El Camino de Santiago and other trails.
Today, at the end of the pilgrim’s mass, the Botafumeiro was lit. This ritual is only done on special occasions or at a pilgrim’s request. After being filled with incense and coal by the ‘Tiraboleiros’, the Botafumeiro is tied to a rope hanging by the altar and set in motion.
This is the third time we have attended the Pilgrims’ mass at the cathedral and the first time we have witnessed the fire up of the Botafumeiro.
The final stage to Santiago is 20 km. We were excited to reach Santiago, but we felt sad that it was the last day of our journey. All morning, it was raining and foggy.
Our hotel host recommended that we take an alternative route to Santiago to avoid the busier sections of El Camino. We hiked along the freeway towards Santiago and rejoined the main route when we reached the airport. From this section to the cathedral was busy, but when the rain got heavy, people found shelter in the cafes, and we kept walking. That was when we could enjoy the silence and the foggy day. As we arrived in Santiago, we started planning our next Camino.
After a long lunch, we reached Santiago in the early afternoon. We stayed outside the cathedral for an hour before going to the pilgrim’s office for our Compostela. We know we will return to Santiago; there are more Caminos to explore..
Today’s hike was 18.5 km (12 miles). The terrain in this area is mostly flat.
As we left Arzúa, we observed the numerous pilgrims on various routes walking toward Santiago. It’s incredible to see the number of people hiking. While some are respectful of their surroundings, others blast music. For this segment of El Camino, it’s best to start hiking early in the morning to avoid the “rush hour.”
The distance we walked today was short, only 14 km (8 miles). The hike was relatively easy; we did this route in 2017 for our first Camino. We notice how the villages have changed over the years and how positive the tourism from El Camino de Santiago has been for the local economy.
Today, we stayed at Pazo de Brandeso, near Arzúa. It is a historic manor constructed in 1554; the Pazo showcases the architectural elegance of the period. We had the opportunity to tour the property and learn about its history and its owners.
Today, we hiked about 20 km to Melide from Ponte Ferreira. We crossed a historic Roman bridge outside Ponte Ferreira, and at this point, I lost track of how many Roman or archeological zones we passed en route to Santiago.
The hike was easy. We walked through rural towns and villages, and a sense of tranquility was around us. We are approaching Melide, where the French Way and El Camino Primitivo cross. The trail will be busy in the coming days with people doing the last 100 km and those doing the French Way. Today is the last day to enjoy a quiet hike.
We arrived in Melide around lunchtime. It was busy; it was market day, and hundreds of pilgrims were walking on the streets. Some would spend the night here, and others were walking through. I have a feeling about how our hike will be tomorrow.
We spent one day in Lugo and had the opportunity to tour this walled city and learn about its importance during the Roman Empire.
In Lugo, several people have begun their journey to Santiago. We found more people and groups of recent high school graduates on the trail. Unfortunately, this group has been the loudest and listening to music on the trails.
The trails are now flat, with very little change in altitude, as in the Asturias area. Today is Sunday, and several bars and restaurants are closed, making it impossible to find a place to rest and drink coffee. We only found one restaurant, where we had to wait about 45 minutes until they opened the kitchen. While waiting, a group of English hikers told us that two of their friends had been attacked by a loose dog, and they had to call an ambulance to take them to the hospital.
In all the Caminos we have done, this is the first time we have heard of a dog attacking hikers on the trail.
Today, we completed our longest hike, covering 19.2 miles (32 kilometers) from O Cadavo to Lugo on the Camino Primitivo. This section of the Camino de Santiago offers a blend of natural beauty and cultural heritage.
We still have approximately 100 kilometers (about 62 miles) left to reach Santiago. Along our journey, we’ve had the opportunity to meet fellow hikers with diverse motivations for making this pilgrimage. Some seek spiritual enlightenment; the challenge of physical endurance draws others, while many are simply pursuing adventure. It’s been gratifying to share the path with various people. My daughter has kept a list of the people she’s met and their countries of origin. As a fun fact, she was the first to predict who would fall in love on “El Camino.”
We plan to take a break in the historic city of Lugo tomorrow. Lugo, originally a Roman settlement dating back to the year 25, is known for its well-preserved Roman walls and rich history. It is worth a visit.
Today, we hiked 26 km on Stage 8 of our journey to Santiago. Along the way, we had the opportunity to walk and chat with various individuals on a wide range of topics, from light-hearted to more profound discussions.
In the past few days, we crossed paths with a hiker, and finally, today, we had the opportunity to talk with him as we walked. The gentleman is from California. He described himself as a nomad and has been in Spain walking for a few months, having already completed six Caminos. It’s not the first time we’ve met someone like him hiking different European trails. He told us he retired from a high-tech job and decided to live abroad. Since then, he has been traveling in Europe. He reminds me of another man we met on England’s Coast to Coast trail last year. The man from last year was also retired and had left the United States to begin hiking in Spain and other European areas. He was a fascinating man, known as the “Indiana Johns” of the Coast to Coast because everybody knew him, and he had fascinating stories to share.
The two men seem to be hiking through Europe, seeking to embark on a journey of personal renewal following years of dedicating themselves to their professional careers.
We had a good evening in Grandas de Salime. We had dinner at Cafe Restrepo. This cafe/bar is a good place to spend the afternoon. It was different from the other cafes we had visited in other towns. It had good music and eclectic decoration, and the owners were very friendly. There were a good number of pilgrims here, and we had the opportunity to chat and meet new people.
After a good night’s rest, we found that one hiker in our group could not walk today due to severe knee pain and tendonitis. We arranged for her to take a taxi to the next city and rest for the day. We were aware that today’s journey would be another 28 kilometers (17.5 miles)of descending and ascending hills.
We left Grandas de Salime, which is in the Asturias region and started our journey toward A Fonsagrada, a town in the Galicia region. Most of the hike was good, but the last part leading into A Fonsagrada presented a challenging uphill climb, where we ascended 120 meters (400 feet). After hiking for six hours, it was cruel to finally see the town at the top of a hill. As we were ascending the last hill, we heard someone shouting behind us. Of course, I wasn’t the only one who used the F word and cursed at the sight of that daunting hill.
TrekTok 