During 1467 to 1469, the population was rebelling against the nobility. Several Milita groups formed and successfully attacked and raised many buildings to the ground. The Castle of Pambre managed to resist the attacks and become known as the impenetrable fortress. This Castle is said to be the best example of Galicia’s medieval architecture. It was built around 1375 by Gonzalo Ozores de Ulloa.
Other buildings on the site are the horreo, which is a raised Galician granary and commonly seen across the Camino trail, and a 12th century chapel.
The Castle is located in the centre of Galicia and overlooks Palas de Rai, which made it an ideal spot to guard the St James Way.
The Castle has undergone some restoration. However, as they do not have the original plans, the restoration is limited to making it safe for visitors and preserving as much history as possible.
I was in awe of the workmanship, which is still evident. The individual stonemasons stamps can still be seen carved into the stone blocks.
During our visit the castle was guarded by a ‘fierce’ Mastif who looked like he might lick you to death before anything else. The caretaker explained that the dog had just spent 2 weeks visiting his girlfriend and was worn out. 😂. Some things are the same world over.
I remain in awe at the thought that I am treading the ground walked on my people across so many centuries. It sometimes feels quite surreal.