Last Post

This is the last post to our blog, as we have arrived home.

We would like to dedicate this blog diary, and our Camino walk, to all our readers.

We know that you have been following our progress through the days with interest and love.

Thank you

Hugh and Carrie

Strange Spanish megafauna

This enormous sculpture, covered in living flowers, is called 'Puppy' ! and is outside the Guggenheim




This giant snail is near Deba, and looks like someone was inspired by the Guggenheim

Walk from Zumaia to Deba

Today we went for a 14 km walk along the hills and cliffs on the coast. There are many other walks in Spain beside the Camino de Santiago! It was pleasant to have only a light pack and cloudy weather. Our walk was through fields of cows and goats too.

At Bilboa and the Guggenheim museum

Bilboa is the largest place we have seen in Spain. It has a million people, nearly all living in high rise flats. It must be where all the people from the country villages have gone! The air is always smoggy, a change from the country air we have been used to.

The high light of Bilboa is the Guggenheim museum, an amazing building filled with amazing modern art. Apart from the floor, it is all curved and wavey, inside and out. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos inside..., but you can get a taste from the outside pictures (or internet sources such as Google or Wikipedia!)

after the Camino

We went to the midday Pilgrim´s mass in the cathedral. It was very moving. A nun with the voice of an angel sang, the priest was warm and moving, altho we only caught fragments of the address, where he spoke about pilgrims coming from far away places. The cathedral was full - said to be 800 capacity. This must be for every day in the high season. We were moved too to meet many of our fellow pilgrims whom we had met along the way. Not a lot to say in words, because of our different languages and backgrounds, but still an unspoken bond between us.

The next day we had recovery day and walked around the shops and the pilgrim museum.

And the next day we caught the bus to Bilboa for a few days before we return to Australia. It has been a little hard to change our days and ways of thinking, but we hope the experience will stay with us.

arrival at Santiago - we did it!

We walked in at 6 pm after a long day and had a rest in the square before the cathedral. Then we went and got our certificates of completion. You can get one if you walked at least the last 100 km, or cycled 200km and did it all for spiritual purpose. We were asked ´Did you walk the whole way?´ YES

´Did you catch a taxi or bus?´NO

We were very thrilled to get our certificates. They are made out in Latin to Hugonem and Carolam, the Latin interpretaions of Hugh and Carrie

The photo of the cathedral is the next morning, in the mist

hydrangeas on the way to Santiago

On our last day of walking we covered our longest distance -40 km. And as well as passing through eucalypt forest (for Australian pilgrims, maybe), we passed more lovely flowers including these hydrangeas

on the road to Azura

Today we had lunch among the gum trees - bread and cheese and Nutella. Maybe Hugh was thinking of something else!

Then we walked the rest of the way to Azura with Michael and Brendan. The day started off wih more oak forests but ended with the sun overhead

Se vende - FOR SALE

Many of the old houses are se vende, meaning for sale. They would definitely suit a renovation enthusiast! Many are not far from being just rubble with broken glass, collapsed roofs and bulging walls.

lunch in Portomarín with friends

we spent most of the day´s walk with Brendan and Michael from Ireland, and discussed the world´s problems

No doubt if we all behaved as pilgrims, asking little and accepting what comes the world would be a happier place.

They started from Astorga, as did many others. Some started from Sárria, 112 km from Santiago, the minimum distance one can walk and get the official finish certificate from the church

We suspect that many are not even walking that far - there are vans and taxis taking both back packs and pilgrims some of that way. Some springy looking legs too!

We are walking much slower than our original days, even tho the conditions are easier. We are generally more relaxed both physically and mentally

only a few days to go...

Here we are at the 100km to go marker

We are taking easy days now - 24km per day or so on easy paths and weather, different to our longer days in the heat before

We were worried that we may have holdups along the way and tried to make up some extra distance and time, but we can go comfortably now

in the woods at Barbadelo

You never know what you may see in the woods here. We were fortunate enough to get a picture of a shy oak fairy - so cute!

