Finisterre, "The End of the Earth"

Finisterre

We got up early and caught the bus to the end of the earth. It is the furtherest western point of Europe, but the Portuguese claim that they have a point of land that is further. It's the same with soccer.

The idea of saving your feet by taking the bus is a misnomer. We still had to walk 6 kl uphill both ways and I had to kill a bear with my journal after we got there to actually get to the lighthouse and the rock that is "IT".

I stood there and looked out over the sleepy blue-green ocean as far as the horizon all around me except for the point I'm standing on. It filled up my senses exactly like the Johnny Denver song. Like Spring in the desert, like night in the forest. I just let it wash over me, I let it fill me up, the smell of the sea, the faint foggy horizon, the gentle waves on the rocks below. Just let it happen. It is the perfect way to make it all worth it.

We took pictures of eachother. We got someone to take a picture of both of us. We wrote on a piece of broken tile with a permement marker our names, where we were from and the date and placed it at the foot of the "Post of International Peace". Yes, we took pictures of eachother holding the "Next Adventure Bandanna". We are going to be on their wall!

There was a real magical meeting that happened. But you'll have to wait until I sleep for that part of the adventure. There are really amazing things to come, some more of our intentions fullfilled. Wow, I can hardly wait to tell you, but one can only sit and type so long before there is numbness and carpel tunnel and blurry eyes. So I'll just tell you that we met a mysterious person. Here's a clue: 007. Until tomorrow!

Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela

03/24/10

We left Teo walking through narrow, winding streets in the rain. So glad Poe tested our rain gear in the shower before we came. We walked up steeply and down steeply. We went through narrow spaces where we had to turn sideways and manuver our packs through between buildings and then through pine forests. over rail road tracks and across bridges. One of them was wooden. We didn't stop to look for four leaf clovers or pick up pretty rocks. We just walked doggedly on to get out of the rain as fast as we could. Eric even strapped my bag to his for the last miles. He is such a sweetie cakes!

Finally, we were there. We came out of the forest on a hill overlooking the whole city of Santiago. It was a panoramic view. However, the decent was steep and we had to be careful not to slip. We headed straight for the Cathedral, and there is a specil office to get your stamp and your certificate of completion. It is strange to know that tomorrow I don't have to get up and walk a lot and figure out where to sleep etc. We went to the albergue to rest for the night.

03/25/10
The next day we went back to view the Cathedral. The Cathedral of St. James is his tomb. It is amazingly Barogue. Barogue style is designed to evoke emotion. I thought about all the work it took to make all the carvings, chandeliers, alters, cover it all with gold, mine the gold, haul the rocks etc. all without the benifit of electricity, trucks and all the stuff we have to help us do big jobs. The dome is high above and has an elaborate insence burner that can be swung from a rope. The day we were there, there was a choir of little girls practicing singing to the huge pipe organ with it's pipes way above our heads. It was idealic.

We went into the streets and Eric said he was so tired he couldn't think. I wanted some sweet and sour candies, so I went in this candy store and he waited for me on the street. When I came out, he was surrounded by a group of older teenagers, all in red jackets, and he was pontificating about our family and our farm. Then when I finally pulled him away from these truely interested individuals, we took a bus to the albergue and he talked to another group of young adults who had just come in from their pilgrimages until 1:00 in the morning. He's amazing!

I just posted a lot more and the computer gliched and I lost the whole thing. Don't you just love it when that happens?

03/26/03
Anyway, basically it took us another day of resting and debating to decide to stay another again in San Lazero Albergue and we decided to take the bus to Finisterre (The End of the Earth)tomorrow.

Hanging out in the albergue where everyone ends up after their Caminos is really interesting. They come from everywhere, Germany, England, Portugal, Russia and different parts of Spain like Barcelona. They use many different routes. They speak different languages, but usually one of the two we speak. They are a type of people. It's OK to say "Ola". It's OK to start a conversation out of thin air. They are friendly and tired They offer to share their food, their bandages, their shampoo. They want to tell you all about their experience. They have tips for travel. They tell you their favorite places to visit and even invite you to come home with them. It's amazing, it's a real unique place and we've enjoyed our days of indecision.

