Re: Tui to Santiago April 23 - A GREAT BIG THANK YOU
On April 1st, 2011, I decided that I wanted to do the Camino on April 23rd, 2011. Sounds like an April fool joke - at such short notice! However, thanks to the help I got from the St James Society, here in Ireland, and especially from the
Camino de Santiago forum - I had a wonderful pilgrimage.
I am sharing here a little of my experience in the hope that it will be of interest or help to other pilgrims.
I had wanted to do the Camino for about 5 years but it never worked out for me. However, this time, from the minute I made up my mind, everything fell into place, which confirmed for me that the time was right.
On March 26th, 2011, I returned from Sydney after my daughter's wedding. I was overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude for how well everything had gone, and for her wonderful husband and his welcoming family. I decided on April 1st to do a pilgrimage of thanksgiving. I knew at such short notice that I would be doing it alone.
So on April 2nd I came across this wonderful forum, and signed up. I put out my request and next day I was contacted by Miguel. He had done the Camino 3 times with his 3 friends, and they were beginning the Portugese route from the same starting point on the same day as me! They were coming from the UK and I was coming from Ireland. What a blessing this proved to be - they became my archangels.
Through the forum, Mig gave me all the information I needed so that I was able to plan my camino, day by day. Within a short time I had all my bookings done and time left over to carefully plan my packing! I decided to carry my own luggage, and to stay in hotels/guesthouses. I'm a light sleeper so the Albergues wouldn't suit me.
Co-incidentally the St James Society held an open day in Cork on April 9th. There I picked up
John Brierley's guide to the Portugese Camino which proved to be excellent. I also bought my pilgrims passport, and spoke to a man who had done the Portugese route.
There was a very good practical demonstration on what to pack, and this allowed me to bring my rucksack on a Ryanair flight as hand luggage - and still have everything I needed for a week away!
A very useful tip was to bring 2 extra long bootlaces and some large safety pins. This can be turned into a clothes line and the safety pins act as clothespegs. This allowed me to wash out my dri-fit clothes each day, and hang them in the ensuite bathroom near a window overnight. I had fresh clothes all the time.
Fortunately the weather was fantastic so I never needed to use my poncho. My pocket sized umbrella was only used to shelter from the sun on one day.
One of the most useful items I took was a compass on a string around my neck. This was especially useful in cities. When your feet are sore and you are bone weary the last thing you need is to be going in the wrong direction!
My Camino forum badge was spotted by one of Mig's companions, while boarding the train from Oporto to Valenca. They had just come from the UK and I had come from Ireland the previous night. I had found my guardian angels! And by the time we landed in Valenca I felt that I had known them all my life.
The next 5 days proved to be an amazing pilgrimage. As they say - what happens on the Camino stays on the Camino. It had it's ups and downs. It certainly was a mystical journey. I came home spiritually renewed. What I thought was going to be just a thanksgiving pilgrimage turned out to be a whole lot more.
This is not just a beautiful walk through nature - there is a very real spiritual presence on this camino and a sense of unity between pilgrims. And it's not just with the ones that you meet along the way - you can sense the bond with all pilgrims down through the ages who have trudged the same paths.
I did most of my accommodation bookings through booking.com. It's a very easy website to navigate, and it offers great flexability with the bookings.
I found the following hotels very good: Hotel Colon Tui in Tui (or Tuy); Hotel Antolin in Redondela; Hotel Madrid in Pontevedra; Hotel Torre de Rio (my favourite!) in Caldas de Reis; Hotel la Scala in Padron; Hotel Avenida on Fuente de San Antonio in Santiago.
If I was doing this route again there are only 2 things that I would do differently. The stages were 30, 20.5, 21.1, 17, 24km respectively) I would divide up the first day's walking. I would allow 2 days for the 30km from Valenca to Redondela instead of 1. (I got blisters on the first day despite all precautions and advice being followed.)
Secondly, I brought hiking boots and sandals. I think I would bring my walking trainers instead of the boots as this section of the Portugese camino is relatively flat. Or else I would bring the boots and trainers - and not bother with the sandals - especially at that time of the year - its not too hot.
Again many thanks to all who responded to my initial query, especially Miguel and his companions. Also thank you to the pilgrims I met along the route - I won't name them - but on the off chance that someone reads this and remembers me walking between Easter Sunday morning and the following Thursday from Tui to Santiago. Go raibh mile maith agat!
