A huge thank you to the forum members for all your help and advice on my recent Camino Ingles. It was a wonderful meaningful 6 days which went far too quickly. My initial fears were greatly assuaged by the support and sensible approach of the members here and I cannot thank you enough for the speed and valuable responses to my thread Walking solo.
My much loved Johnnie Walker's guide is in shreds as it walked every step of the way with me and thank you J.W. as your guide was key to my daily walk .
I so loved my time on the Ingles. and I hope that for those planning to walk the Ingles, my record, albeit a lengthy one, below may prove helpful/ of interest.
Day 1 Saw me fly into A Coruna, a really pretty coastal resort and from where I enjoyed some sight seeing and visits into the old town. From A Coruna I caught the bus, which goes hourly on the half hour to Ferrol .
A taxi brought me to the hotel Silva which is centrally located and very good value . It is not the closest to the port so that evening I walked to the Information Centre and was given some good maps and also advice on how best to avoid roadworks when exiting Ferrol the next morning.
Supper that evening at Meson Mateo , which is walking distance from the hotel, was a resounding success and I would strongly recommend a visit here.
Day 2 - Ferrol to Neda 14km. The path that day was a mix of trails and road/pavements. My plan had been to walk further but the never ending rain and the cold saw me opting to stop at the hostel at Neda. Although I never encountered any pilgrims walking, there was a lovely group of young Spanish students and more veteran walkers staying there. The hostel at Neda is basic but clean and accommodates 28 visitors. And while the location along the river is pleasant, there is little to do in the area,and if I were to walk again I would not stop here but rather would forge ahead.
Day 3 - Neda to Pontedeume. 16 km
A lovely walk and as the sun shone warmly everything seemed that much brighter. A number of interesting churches, none of which were open - are they ever? However some lavaderos and monuments to view and also the mix of forest and coastal paths made for a very enjoyable walk .
As I approached Pontedeume , the bridge leading into the town is as impressive as is the town itself . Quite a number of steep pathways bring you high up to view wonderful vistas below. That evening after mass, the Church of Santiago offered a pilgrims blessing which was quite special and gave a greater sense of my being there.
Having met more than 10 students at the albergue in Neda I felt they had a greater claim on the bunk beds and so while the albergue is good I opted to stay at Bar Luis. The rooms are in a separate building across from the restaurant and are quite adequate BUT make sure to be sleeping at the rear of the building
The Spanish partied that evening as if there was no tomorrow, while pilgrims tried to sleep knowing that there was definitely a tomorrow, and a steep incline to cover on leaving Pontedeume and heading to Betanzos.
Day 4 - Pontedeume to Betanzos. 20 km
I found this day more challenging and while I am a strong and fast walker the ascent seemed to be higher and longer than I had expected . I could not find a cafe until Mino but when I did it was so worth it as the best cafe con leche and churros I have tasted were served in Cafe Churreria,
Once fortified I headed off and to the wonderful sound of the Miserere ringing in my ears, life really was good ! As an aside, at different times of the day I tuned into the soundtrack of Les Intouchables, The Tallest Man on Earth, London Grammar and of course George Michael. These different artists and their music helped me when at times I needed the incentive to keep going . There are few pilgrims along the way but I found that I was really enjoying the solitude and the ease of simply having to put one foot in front of the other.
Betanzos is charming, paved streets, an old town, a busy square and again not one but two beautifully appointed churches. The albergue is top notch, modern and spread over three floors with the option in one room of single beds- what a luxury !
One lovely moment as I went to the super market to buy some provisions for the next day and one baguette, three slices of manchego and two slices of Serrano prompted "Nancy"the young girl to promptly made up my sandwich and wrap it in cling film, Such thoughtfulness made for an even more tasty lunch the following day.
Day 5 - Betanzos - Meson De Vento 29 km
I had been worried about this leg of the trip as the map indicated quite a challenging ascent into Bruma. An early morning start had me well ahead. However at around 16 kms, the route bore little resemblance to my Johnnie Walker guide book and so I opted to put the guide book into my bag and follow the plentiful number of way marks. The climb was high but not so difficult and while it did not really afford good views it did provide a wonderful days walking.Time to reflect and think about everything and nothing and at times sing Careless Whisper at the top of my voice. Apart from the farm dogs it was again just me and my rucksack !
I popped in to the albergue at Bruma which is big and well run but as I had pre booked hotel Canaima I waited at the hostel until Natalie from the hotel collected me . I enjoyed the hotel , much more comfortable than I had expected and Ramon and his team were very welcoming and could not do enough for us all. It is also the only real option for dining as when I went over to O Meson Novo they could only offer a ham and cheese boccadillo. At Canaima the galician soup followed by cod with sauted potatoes and a great cheese plate more than satisfied that evening.
Day 6 - Meson De Vento- Sigueiro. 24 kms
A relatively straightforward walk today but the earlier morning trails and interesting terrain does not prepare you for the latter never ending wide walk ways through and finally into Sigueiro. My room at Hostel Sigueiro more than compensated for that however. If staying again in Sigueiro this will be my one and only choice.What a find and for my last night as I sat on the terrace I thought back over my solo tour, my initial fears and concerns at walking on my own, and at once I felt so peaceful, humbled and yet with such a sense of well being and ready for the final walk into Santiago.
Day 7 Sigueiro - Santiago ( 16 kms)
3 kms out from Siguiero, I fell in with a wonderful young pilgrim from London and we talked and walked and three hours later we walked together into Santiago . It was the 24 July and the eve of the feast day so preparations were in full swing. A visit to Pilgrim house allowed me to meet and thank the wonderful Nate whose advice and guidance I had so valued . And also of course I saw first hand the amazing work the team does here.
I went to the morning pilgrims mass, gave the apostle an almighty hug, cried a little, well okay, maybe a lot, changed from my walking clothes and jumped into a taxi for LHR...
... sólo hasta la próxima vez.
