My Camino

1. Setting out from Padrón before sunrise

2. Three pilgrims turned to stone (the two on the right are us, the guy on the left is one of the annoying German/Italian/French men from the albergue who leaves at 4 AM and thinks he knows everything)

3. Walking through woods was pleasant, but it was mostly uphill…

4. Me and the Camino mascot in O Milladoiro

5. Our first view of Santiago!!!

6. Only 5 km to go…

7. Arrival, at last!

8. Getting our Compostelas (thanks to the lady at the Pilgrim Office who gave me my Compostela and graciously offered to take our photo)

9. Third time’s the charm (yes, we came back the next morning and Irma from San Antonio took our photo when there was no one on the plaza)

Date: August 30, 2022

Starting Point: Padrón

Ending Point: Santiago de Compostela

Distance: 25.2 km / 15.6 mi

Time: 5 hr 45 min

Difficulty Level: 5.5/10

Ending a Camino is always a strange feeling. Whether it’s your first or your fiftieth, arriving in Santiago is different every time (literally, because each Camino has its own entrance point) and you’re bound to experience a range of emotions. Some people tell you to prepare for disappointment. I know I’ve felt that one before—on the Francés. (We arrived so early in the morning that there wasn’t even a bagpipe guy to greet us!) Others are overwhelmed with joy, excitement, relief. This time, I honestly don’t know what I felt. But more on that later…

The walk today was long, and although it was mostly a pleasant one through woodlands and small villages, I just wanted to get here. I was so focused on arriving that I didn’t pay much attention to the things or the places we passed. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, either. We stopped twice for coffee and to stamp our credentials, following the herd but not really noticing or being bothered by them. (Again, I was focused.) We also didn’t see anyone we knew—except for Gabriel and Andrea from Brazil, who we hadn’t heard from since Casa Fernanda (so glad they made it!). It took almost 17 km of walking before we got our first glimpse of the Cathedral spires. Even then, the arrows took us on such a windy, wonky path that I thought we’d gone the wrong way. It felt like we were circling the city rather than going straight there. Still, we powered through. I found my encouragement in the little things, like the signs that said “Concello de Santiago” and the Camino markers with ever smaller distances. 5 km, 4.2, 3.7, 2.2… Eventually we made it somewhere recognizable: Parque da Alameda, where we had previously recreated an iconic photo after our first Camino. I went into autopilot. My feet took me straight to Praza do Obradoiro and to the (scaffold-free!) façade of the Cathedral.

And what did I feel? Nothing. A bit annoyed at first, because there were so many tourists swarming the streets and the plaza itself. But that quickly faded, and I just felt blank. In a good way. Like we’d finished what we set out to do. Now, having had a few hours to get our Compostelas, check in to the albergue, and eat a bocadillo, I feel happiness and relief. What really struck me was when the lady at the Pilgrim Office told us how amazed she was that we’d walked three whole Caminos together. It really is something special. Who knows what the future holds, but for now, I’m so grateful for everything we’ve accomplished. Bom Caminho, everyone!

1. Waiting for our captain to arrive!

2. Mussel farmers harvesting their crop, up close and personal (she was very kind to let a bunch of pilgrims bother her at work)

3. Torres de Oeste, which were built by an 11th century bishop to protect Santiago de Compostela and Galicia from the Vikings

4. An iconic cruceiro featuring St. James and his two disciples who ferried his body from Judea (modern day Israel) to Galicia.

5. What a great perch for a bird!

6. Padrón wants you to know what it’s famous for as soon as you arrive

7. Walking into the old town, with the Convento del Carmen looming above us

8. The legend states that this stone was used to moor the boat carrying St. James’ body when it arrived in Iría Flavia

9. 16th century artwork in the Church of Santiago in Padrón showing the translatio

Date: August 29, 2022

Starting Point: Vilanova de Arousa

Ending Point: Padrón

Distance: 27 km (by boat), 2.2 km (by foot)

