17/9/2014 0 Comments Day 21 to 26 The CaminoDay 21 Aug 21 Sarria to Hospital da Cruz
Started walking 6:30 am finished 3:45 pm. We were a bit cold last night in the tent but at least it was quite, except lots of dogs was barking had really good sleep considering. We walked really brisk 2 km to Sarria, thought we would have breakfast there, but did not find any shop open we ended up keeping going to Brea approx. 15 km walk, it was a lot of people here, the guy servicing us were upset that we did not ask for breakfast in Spanish but ok. Today it was very foggy all morning till after 10:30am before the sun came out, because of that we could not see much of the landscape, but sure it would have been much the same as the last few days, nice hilly and lots of cows. Quite amassing with the amount of people on the track this morning, it seem to be lots of new people just started the walk to Santiago especially at the 120 km area. Because we are actually now just over 100km from our goal, at the end of the day we don't know where all these people have gone because they are not in the Albergue, even they are mostly booked out maybe they stay in hotels??. At about midday we end up in Portomarin they sun is out and it's a very beautiful little town with a beautiful bridge, we have lunch here and end up meeting Eva and Andre, as usual we shop at supermarket for lunch bread roll ham cheese tomato 2 apples 3.20 euro, Svend likes it, not sure if he want to admit. Ha-ha ?? In the afternoon we stop after about 8 km to decided where we have to stop for the night, We decided to go on to Hospital da Cruz, we got here ok, to be honest it was a hard last 2 km we are having dinner next door with Andre Eva Svend Marek and an other German lady about 50 she really annoy me saying things which does not really is to my liking, I’m asking her to mind her own business, she get the message, then I talk to Marek about Auchwich his great mother was killed there in 1943 and her brother was executed in Berlin. The German lady next to me is very quite. Svend is trying to be nice to her I really look forward to Helen meeting all the people I have walked with on. Note: Were very tied late this afternoon, the last 3 to 4 km my toes have started to hurt again but it's only 3 days left tomorrow, they are planning 40 km plus per day, and the love of my life Helen is 3 days ahead of me. Towns we walked through today: Sarria. Barbadelo. Rente. Brea. Ferreiros. Rozas. Vilacha. Portomarin. Gonzar. Castromaior. Hospital da Cruz Day 22 Aug 22 Hospital da Cruz to Ribadiso da Baixo 39 km Started walking 6:00 am finished 3:45 pm. A great day on the Camino got up 5:45 am, ready quickly to walk, left 6:00 am sharp Andree Eva Svend, it was dark the first hour, thank god Eva and Andree had their headlight it was ok the first 30 min, but then we walked on small tracks with large rocks which is very unsafe to walk on in the dark. The sunrise was about 7 am which was beautiful, it was good to get away early since we planned a 39 km day The walk was quite good with much of the same rolling hills as the last few days and most of the walk was on smaller tracks and dirt roads still lot’s of cows but also sunflower and cornfields. We stopped quite a few times after 6 km for breakfast then about an other 12 km for morning tea and midday for lunch at 28 km, only 11 km to go. Eva decided to leave after 10 min lunch to try to get is 4 beds in the same Albergue Svend Andree and I had a 30 min break for lunch in Melide, I shopped lunch in supermarket 5.36 euro Svend and I often do that lots of food juice and an apple each. I thought it would be harder then it was, it seem like the feet are getting use to the 30 plus km a day It's amassing it's only 39km left to Santiago, we could easy do it tomorrow but will stop after 29 km and leave the last 10 km to Sunday morning, then hopefully my wife Helen will be there, and we will all have a nice dinner for Svend's 71st birthday with the Italian crew. Then go on to Finisterre on Monday and be there on Wednesday or Thursday. It seems like Eva think it will take 3 days to Finisterre anyway we will see Wow it seem to all come to an end. Towns we walked through today: Hospital da Cruz. Vent as de Naron. Lingode. Eireixe. Avesnostres. Palsa do Rei. Casanova. Leboieredo. Furelos. Melide. Bonete. Castaneda. Rinadiso de Baixo. Day 23 Aug 23 Ribadiso da Baixo to Monte del Gozo 37.1km plus 4.4 km total 41.5 km Started walking 6:20 am finished 3:45 pm. AND Started walking 10:30 pm finished walking 11:30 pm Wow I just by 2 clicks deleted all my 10000s of word in my dairy from today so I will start again in a shorter version ha-ha NOT The day has been a surprise in many ways. I though it would have been quite an ugly walk into the town of Santiago with industrial buildings and busy roads, to my surprise all our walk today have been very nice except a few short areas. We started in farmland then forest both old growth and new planted pine forest lots of the walk was on small nice tracks though the cavity of the forest, some had shade some did not also though it would be quite flat, but no it was quite hilly with some step hills to climb and some steep descents after which is very hard for our feet. We had