We sat in the lounge and Eric said, "Well, where should we go next" and I swear to god, this guy walks in right that exact second, says hi, asks where we're from, we tell him we are trying to decide where to go and Bamb! Pow! Capowe! he says, " Go to Algarth on the Portugal coast across from Africa. You?ll love it. I lived there for 6 years. It's great!" So, after Finisterre, we're headed south! Just like that. Cool. The time between asking and receiving is next to nothing!

But before we go, Off to Finisterre!

Padron and Teo

03/22/10

Padron & Teo

03/22/2010

Today was a strange day. Ana had to go to Vigo to teach and we needed to get back on the Path. So we road with her south as far as Caldis de Reis and started walking again. However, I started to get an visual aura that preceeds a migraine headache. I took some IBU but it just got worse. There were big spots in my vision and I couldn't see where I was going. So Eric got us on a bus and got us to the Albergue and got the handicapped room in the Albergue and got me lying down ASAP. So nice! After hrs. of lying in the dark, I felt a little better.

Here is one of the shuttered windows in our room that shows the thickness of the stone walls.















We went out in the evening air in Padron.



Padron used to be the burrial place of St. James before his remains were moved to Santiago. We walked the narrow winding streets, which is one of my favorite things to do, as the dimly lit city was easy on my eyes. The albergue was right next to a convent. We attended mass in a beautiful church next to the albergue. Eric translated mass for me.




Evidently the words are very repetitive. The mass was said in Spanish. The Priest was a little gruff with us. He only had six people at his mass in a huge ornate building.





I'm beginning to recognize the difference between Barogue, Romanesque, modern etc. Baroque is said to be decorated to evoke emotion. Lots of gold and chrubs and chandiliers etc.








One parishioner told us that the longer you look at this statue of Mary, the more real she seems. It's true!





































Then we went to another church, the Church of Gilmerez built in 1456 as the Santiago of Padron. We did get to see the Roman anchor stone that St. James boat was moored to.













After a good nights sleep, we were ready to go again. We figure that we have extra miles walked since we started in Romagarias, so we aren't going to worry about it.

On to Teo!



03/24/10

Teo

Teo is a small village, and our last town before Santiago. When we got there the albergue wasn't open yet. So Eric let me sit in a park while he made the trek up the hill to get the key. He let us in and my head hit the bed and I was gone. Eric said that there were some noisy Portuguese, but they came after I went to sleep and left before I awoke, so I never knew they were there.

Today I was determined to finish this walk. So, we got up and headed out without much looking around. The goal is in sight. Push on! Only 12kl. to go.

Cuntis

Cuntis

03/18/2010

Today we stayed in a small village named Cuntis with a teacher from the school in Caldas de Reis. Her name was Ana and she teaches linguistics at the University in Vigo two days a week and at the Colegio (K-12 school). We met her during our short visit in the morning to the school. But she had a class lined up for us to speak to when we went back early in the afternoon. During her break she took us about 10 minutes by car to her home where she had a guest suite built into where I think the garage must have been before.



We were very grateful. There is no albergue in Cuntis and the one in Caldas de Reis is closed for remodeling. It started to rain in the afternoon and then began to rain in buckets.



Ana explained everything and introduced us to the dog "Guide" spoken "Guidi". He was a puppy with long legs and a happiness to see people.



Then, she gave us the key and left. Wow ! We have lucked out again!



We did our laundry and showered in the abudant hot water.


We went to the local library and wrote email to you all. There was an ancient petroglyph from the local Castrolandin. It is so old, over 3000 years old, right here in the library.

Ana and Albert are away because their 3 yr. old son named Anton has been in the hospital having his appendix out. So they are staying in Vigo near the hospital.

03/19/2010

We are still at Cuntis for two reasons. No one's home. And it's raining buckets! There are anciant (3000 yrs. BC) Celtic ruins very near here called "Castrolandin" that Eric would love to go see, but really the wind is soooo strong and the rain relentless. The Celts were hear before Santiago was a city. So, we are eatting, looking at maps and trying to decide if we should try the "anciant path" which is said to be a shorter route, but unmarked.

Today we text messaged Fermin, our fellow pilgrim from Briallos. He and his friend Hobby arrived in Santiage just 4 hrs. before we messaged him. His feet had blisters when we parted in Briallos. We offered him some mole skin, but he said no. Now he texted us and said that his feet are "destroyed". Guys, they've got to be macho! They did the Santiago from Tui, Spain, just a little more than required, in 4 or 5 days. They were really pushing it. Bet they didn't find any four leaf clovers or pick up any Mica.

