Day 12: Pontevedra to Armenteira
Today I reunited with my Australian friends J&S from earlier in the journey. We started in Pontevedra but after just a few kilometers began the Spiritual Variant journey.
While I was happy to leave the groups behind, it was a fun surprise to get applause as we walked through the large Spanish school group.
It was so much nicer to be away from the crowds. While the walk wasn’t easy, it was easy to be with my company & easy to enjoy the scenery. A mix of countryside towns and wooded paths led us down to the coast. The camino tiles that we have grown accustomed to changed to a small more discreet sign that was hard to follow at times.
We happened by a local school at just the right time & were interviewed by a student about our journey. The project was a census & a chance for the students to practice languages. We had our picture taken with our student, so I love to think about being part of this history. I’ll have to remember to take a photo in Santiago to share with them.
After walking up and down some hills through quiet towns, we arrived at the shore. I had met this woman from the Netherlands the night before who took the coastal route almost all the way, and she spoke of the scenery being repetitive over time. Her experience is exactly why I chose not to do the coastal route; however, after a week away from the coast, it was nice for the change in atmosphere. There is something magical about the water – some calming energy from the softness of sand, salty smell, and sea breeze.
Throughout this area of Spain, horreos (grain storage) buildings are common, but in the picturesque town of Combarro, these buildings are used to dry fish, not grain. So a handful of them line the shore of the old town creating unusual vistas.
We had lunch along the shore with freshly grilled fish & meat from the seaside BBQ to fuel the climb that was to come. From the coast to the top of the mountain, we hiked up to 450 meters. The slope was steep at times, but with breaks, it wasn’t that bad. The view of the harbor reminded me of where I came from & what I can accomplish.
Before I knew it, I was at my lodging & I was being ferried to the Mosteiro de Santa María da Armenteira for the daily 7pm pilgrim’s blessing. While the service was in Spanish, I was struck by the humbleness of it. It wasn’t for show. The nuns focused on each other; even when people came in late, they were not distracted. They also used silence as a spiritual moment. Between each hymn, there was silence – sometimes 30 seconds, sometimes longer. At the end they blessed us pilgrims in several languages, and my favorite line from the blessing was about this silence: “open your heart to the silence and save with gratitude the beautiful memories of the good things that you have met.”
After the service, I came back to the albergue for a communal dinner that was chaotic but nice. I love how people who start out as strangers from all corners of the world loosen up over shared food & homemade wine.
Tomorrow is supposed to be a magical day, and as my longest distance wise, I’m hoping the beautiful scenery can distract me from the challenge.
Day 13: Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa
After walking to the Camino from my lodging, I started the beautiful walk along the stream. Cascading falls, ruins of old mills, and vibrant greens of the mosses & leaves made for a refreshing start to the day. This terrain reminds me of back home but is different from any scenery we have seen so far on the camino.
I guess I have a fast pace as I passed everyone who left the lodging before me. I caught up with J & S at the first cafe of the trail as did everyone who was walking the Camino. It’s funny how we all congregate at the same places along the way.
From there the walk continued along the stream till our lunch stop at a tucked away tavern along the camino. We got there right as it opened & were worried that our only possible lunch place wasn’t actually open, but it was & others trickled in as we settled into our first Spanish pilgrim meal.
Fueled up we were ready for the 2nd half of the day through more vineyards & small towns, up a hill with some shade & down to the coast again. The weather was perfect – mid 60s with a nice breeze.
At the coast I was too eager to get my feet in the water so I insisted on entering it from a random shore point. Little did I know that sandy beaches awaited us just around the corner. I guess I have yet to fully embrace the virtue of patience. Still, my feet enjoyed a little swim. After a rest we were ready to finish up the last 2.5 kms to our destination.
This was the longest day of walking – even more so for me because I had the extra morning bit – and my feet are feeling it.
I can’t believe some people did this length & more everyday. No wonder they are dealing with blisters. I feel lucky that I have been able to avoid the dreaded blisters that for some seem to ruin their camino experience. Several people have asked what I’ve done to keep my feet healthy, but besides moderating my walking distance and putting a little glide between my toes in the morning, there’s nothing special. Maybe it’s been taking advantage of the cooling waters (when possible), or wearing shoes with a wide toe berth, but my feet have been sore but not blistered.
One more long day tomorrow that starts with an early morning boat ride. Then a short morning walk to Santiago the following day – hopefully in time to catch the pilgrim’s mass.
Day 14: Vilanova de Arousa to O Milladoiro
Today started earlier than other days with an 8am boat ride. We ended up in a 12 passenger speed boat, which meant that the cold morning air slapped our faces and gave us a good wake up as we made our way from Vilanova de Arousa to Pontecensures via Rua Ulta.