Time: 2 hr 0 min

Difficulty Level: 0/10

How to describe today… Is it a rest day? A completely unique pilgrim experience? Or both? Whatever you’d call this stage, I can sum it up with one word: perfect! We woke up late, had a nice breakfast at Café Ancora, and headed down to the port to wait for our boat. We were the first ones there (and it was a bit chilly). Soon, though, other pilgrims arrived—including John from Dublin and the two Spanish women from Málaga who we met in the casa rural in Armenteira. I chatted with the Spanish women about our Camino, and before I knew it our boat had arrived! Our captain was fittingly named Santiago. He offered us tea and croissants and thoroughly explained every detail of the journey, even pulling beside a mussel boat and letting us watch the workers as they harvested them. The route, which seems like cheating, is actually deeply significant and integral to the Camino’s history. According to legend, St. James’ disciples took his body up the Río Ulla to Iría Flavia (present-day Padrón), and from there brought it to Santiago de Compostela. We essentially recreated that trip—and yes, going by boat up the Río Ulla is recognized by the Pilgrim Office as an official Camino route. Another cool highlight was the only maritime Way of the Cross in the world, featuring 17 cruceiros (Galician stone crosses). We passed by those, as well as the Torres de Oeste, which were ruined towers built to fend off Christian Galicia from Viking raids in the 11th century. All in all, a truly amazing experience. I only wish it wasn’t so foggy (but maybe that just enhanced the feeling of a mystical journey?). A little over an hour later, we said goodbye to our captain and disembarked in Pontecesures. Our walking portion was just a quick 2.2 km into Padrón following the Río Sar. We were the first ones at our albergue, which is incredibly clean and includes free laundry services, soap and shampoo, sheets, towels, and more (a real rarity for an albergue). With tons of time to spare, we wandered the town, completed a few errands, and finally tried authentic pimientos in their birthplace. And I can confirm—they ARE better in Padrón! It’s still unbelievable that tomorrow is our final day on the Caminho Português. As with every Camino, I will need a few days (or weeks) to process this experience. But for now, I’m just getting ready to put on my pack one more time and let the yellow arrows guide me back to Santiago.

1. One of the ancient muiños (mills) on the Ruta da Pedra e da Auga

2. Waterfalls galore

3. Claiming her dream home

4. Keep out! This mill is mine

5. Walking through the woods, looking for fairies

6. This goose in A Igrexa was very noisy, probably protecting its peacock friend

7. Our first view of the Ría Arousa

8. Happy because we’re about to take a boat across this ría! (Featuring the Illa de Arousa in the distance)

9. Gorgeous, unexpectedly blue water

Date: August 28, 2022

Starting Point: Armenteira (Meis)

Ending Point: Vilanova de Arousa

Distance: 23.5 km / 14.5 mi

Time: 6 hr 10 min

Difficulty Level: 4/10

Just as our friend, Diane, predicted, this was one of the most beautiful stages we’ve ever walked. After a late 8 am breakfast, our host kindly drove us back to the monastery in his car. Soon we found ourselves walking in a fairytale, with ancient, moss-covered stone mills and waterfalls at every turn. It was a very misty morning which only added to the atmosphere. My guidebook said there are 51 mills along this route, but I lost count. I was too busy turning around, taking in my surroundings (pilgrims rarely look back at the road behind them!). We finally came out of the woods and had another coffee before joining another picturesque path through vineyards along the Río Umia. I was a little preoccupied at this point with finding a bathroom, but luckily we made it to Pontearnelas in a few hours and found a bar. From there, we passed through small villages (one of which had a chapel where we got our credentials stamped and listened to an impromptu guitar concert) and met an unexpected ascent. It was mercifully short, and soon we descended back down to the shores of the Río Arousa. I absolutely loved these last 2.5 km—we walked along white sand beaches, gazed out at the Illa de Arousa and the distant ocean, and watched beachgoers enjoying their Sunday afternoon. Finally, we crossed the pedestrian bridge into Vilanova de Arousa and went straight to our albergue. The hospitalera sent me a WhatsApp message last night saying she would be out today and gave me the code to get inside, so we walked right in and found our beds. It’s a very small albergue—there are just two rooms, and two bunks in each room. Vilanova is also smaller than I expected. But it’s clean, quiet, and I like being near the water. We explored a little, found a place to eat dinner, and verified the boat departures for tomorrow. We we originally booked for 7:30 am, but they added a 9:45 am boat and I was able to change our reservation. This will give us time to have breakfast, and since it’s later in the morning, our view shouldn’t be as obstructed by mist or clouds. A few years ago, we would’ve felt like cheaters for taking a boat or any kind of transportation for that matter. No longer. We have earned this, and it’s just a really cool experience overall. Oh, and we get extra time to eat Padrón peppers! What could be better?