I got an idea. What if I write a series of stories for the kids we've met and make 10 mistakes in eachone. They can read and find the mistakes. The stories could be about our Camino. I can call them "A Pilgrims Path to Learning English". The answers would be listed at the end. Maybe I could sell them to English classes all over.

Also, I like the idea of visiting classes in all kinds of places and telling them about our home and our family. It uplifts and pushes the envelope for them. They know more about the US and it's ordinary people, instead of just what they hear in the news or see in movies.

Can you loose weight in your ear lobes? I think that before I started this walk my ear rings fit tighter.

03/20/ 2010

Still in Cuntis. It's just us and the doggy here. toward the evening it stopped raining enough for us to go to town and get some groceries.


We toured the local cathedral called "The Cathedral of the Patron".













It's unusual because the virgin who is the patron was saved from the civil war damage, however nothing is known about her. No one knows her name or her deeds that led to her Sainthood. The local people continue to pray to her for their spiritual needs, but know nothing about her. In addition, she is a more lively and happy image than we have seen in any of the churches of all sizes we have visited. I like her. She's got spirit, no pun intended.






The statue of the "Pelegrino" or Pilgrim was special to us of course. He is always depicted with the shell, which is the symbol of the pilgrim as well as a little dog. This is a really nice one, so I thought I'd remember this one.

I also got a charm with a little ball in it that tinkles. The Shop keeper said that it was an "Angel Call". It's really pretty. We came home and Ana and her husband and son were home! They were just getting ready to go for a walk. We had quick introductions all around and then we went into our little suite and baked some potatoes and onions. They weren't as good as at Romarigaes. Why is that do you suppose?

When Ana and her husband Alberto and her son Anton came back, they asked us up to dinner with them.



I took the opportunity to get to know Anton a little and played with him in the family room. He didn't know what to think of me and definitely didn't want me to rearrange his toys. He had them in just the right place and that's the way he liked it. So, being who I am, I kept asking what I could play with. I finally got permission to play with a little Lego character. He loves Peter Pan and acted out battles between Peter and Capitan Hook.



We had fried eggs and french frys. If you'll notice, at the far end of the kitchen in the picture, there is an ancient stone sink. It is low enough that with the help of a little stool, Anton can reach it. He takes his dish from the table and washes it after every meal. How did they do that? I tried to teach my kids to do that for years. Pretty cool if you ask me!

Then we talked to them until 1:00 AM. We had to remember that Ana hadn't been in on any of the classes where we told about ourselves. So, she and her family didn't know anything about us. We told them everything! They were so interesting and lovely people. We had a very good time.


03/21/2010

Guess what? It's sunny today. Today they asked us up for breakfast. They don't have to feed us, we have our own food. But they insist. So we go up.



Then we all walked to Castrolandin.











We explored the whole ruin of stacked rock houses made in circles and covered (long ago) with thached roofs.









There was only one that was rectangle. It was made by the Romans.











There were several pools where the inhabitants collected water.

















































There were some unique flowers that Eric has not seen anywhere else.



























































There were also some petroglyphs that were older than the ruins. Very interesting. It was eerie. I could feel the people who had built the circles and lived there. We had a great time.
















When we all came back they fixed us a big meal. In Spain, the big meal is in the middle of the day.



Afterward, they mixed orange serbert with champagne in stemware for desert. Their Aunt came over to check on Anton. Her name was Ella, pronounced Aya. It simply means "her".









We talked to her and we took pictures posed by a big stone avery in their back year. Anton has his own camera and loves taking pictures. So we also posed for him. His pictures were pretty good, even for a 3 yr. old.



Anton is smart. His Aunt brought him a puzzle with English pictures that you match up with letters and pictures and he caught on right away when I taught him how to use it.



I got invited into his room, and I understand it is a privilege. We played cards, pictures with the English names. If he could say it in English he won the card. If I could say it in Spanish, I got the card. Boy, he thought it was sooooo funny when I couldn't say the Spanish name.



It was fun to play with him. We also liked Ana and Albert very much. Albert is an architect. Here's some advice for unmarried girls. Marry an architect and you will always live in a creative house. Their house was so nifty. Every little thing was handy and well thought out. It was fun to stay there. We talked with them late into the night again. But now since the sun's come again, we will be moving on in the morning.

Off to Padron!

Caldas de Reis

Today we walked to Caldas de Reis from Bariallos.