The boat slowed down to teach us about the mussel & clam farming, national parks, viking ruins from the 10th century, and – most important for the Camino – some of the 17 crosses dedicated to the Way of St James . This is the journey St James the Apostle’s remains took onto his final resting place in Santiago.
Once we departed the boat, it was just a few kilometers till we were back on the main Camino route. While I thought this meant that we would be joining the masses again, our later entrance into Padron meant that most pilgrims had already departed for the day, so we happily had another day of sparser crowds.
Yesterday, at lunch a pilgrim showed up hobbling with both knees in extensive wraps, and I was thinking that this must be an excruciating journey for her. Today I saw her again out on the trail making her way at a good pace – knees braces and all. Her determination pushed down any residual exhaustion I had from yesterday’s walk.
Still, I think I’m ready for the journey to be done. I’ve enjoyed the two weeks of the Camino, but I’ll be happy to shift my mind and body to other endeavors.
After the boat ride, the path was nothing exciting – some quaint hamlets, some forest, a few sweet cats and goats, too many industrial zones, and lots of asphalt.
We kept chugging along, found some picnic tables in a wooded section to have lunch & a stop for a mid afternoon sugar kick.
At about the 10km mark, the woods came alive with the music of a keyboard player, and I enjoyed the sounds wafting further through the woods than I would’ve thought. While normally I would want the sounds of nature, I think I needed this for inspiration for the last push of the day.
The day ended in the monotone modern suburb of O Milladoiro. Instead of pushing through the last 8kms, we were leaving them for the next morning, so that we could arrive in Santiago in time for the pilgrim’s mass at noon.
Today was the third full day of walking with J & S, and I’ve been thinking about how lucky it is to find people that are at the same pace and vibe as me. At this point, I can see lots of small camino families that have formed, and I’m happy to have found one too.
Day 15: O Milladoiro to Santiago
Today was only 8 km to Santiago, so it didn’t really feel like a day of walking but instead a morning walk. I enjoyed the morning sun basking of the local cats and a quiet Saturday on the roads.
Once we hit the historical part of Santiago, other pilgrims appeared from every street. Each camino route has their own entry into the Cathedral square, represented by the lines on the infamous shell symbol. People finishing long or short walks all celebrated their journey in the shadow of the impressive Cathedral.
After dropping off our bags – you can’t take them into the cathedral – we went to get our camino credentials. With the certificate in hand, it was time to join the large noon mass inside the cathedral.
The cathedral was packed so we only got a perch on the stone base of a column, still even without a view of the altar, the beautiful soprano voice of the head singer pulled me into the spiritual energy of the place. All of the service was in Spanish, so while I didn’t understand any of the words, I did register the blessing of the pilgrims from various countries, and the traditional Catholic rituals of mass.
The mass ended with the botafumeiro ceremony. Here the monks light a giant incense burner and swing it across the altar. With each swing, the smoke wafts to the rafters and rays of light illuminate the smoke. With each swing, the burner rises higher and swings further into the aisle. With each swing, the crowd follows the rising burner’s journey over their heads. It was a perfect way to close out the pilgrim experience.
While I enjoyed seeing pilgrims that I recognized from the trail, there were so many other pilgrims finishing their journeys, reminding me that the Portuguese Camino is just one of many caminos that ends here. I would love to hear about some of the other journeys and see how they compared with mine.
After traversing back and forth through the old town to grab bags, get groceries, and settle into my lodging, I met with the Dutch pilgrim who had finished her Central Route Camino the day before for a celebratory drink.
We picked this tucked away garden cafe that served as a tranquil backdrop to our debrief. It was nice to hear about her experiences on the central route & her take-aways from the whole journey.
She – and I – were both surprised that the camino was filled with an older crowd of pilgrims. I think this is partly because of the time of year, but I also think that this sort of journey works better for those who know themselves. For me, walking for two weeks is meditative and the perfect way to decompress; however, for her, she realized that this type of trip wasn’t right for this time of her life.
I ended the night with a celebratory dinner with S & J. Our quest was paella, and after a few failed attempts, we found our place. It was a lovely dinner to celebrate our accomplishment.
The journey was everything I wanted it to be, but it’s hard to define exactly what that is. I learned that simplicity does wonders for the psyche, community can be found anywhere, a journey is one step at a time, and the experience is more important than the end goal.
Will I do another Camino de Santiago? Probably not, but only because sometimes the magic is in the mystery of the experience. That said long distance walking is definitely in my future. So send me your recommendations for long distance journeys (where I don’t have to camp).
Mac On the Map 
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