planned a 29 km day so quite easy. Where we stayed at Ribadiso da Baixo was a very nice old Albergue and we were lucky getting an upstairs room with just 12 nice people so we got to sleep quite early 10 pm, even I did not sleep for a while because my feet not wanting to stop ha-ha So was hopping we would not start before 7:00pm the sunrise is not before 7:15am. But somehow we go up at 5:45 and ready to go at 6:20am, meaning we walked in the dark the first hour. It also meant we actually got a great sunrise so all good, We, the 4 amigos Andree Svend Eva and I walked together, We stopped after 1 hour for coffee and toast then again in Alto de Santa Irene for just coffee and lunch between Arca and Lavacolla at this stage Andree were no longer with us, he may have walked past without seeing us but it was only 4 to 5 km to our final destination for the day. I'm not sure what happen after we had lunch and the last few km but Evan and Svend took of, I could not follow my feet hurt and I knew it would only be 5 km and we would be there and then it would only be less then 10 km for tomorrow. Well when I got to Lavacolla there were no Albergue to be seen and no Eva and Svend, I looked more then 40 min asked the locals, who said Albergue go an other 5 km out of town towards Santiago. I took my shoes of for a while and got ready for 5 more km, I walked about 3 km an Albergue there had Wi-Fi, I called Svend who said they saw me back in the town taking photos of the church (why the hell could they not have yelled out or at least indicated they were there, I think they feel stupid) Anyway I keep walking slowly hoping they maybe was behind, I could not just stop I needed a place to stay I finally get to Monte del Gozo. 4.4 km from the Cathedral in Santiago, I called Svend when I got Wi-Fi and he told me they were on their way to Santiago. Well done mate thank you I remember how upset he was when I tried to get an Albergue 1 weeks ago and we looked for each other for 20 min when he said I had said before the start one dream one team. Ha-ha its ok I really am happy to be here and Svend has become a person now who can easy take care of himself, its all good This is written a few days later: What a twist to our day, I met Andree and Julian from the Italian / Spanish crew when I checked in, we got the same room they offered to make dinner with the other guys. I went shopping with them bought a 1-liter beer and they did not start cooking before 8pm I now had rang Helen and she had arrived in La Caruna and needed to wait till 9pm to get a bus into town to see if she could get to Santiago tonight. I lighthearted said I would meet her in Santiago. Helen was quite upset did not really know what to do, stay in La Caruna or try to come to Santiago the connection on Skype was not very good. I was running from the kitchen area where dinner was being cooked and eaten to the cafeteria where I had Wi-Fi and could talk with Helen at least 5 times (it was at least 200meters a very steep hill and stairs) and also help cook dinner with the Italian crew. We finally did get to eat our dinner at 9:30pm, at 10:20 pm I spoke with Helen and she was on the train to Santiago, would be there in less the 30 min wow wow, quickly I told all the others guys I had been with now for 6 hours, I was walking my last peregrino walk to Santiago now 10:30 pm to 11:30 pm they did not know I was meeting Helen and thought I was crazy. I walked very fast ( 4.5km ) stopped at some stage to get Wi-Fi to call Helen but no connection, about 11:30pm. I by chance run into Tobias from Germany just as I entered to Cathedral area great to see him again. When I entered the Cathedral area a few minutes later I saw this beautiful shadow about 40 meters away the light shining a little from behind. It was me lovely wife Helen who had come all the way from the UK to see me in Spain it was absolutely wonderful we spend over a hour to try to find a place to stay everything was booked we finally found a wonderful hotel about 1 km from the Cathedral, we managed to get a coffee and a croissant at about 1:00am What a day, the best day on the Camino Towns we walked though today: Ribadiso da Baixo. Arsua. Salceda. Alto de Santa Irene. Rua. Arca. Lavacolla. San Marcos. Monte del Gozo. to Santiago Day 24 Aug 24 Santiago all day Started walking 8:00 am 1 km to the Cathedral What a day Helen and I walked to the Cathedral together hand in hand it was a really fantastic feeling to have Helen here, I know she did not walk the 775 km but still great to show her Santiago and make her having the feeling of meeting some of the amazing people I have met on our walk over the last 23 days as it happen the combined Italian crew and the Spanish people walked to the Cathedral square with us at the same time about 8:15am, we took a few photos and went to the pilgrim office to get our last certificate here we met Svend, we only queued for 15 min before we got our stamp and certificate, great we made it Had breakfast with Eva Svend, went back to Albergue and place where Svend and Eva stayed and booked Svend's tickle to Denmark for Thursday Aug 28 3:50 pm. He will fly to Malaga then to Billund. We went to mass at 11:00 am for the midday mass, lots of people but Helen and