It was a short way so we arrived early in time to talk with one English class in the morning. Today is their quarter exams and everyone is busy.

But there is no albergue here so we don't know where we are going to stay tonight. Eric is asking about pensionas. A teacher named Ana is every excited. She has a little flat for visitors. She will take us at her second break. Another miracle!

So we go down into town and buy food and see the sites to wait for her break. There is a hot springs that pours out of the mouths of two lions.




I wish I could dive in, but alas, I'm dressed in layers and it is in a public square. So I sit and wish.




We get some more pictures copied because we are running low. We brought them to give away, and we enjoy doing it. We meet two women who run the local photo copy shop.


We have quite a lively conversation. We pull out our brag book and show they our kids. They are really impressed with Eric's photos. We take pictures of them with both of us and they make copies on the spot. We leave there and arrive at the school early only to find that the math teacher wants us to talk with her class.



We are a regular show now, one teacher said we were "exotic" for the children. I'm sure she ment that in a good way.

Then Ana took us to her flat and left to go be with her 3 yr. old who has had his appendix out and is at his Grandma's house recouperating.







We are alone with the dog, Guide, who hasn't had anyone to play with all week since the child has been in the hospital and at Grandma's.



So we shower, wash our clothes and play with Guide. He is an outside dog, so I pet him opening the door a little and putting my hand out. It is raining buckets.



Now we have walked to the "bibliotecas" or library using the Internet to write to you.

Eric is busy planning a wonderful tour of North Western Spain for the few days after we reach Santiago. I want to go to " the End of the Earth" in Finisterre.

Tomorrow we may stay here and look around. It seems that there are some interesting ruins of the original people who lived here. Eric is having fun researching it right now. Tomorrow is Father's Day and Saint Jose's day. The kids have the day off from school. Our next goal is Padron maybe, Eric is planning maybe to take the ancient road to Santiago that varies from the map we have and by passes Padron. So I will let you know!

Portas and Briallos

03/17/10



Today we were up and ready to be picked up by San Martin and be dropped off at the school. We spoke with 12 yr. olds this morning. We had a good time. Eric and I are getting a routine. He makes this joke, I tell about the Columbia River and the return of the Salmon. He plays a guessing game with them about how many children we have. I do show and tell with the pictures of our family we have in a little purple album we brought. He tells another joke. and so on. Eric finds our farm on the Satilite pictures of Google maps. Everyone is amazed to see our farm.

We tell all about the container house San is building.



We even have a picture of a 20 ft. container that someone had turned into a little summer house along the Camino. We showed it to everybody. We explain about why there are so many cargo containers in the US. We talk about trade with China. We talk about President Obama. We tell them that our kids are still sleeping and it is yesterday there. We talk about time zones.




They had a big feast prepared for us. As it happens, we arrived on Pilgrim's day. There was a funny picture of a cartoon pilgrim in the newspaper. So we had about five kinds of empanadas, both sweet and savory. We were really amazed. They loaded us up with the leftovers and we are in heaven.

We were going to walk on this afternoon to Portas this afternoon and speak to classes tomorrow, but they have exams tomorrow and it would be better for them if we could come and talk with them this afternoon. So, the Kindergarten teacher said he would drive us to Portas.



So in the afternoon we spoke with the English class in Portas. We spoke with 14 to 17 years old today. By now we have spoken with hundreds of children.



The English teacher's name was Susana. She took us to view a beautiful falls near by and showed us the town. Then she drove us to the albergue in Briallos, the next stop. It isn't cheating because we have already walked more than the required kilometers for the Santiago since we started way down in Portugal.



At Briallos we met fellow pilgrims Ferman and Hobby from Vigo, Spain. They were walking from Tui to Santiago in 4 days. Fermin already had some evil blisters. I offered him some Mole skin, but he said he'd be OK. Ferman spoke a little English, but Eric could speak to him in Spanish. Hobby had a really Galacian accent with many words including the sound "th" in them. I could hear the difference right away. They were nice and we had good conversations with them. Ferman had a girlfriend in Britain named Allison. He was really in love with her and had been courting her for 6 years. But she had a career and didn't want to get to serious. Hobby had a wife and she was 5 months pregnant. He was pretty excited about the baby. So we learned a little about their lives. Later Ferman turned out to be a very good friend to us.

So tomorrow On to Caldas de Reis!