1. Way marker at the beginning of the Variante Espiritual

2. Sunrise over the vineyards leaving Pontevedra

3. A 4000 year old (!!!) petroglyph from the Bronze Age, across the street from where we had breakfast

4. Façade of San Xóan de Poio (which was sadly closed when we arrived)

5. On the beach in Combarro

6. One of Combarro’s many horreos

7. View from the Miradoiro do Loureiro on Monte Castrove

8. Near the top of the mountain, you could see the rías and even the ocean

9. Monasterio de Santa María de Armenteira, which dates back to the 13th century but was restored and partially reconstructed in the late 1960s

Date: August 27, 2022

Starting Point: Pontevedra

Ending Point: Armenteira (Meis)

Distance: 21 km / 13 mi

Time: 6 hr 0 min

Difficulty Level: 5/10

Our plan was to wake up at 6:45, but as any pilgrim knows, the albergue often decides your wake up time for you. That was the case today. The youth group was up and rustling in their packs by 6:15—so we got up, too. Leaving a large town early on a Saturday morning, we (of course) encountered packs of locals leaving the bars. It was still dark, which made for a cool experience crossing the Ponte Burgo and seeing the twinkling lights all around us. Only a few km later we made it to the turn off point for the Variante Espiritual. I can’t overestimate how beautiful this route is, and I’m so glad we decided to follow it. Especially the VIEWS!! First, we walked through vineyards and watched the sun rise over Pontevedra and small villages dotting the ría. After a particularly delicious breakfast (café con leche and a tostada) at the Hotel Rural Campaniola, the path took us to the gorgeous Monastery of San Xoán de Poio. Then we continued along the coast (through a seaside park full of tents and drunk people who, ostensibly, had some kind of rave the night before?) to the village of Combarro. Combarro is particularly known for its horreos, which can be found along the beach and on almost every street. Once a fishing village, it now depends mostly on tourism. The Camino wasted no time, though, and immediately took us out of the town and onto very steep country lanes. Soon enough, we were high on the hillside. The high point on Monte Castrove is the same altitude as the Alto da Portela Grande, but it’s far more gradual. That meant it took us hours to get to the top—which was fine, because we had absolutely breathtaking views at every turn. We could even see the Cíes Islands and the Atlantic Ocean in the distance. Winding our way around the mountain, we finally made it to the Monasterio de Armenteira. There was a wedding going on, but luckily we got to peak in the church and see the cloister before having lunch (two big ensaladas mixta!). Our B&B is about 2 km off the Camino, and our hosts graciously offered to pick us up and bring us back in the morning. So here we are—content, relaxed, and happy to be in such a beautiful place. Our host took us back to the Monastery for Vespers and a pilgrim blessing at 7 PM, and cooked us an amazing (huge) dinner—finished off with a shot of orujo! To end the evening, I took a nice walk around the village and even met the neighbors. Just an overall good day. And if we thought today was a great walk, tomorrow’s stage follows the “Ruta de la Piedra y del Agua” which some say is the most beautiful Camino stage of them all. I can’t wait to find out!

1. Looking out over the Ría de Vigo

2. Beautiful horreo (Galician granary) in Arcade

3. The Ponte Sampaio, a medieval stone bridge which marks the divide between the concellos of Pontevedra and Soutomaior

4. Climbing up into the pretty village of the same name, Pontesampaio

5. Part of our ascent up the Alto da Canicouva was on this ancient road, the “Vrea Vella” (see those tracks in the stone!)