I got a great seat Helen and I had a walk through the city of Santiago had lunch and went back to our " hotel " and had a 1 hour sleep. Had an other look through the city, met Svend Eva and Raphealle at 6:15pm waited for the Italian crew and the Spanish peon till 7:15pm. They did not turn up. We went for dinner at a great place had a pilgrim dinner for 10.80 euro Svend ordered Irish coffee Julian Andre and Enrico turned up they had dinner and quite a few beers more Irish coffee. We had a great time before we went back to our hotel at about 10:30pm Great day and Helen were with us. We actually celebrated Svend 71 birthday that is tomorrow Day 25 Aug 25 Santiago to Maronas 43km Started walking 7:50 am finished 5:10pm We woke at 7:10 Eva had a cold and decided not to walk to Fisterra so Svend and I got ready to take of on the 90 km walk, Andre had left yesterday, we were expected to do 21 km or maybe 34 km, the weather was overcast, not raining yet, so after a great breakfast at the Albergue next door we left at 7:50 am. Really it was a good escape from a quite big city only a few km and we were out of town in great bushy areas, we really did well most of the walk for the next 3 to 4 hours, it was in nice forest areas on small tracks through the forest we got to some really hilly areas where it took a lot of effort to get over the hills at some stage we had at least 3 km where it just went up and up, the 21 km came up at about midday, we had lunch as usual from a supermarket with a great coffee from a restaurant. We walked on to the 35 km mark, found a public Albergue with no people at all, at this stage it had been raining a bit for 3 hours, we looked at the options and decided to call an Albergue in Maronas We booked 2 beds and kept walking in the rain for about 7 km ended up doing 43 km, had a large beer some nuts a shower a sleep and a great dinner at 7:15 pm the Albergue was full about 12 people Will have breakfast tomorrow at about 7 am. All good about 47 km to go to Fisterra It is Svend’s 71st birthday today happy birthday. Spoke to Helen she is out for dinner with Eva in Santiago will maybe see them tomorrow It is raining quite heavily now and all night Towns we walked through today: Day 26 Aug 26 Maronas to Fisterra then to Faro de Fisterra and back to Fisterra at least 51km Started walking 7:45 am finished 8:10pm Wow it was the hardest physical and mental day I remember in my life We had a real problem with an Italian guy getting up at 5:30 am, waking up all people around him at 6:15 am it got too much for me I got up and asked what his problem was, apparently he was upset that some people had snored all night so he did not sleep and now it was payback time, I really understand how wars starts. Anyway we got up but breakfast was not before 7:00am and sunrise 7:52 am it was raining a lot and very windy, it was absolutely horrible we had 47 km to Fisterra light house and 3 km back to Fisterra. Over 50 km all up if we wanted to finish today or we could do half today and half tomorrow. It was even meant to be a nice walk along the coast line some of the way at least the last 15 km Well after breakfast about 7:45 am we covered up as good as possible and set off on the most trying and horrible walk I have been on as long as I remember. Svend had made some gaiters of plastic bags for his boots which worked quite well had his rain cover over himself and backpack which at least kept his top body dry. But after a little while his boots and bottom body was wet right through. For myself it was a lot worse, I knew my boots was not waterproof because they were broken, but worse and lot worse my rain jacket was not waterproof at all, when it came to rain and wind like this and I only had a thin t-shirt undies and my shorts with the wind and rain coming down I was 100% wet within a very short while and very very cold. We just walked and walked really none stop to 2:15 pm to a town called Cee, where we planned to maybe stop for the night, we had also talked about going right through to Fisterra. We had lunch in a burger place was dripping with water all over it was quite funny really. We got a little warmed up and decided to go on to Fisterra it was still raining but as we got closer to our final destination it actually stopped raining, must say we did not see much of the beautiful coast line which should have been so nice to walk along, took a few photos anyway ha-ha We had spoken a few times to Eva Helen in Fisterra and they had reserved a room for us at an Albergue. We finally found them at about 5 pm walked to the final Camino office got the last stamp and certificate that we had completed The Way The Camino, great feeling Svend did not want to walk to the lighthouse today. I walked with Andre the German guy and my lovely wife Helen the 3 km there and 3 km back to Fisterra must say it was quite foggy but a great feeling walking there with Helen a little sad that Svend was not there. Andre Helen and I did the photos and had a little ceremony burning my t-shirt and some of Andre’s cloth. We got back at about 8:15pm over 51 km for the day Got boots of shower and we had a lovely dinner with Eva Andre Svend Helen and myself
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