El Camino Ingles

[Gayathree]

I start tomorrow, Sunday from Ferrol to Santiago. I've got the booklet by John Walker and will use it a a guide to get to Santiago. I tried it out today and between it and the shell markers and some yellow arrows on the pavement it seemed to work OK. I'll see what happens tomorrow.

Am now in Pontedeume. I got lost from the sign A Faisca. Perhaps it was my fault. Anyway about an hour later and much waylaying of the occassional passer-by I eventually got back on track thanks to a couple and their terrier-like dog and got a sello at the church of San Martin de Xubia as they were open for an 11am mass - Sunday. It is a beautiful church with lots of interesting medieval carvings that are well worth seeing. After that I just followed the signs and the arrows. With a little trust it was a good walk that took me about 9 hours with a little stop in Neda for a coffee and pitstop then to the Iglesia de Santa Maria where they were celebrating mass and a christening so I made the mistake of asking for a bocadillo at a bar nearby. It was nice to stop by the river for half an hour eating the barely edible sandwich, but I got the sello and had a nice walk through Paradiso and la Rua Real. Just before Pontadume in Cananas it started to pour with rain as the weather girl predicted. Walking over the hsitoric bridge in the downpour was not much fun, but hotel and a shower and all is well.

 

[Arn]

Some folks call JW the Guru of the Camino Ingles. I would go a bit further. Johnnie Walker is a student of the Camino. I would trust him with my last bottle of fine single malt.

Let us know how it all works out.

If all goes well, I will be on the CI in October.

Buen "got my JW book and things are fine' Camino

Arn

 

[daesdaemar]

I start tomorrow, Sunday from Ferrol to Santiago. I've got the booklet by John Walker and will use it a a guide to get to Santiago. I tried it out today and between it and the shell markers and some yellow arrows on the pavement it seemed to work OK. I'll see what happens tomorrow.

Buen Camino! It's a wonderful route.

 

[Gayathree]

This is my last stage before getting to Santiago tomorrow, Ascencion Day so they 11am service is going to be very special. I'll be up and out of the hotel early so that I can get there for 10am and register and the pilgrims' office before going to the cathedral. I nearly did not get this far. Not only do I lose my way on a daily basis but having climbed to get above Pontedeume the mist that I associate with Galicia came down and visibility was about 50 ft. Got lost, got scared but back tracked and found an arrow on the road to a path through the woods and the mist lightened and by midday there was the odd patch of sun although there was a fine light drizzle for most of the day.

The next day there was the crippling hill(?) It seemed like as near a vertical ascent without crampons as one can find after Julia's cafe. Can't take many of those. The weather was good - not too hot with a light breeze and sun. Today too has been good walking weather and the way is not quite so vertical - long paths through woods some with dappled shade and others exposed with little shade and dazzling sunlight on the stony dirt roads. I met an English couple in Cruceiro and the day before my first encounter was with 4 young spanish pilgrims at Julia's whom I also saw today in Cruceiro.

 

[Gayathree]

End of story - the last day was not long in distance, some 16kms, so I was told, but it still seemed long 'cos coming to Santiago the outskirts were industrial and I remembered getting lost in the industrial/factory outskirts of Sigueros (sp?). I walked and stopped to ask people en route for El Camino. I got there, but not by the route marked on the map, although there were the odd azulejos shells now and then. Through the plaza of the cathedral and on to the pilgrims' office. The queue for the final hurdle was down the stairs and into the courtyard and surprisingly many of those there were elderly.

After the interview and the stamp and the certificate I went to the midday mass. The Cathedral was full because it was Ascension Day - a public holiday. It was a mass in many languages and was very moving to hear of list of pilgrims, including me, the only one from Ferrol that day.

The pilgrimage was many things for me including an unexpected learning curve; almost retreat by being meditation through movement. I hope I am now a better person in both body and soul as well as someone whose understanding of the faith of people in the medieval period which was one of my original objectives.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Good to hear of your Camino. A wonderful day to arrive.
We found our way in Santiago by blindly following Johnnie's directions at the big roundabout and then asking some-one as, we crossed the road, if we were right. It was OK after that.
You saw less pilgrims along the Way I think than we did, we met up briefly with 24 other pilgrims (2 English, 2 Irish and the rest Spanish) over the whole Camino. There was no real queue when we reached the Pilgrims' Office. One small group just leaving and 2 pilgrims being attended to before it was our turn.
Every blessing on your return home
Tia Valeria