6. Camino marker at the top of the Alto da Canicouva

7. Walking by the river outside of Pontevedra—3 km of bliss!

8. Capela da Peregrina, aka Pontevedra’s iconic church

9. Sign in the main square (Praza da Ferrería)

Date: August 26, 2022

Starting Point: Redondela

Ending Point: Pontevedra

Distance: 18.2 km / 11.3 mi

Time: 5 hr 0 min

Difficulty Level: 4.5/10

We slept well and started walking around 7 am, finding fewer pilgrims on the road as we left Redondela. The path today was winding and had many ups and downs, but it was nothing we couldn’t handle. The first ascent took us up a hillside, providing even better views of the sea and mountains. We arrived in Arcade, a pretty village by the water, in no time, and had breakfast. Then we crossed the historic stone bridge Ponte Sampaio and began ascent #2. It was partially on old (Roman?) roads and you could see the track marks from the carts and carriages that used to come through there. The climb took awhile but wasn’t particularly strenuous considering what we’ve already done in Portugal. After reaching the alto, it was a breeze the rest of the way. There are two options to enter Pontevedra: one following the carretera, the other following the river. We took the river route, which was a few hundred meters longer but beautiful and completely shaded (today was much hotter than yesterday, so we made the right choice!). It avoided all roads and took us right to the train station on the outskirts of Pontevedra. Our albergue was only a few blocks further. It’s clean and the hosts are nice. The only downside is that we have a few obnoxious groups—including a youth group of some sort who don’t obey pilgrim rules and have loud conversations in the dormitory. Maybe it was good I changed our days around and we no longer have to stay here two nights! Pontevedra is huge and there is a lot to explore, including a well preserved old town. It’s overwhelming being in such a large city again, but also nice to have lots of services and food options (we are thinking Japanese for dinner!). Tomorrow, we’ll leave the main Camino behind and begin the Variante Espiritual (Spiritual Variant) which I am really excited about.

1. Really loving the time change in Spain (aka I can get up at 7:30 and still see the sunrise!)

2. Walking with the herd

3. A dog surveying the ragged pilgrims who pass by his house

4. Climbing up to Santiaguiño

5. Ancient Roman road marker (milario) that once stood on the Via XIX from Braga to Astorga

6. Looking out over Redondela and our first view of one of Galicia’s famed “rías”

7. A real smile! Happy to have these short, beautiful days

8. Galicia’s Camino mascot

9. Church of Santiago in Redondela

Date: August 25, 2022

Starting Point: O Porriño

Ending Point: Redondela

Distance: 15.2 km / 9.4 mi

Time: 4 hr 15 min

Difficulty Level: 3/10

Although we had a delicious (and filling) dinner of pimientos de padrón, croquetas, and xamón asado, our night at the pensión was not too pleasant. Our room was like a cell and trapped all the heat inside. Even with a fan running all night long, we woke up sweaty and ready to leave O Porriño behind. The arrows led us up an unnecessary and windy climb out of town, which probably added 1 km to our journey. To add to that annoyance, we also found ourselves walking in another giant herd of pilgrims. One after the other, they just kept coming. But I guess that’s just how it is. No matter—today’s stage is even shorter than yesterday’s, so we have nothing to complain about. We had a nice coffee break in Mos at Café Flora, before starting the long climb up to Capela Santiaguiño. It wasn’t too bad, though, especially with cloud cover. The alto provided us with beautiful, sweeping views of Redondela, the valley, and the ría below. That’s also when I noticed a potential problem. About a day ago, I noticed a bunch of mysterious bites all over my body. Of course, my first thought is “bedbugs!!” As we descended the mountains, I spotted a new bite that I don’t think was there yesterday. I still am not sure if it’s the dreaded chinches that caused this, but we have decided to just play it safe and address the problem. Upon arriving in Redondela, we had a quick lunch and made a beeline for the lavandería. Hopefully this will be the end of our woes and we can enjoy the remaining days without issue. (It wouldn’t be the Camino without at least two unexpected problems!) Redondela looks like a pretty town, and tonight we have another private room in a (much nicer) pensión. There are now only 5 more stages until Santiago, which seems impossible to believe. I hope to enjoy every step of the way we have left.

1. Leaving before sunrise—a great feeling!

2. Café con leche, fresh squeezed zumo, and a GIANT chocolate croissant

3. We saw these signs all over houses and buildings in Ponte das Febres. They read “No to the industrial zone. It’s an ecological crime.” I’m not sure what the story is here, but I wouldn’t want to live near something like that, either!

