El Camino de Santiago and other trails.
We had a short walk today; it was about 10 miles/ 16 Kms. We walked through small villages, and most of them were getting ready to celebrate their saint’s day. This weekend there was loud music and fireworks during the day and night. The weather has been overcast with frequent showers and mild temperatures.
In several places in Barcelos, we found a colorful rooster that brings good luck. Here is a link to the rooster legends, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooster_of_Barcelos.
This morning we split into two groups because we decided to take the central path to Santiago and not continue along the coast. Jeremy walked the eight miles across the city of Vila do Conde, and the girls and I took a taxi to the edge of the town to continue on el Camino Central. Jeremy walked 18 miles and we did 11.5 miles.
Along the way, we saw blue arrows that indicate the way to El Santuario de Fatima. Some people combined both pilgrimages and walk to Santiago De Compostela and Santuario De Fatima.
Today we walked 24 Km/ 14.5 miles along the coast. Most of the trail was on a wooden boardwalk. We passed several restaurantes that looked so alike that after kilometer 10 it felt like a Deja Vu. We wondered in some point if we were walking in circles.
Today we passed a site with archaeological ruins from the Iron Age, also saw a Nordic engraving in an area that once upon a time was a Viking camp, and saw Roman Tanks for fish salting.
There is a lot of history along the way.
Today was an easy hike, about 12 Km/ 7 miles. The weather was overcast and there was a warm breeze from the ocean. We saw a few pilgrims on the way, as we passed them or we were passed the unofficial greeting was said, ¡Buen Camino!. A polite pilgrim always greets in Spanish to a fellow pilgrim.
Our walk today was alongside the Rio Douro and the coast.
After waiting for two years we finally made it to Portugal. We arrived to Porto on June 13.
We got our pilgrim’s credential which is the most important document that we will carry for now on. I will elaborate more about the credential below. Then, we visited Porto’s cathedral to get our first stamp to prove in Santiago where we started our journey.
Back to the hotel, it was time to pack like a good Pilgrim.
The Credential.
The Pilgrims’ credential proves where we started our walk and the distance we did. Every day as we pass towns, we will get our credentials stamped with the name and the date from the cafes, restaurants, churches, and hotels we visited along the way. The Credential is the only document accepted in the pilgrim’s office in Santiago. We present this document as a testimony that we walked to Santiago if we wanted to get our Compostela.
La Compostela is the official document given to the pilgrims that reach Santiago. This document has been given to the pilgrims since the medieval age.
The Shell.
The shell during the Middle Ages was the only proof that the Europeans had to prove that they reached the ocean or the end of the world in Finisterre, Spain.
Today we carry the shell as a symbol that we are pilgrims. Along the way, people who have the shell are allowed to get shelter for free or at a low cost for the night in hostels or churches.
Today, Hiking poles, backpacks, cellphones, maps, and first aid kits are the equipment that the modern pilgrims bring with them.
Every single fact in this article is true (and funny) about EL Camino de Santiago.
I was looking for more information on the web about El Camino de Santiago. I found this funny article of 20 truths about El Camino de Santiago. I just wanted to share it here.
TrekTok 