Today was “Handover Day” at Refugio Guacelmo in Rabanal. The outgoing hospitaleros (Carole, Catherine, and John) showed us (Nigel, Janine, and I) the duties we’ll be doing for the first half of September. Each of us shadowed the person we would be replacing: Nigel shadowed John, Janine shadowed Carole, and I shadowed Catherine. My primary duty in the morning will be to clean the kitchen, though I’ll also lend a hand to Nigel and Janine until all the work is…
There are no words to express the mixed feelings we get when we arrive in Santiago. It is always a happy/sad time. Already we miss the journey of the Camino del Norte: the ocean views, beaches, fishing ports, hamlets, farmers, peregrinos, cows, chickens, sheep, goats, mountains, even the windmills looming overhead. 😢 Walking the Camino is like nothing else. When can you be in a mix of like-minded people from various corners of the world walking in the same direction, along…
Our Camino is changing dramatically and it is all good. Over the last two days we’ve walked 47 km and are in Arzua, the town where the Camino del Norte merges with the Camino Frances. First things first, though… When we left A Pobra de Parga yesterday morning, it was 8° and a light fog was lifting. All was quiet except for the crunching of our footsteps, the melody of a variety of birds, and Dave calculating our elevation gains…
This was one of those days that got better and better as it went on – weather wise and otherwise. We were grateful to our first Camino Angel this morning for helping us find our way to the bus depot in Vilalba. We hoofed it to the bus depot with little time to spare and within half an hour we were enjoying our first cafe con leche of the day in a bright and friendly bar in Baamonde. We decided to…
This morning we headed away from Abadin cocooned in our rain ponchos with hoods cinched up tight. No wonder Galicia is so green! It rains! It was a pleasant walk in spite of the rain, passing by green meadows, groves of chestnut trees, and pastures with cows to chat with. Some had the smarts to seek shelter from the rain under trees, but not all. We saw many more pilgrims today, including one who was packing up his soaking wet…
Today was yet another favourite day! Dave and I were undecided which of two routes between Mondonedo and Abadin we should take this morning. One route follows a paved road up and over the mountain for 15.7 km; the other is more challenging, more scenic, and more direct for 11.9 km. We decided on the shorter, more strenuous route and (WOW!) was it ever beautiful once we reached the top of a four kilometre climb – definitely well worth the…
Last night our room in Lourenza was so cold (10C), I wore my socks and sweater to bed. Brrrr… Our laundry that was hung by the window was just as wet this morning as it was last night and rivulets were streaming down the inside of the windows. We left Lourenza looking like walking clotheslines; thank heavens for safety pins! 😂 It had been raining and we were prepared to don our ponchos at any moment. The rain held off, though,…
After a rest day yesterday in Ribadeo, Dave and I were glad to get back to the Camino trail – sort of like going home. Our packs were like old friends, feeling comfortable and snug against our backs. We said goodbye to Ribadeo and the coast and headed into the mountains. Villages are fewer and farther apart now, so it’s important to plan ahead: where to eat and sleep and whether to carry food. The terrain plays an important part…
An odd thing happened two nights ago at our little hotel in La Caridad. I opened our second floor window and caught the attention of a pilgrim who was arriving. She assumed I was staff and asked in English, “I have a reservation. Am I too early?” I answered her with, “Llamar al teléfono de la puerta.” I’ve become so unaccustomed to hearing English, that I got my languages mixed up! What a surprise that was! According to the Gronze website,…
As planned, Dave and I walked up to the Cementario de Luarca first thing this morning. What a gorgeous setting for a cemetery! It is perched high on a cliff overlooking the sea. The sun was rising but the cemetery was in shadow and would be for quite a while. We could only imagine how gorgeous it would be with the white statuary lit by the sun contrasted by the blue of the ocean beyond. We had no idea what…