4. Walking across a Roman bridge (thanks to a group of Canadians and one American from New Jersey who took this for us!)

5. Picturesque lane outside of Orbenlle

6. Finally….clouds!!

7. The Casa Consistorial in O Porriño

Date: August 24, 2022

Starting Point: Tui

Ending Point: O Porriño

Distance: 18 km / 11.1 mi

Time: 4 hr 45 min

Difficulty Level: 2/10

As it turns out, splitting the stage from Tui to Pontevedra into two separate days was a great idea. We woke up early (6:45), and with the time change, it was still dark when we left the albergue. The Camino took us through quiet lanes and forests on the way out of Tui. Unfortunately, this is the “home stretch” and we found ourselves walking with the herd for the first time. Germans, Italians, Canadians, even a group of Spaniards on horseback (locals, not pilgrims) crowded the path. We didn’t care, though. Without the cobblestones, and with the sun partially blocked out by clouds, it was a glorious day’s walk. I even got my first café con leche and a giant chocolate croissant at a pilgrim bar/oasis in Ponte das Febras. The Camino splits outside of Orbenlle, and we chose to take the “Camino Complementario” following the river into O Porriño. This was Gisa’s recommendation and I’m glad we did it (the other option takes you through an awful industrial area). We got to the outskirts of the town by 11 am—a record!—and stopped for another café con leche since we had time to spare. By 12:30, we were sitting in our pensión, fan blasting and without a care in the world. O Porriño isn’t much, but it has a quaint historic core and all the facilities a pilgrim could ask for. I picked up some bandaids and after bite at the farmacia, and will look for a nice place to eat tonight. To be honest, I’m just glad to have a whole afternoon to relax and recharge!

1. Free at last (from having to wear a pack, at least for today)

2. A very aggressive arrow pointing us… UP

3. Cruz dos Franceses—a much smaller version of the Cruz de Fierro

4. View from the top of Alto da Portela Grande

5. My favorite part of the walk in Portugal will always be these vine-covered trails

6. Our first view of Valença and Tui

7. There’s no way to convey how hot it was, but here’s a photo of the trail (one of the few I took after Rubiães)

8. All we saw of the Fortaleza in Valença (far too hot and tired by this point to explore)

9. Crossing the Rio Miño into Tui

Date: August 23, 2022

Starting Point: Labruja, Portugal

Ending Point: Tui, Spain

Distance: 28.5 km / 17.7 mi

Time: 8 hr 0 min

Difficulty Level: 9/10

Today, we were once again convinced to stay for breakfast. I guess we never learn! This time it seemed reasonable, because (as Gisa told us) it would be unwise to ascend the Alto da Portela Grande before sunrise. So we had a wonderful breakfast with fresh bread, fruit, yogurt, and coffee. They even gave us a little bag to take the extra bread with us. We said goodbye to Gisa and Fred and began our walk around 7:30—again, much later than planned. But we sent one of the packs ahead vía transport service to lighten the load and hopefully make it to Spain in one piece. I won’t say the climb was easy, but it was certainly a piece of cake compared to the Pyrenees. Minus one pack, we reached the summit in a little over an hour and began our descent into Rubiães. This portion was through beautiful woodland and it was very shaded, so we did not have any trouble getting there. We stopped for a quick coffee in Rubiães and then continued down into the Coura river valley. At this point, the heat really started to get to us. What’s worse, there were hardly any facilities (I counted a grand total of two fountains the entire day) and we had to resort to eating our lunch under a tree on the Roman road. The walk to Valença was mostly flat—and almost entirely without shade. I have to say this was the most brutally hot the Camino has ever been for us. We even spotted a temperature of 41 degrees (105 Fahrenheit) at one point, to give you an idea of how bad it was. But somehow, some way, we made it. I chalk it up to the excitement of crossing the the bridge into Spain (and about 2.5 liters of water each). This would not have been such a hard day if not for the heat. On the bright side, our albergue is in a historic convent, and Tui is a beautiful town. I hope to gather enough energy to explore it just a little tonight, and I’m looking forward to the three gloriously short days that await us. (Oh, and no more being persuaded to stay for breakfast. I think we’ve finally learned…)

1. A beautiful morning leaving Vitorino dos Piães

2. Wayside Saint James (of which we saw many today because the town lands in this area were formerly owned by the city of Santiago!)

3. A perfect sunflower!

4. Do we look alike?

5. The igreja matrix in Ponte de Lima

6. Walking the medieval streets on market day

7. Bridge over the Rio Lima

8. A stone cross along the way to Labruja