Hugh is using the lush moss on the stone wall for a comfortable seat

monastry at Samos

This the monastry at Samos. It is very large and must have had hundreds of people in the community, but now there are a handful of monks who take tourists on tours for 3 Euros (5 dollars) of the cloisters. The cloisters have large frescoes depicting Christian stories and heroes. There are the standard stern figures holding a book of power, angels scanterly clad, and a handful of demure nuns in the background. Oh, some demons who look as tho they are having all the fun

The tour was totally in Spanish and looked to be informative and interesting - but not for us!
It seems strange that this is the way things end up - the church empire having collapsed, and now only a curiosity for tourists

food on the way

Carie is eating a delicious raspberry. She had lent over the fence to pick one, then bought a punnet around the corner.

We have also found a lot of wild herbs growing - mint, oregano, rosemary and others.

bridge over Vega del Carcace

We have walked over a number of Roman bridges and we admire them for their age and skill of their time. Nonetheless this modern bridge really impresses us.

Sure, it is not old, and traditional, and may just be carrying cars whizzing along to nowhere special, but the high graceful arches appeal to us

with Kevin and Ruth on the road to Triacastela

we walked the day slowly with Kevin and Ruth from Canada, and had lunch with them along the way.

The tree photo shows us on a 1000 year old chestnut - we wonder how many pilgrims it has seen go by on the same path...

at the pilgrim statue at Alto de Poio

We met another pilgrim on the high spot and compared feet sizes

We are wearing shorts because we couldn´t get our other gear dry last nite. We had finished too late and the weather was too cool to dry

into the hills and mists at Galicia

We left the flat parts and moved to the mountains on the border of Galicia.

Some steep climbs, but what a change in scenery and weather!
As you can see we are wearing our jumpers after carrying them 500km

The mountain mist and the plants and mosses growing on the rock walls were so pretty and varied. It was like a magic journey walking some of these paths

Galicia is said to be Celtic, like Ireland, both with the weather and culture - even bagpipes

Ponferrada

Carrie is walking thru a village on the way to Ponferrada. Again the geraniums are in the pots, making lots of color

The view is over the city and is taken from the castle of the Knights Templar, an organisation that was set up to protect pilgrims from robbers. The Templars eventually became rich and powerful, but were overthrown by the Pope about 1307

A house for Mum

We thought she would like this house with its heavy beams in stone walls, leading into a courtyard of potted geraniums

Going downhill from the mountain

Panoramic view, as you may guess, not captured on the camera.

The walking poles were useful on the hilly sections

At the highest point!

This is the highest point of the Camino - at 1500 metres (5000 feet)

There is an iron cross to mark this achievement. Pilgrims add rocks to the pile. Some of the rocks were painted and had messages

on the road to Foncebadón

This day we had a big climb, and went thru lovely mountain vegetation and thru the formerly abandoned village of Foncebadón.

Foncebadón has a big mention in Paulo Coehlo and Shirley MacLaine's books because they both had big encounters with dogs there.

We came across 6 sleepy labrador type dogs, so our experience was different!

shopping

Here Hugh is outside a shop in Ramanda. The sign says La Tienda - the shop.

Very unobtrusive signs here

We struggle to find the local shop or small supermarket. Some villages only have a travelling shop

If we can't find supplies we are stick with bar food such as potato omlette or salad

Sleeping

We sleep a lot with all our walking. Usually we have an afternoon sleep, either in the shade under a tree, or in hostel

Carrie, Niahm, blisters and Conner at Órbios

Some friends we met at a hostel again. We sort of meet up here and there along the way. Conner is displaying some fine blisters

Roses and storks

Spain is full of roses and storks. The roses are exuberant everywhere (better than Australia, I'm sorry to say)

This is a typical display outside a church where we having a lunch time break. We were just dozing off... when DONG, DONG the 2 o'clock bell rang!



There are storks on all the old church tops too. They are very pretty and look quite homely as they feed their young

more Leon

These men are playing and watching a game where they throw a dome towards the skittles, and apparently try to knock them over. Applause was muted so we did not know when they scored. Just appreciative glances








We wandered around Leon and marvelled in the big city after all the cultural deprivation of the countryside. Brand name shops, outside cafes, young people on show. And the tourists like us

The cathedral was outstanding - so high and full of stained glass windows. Not able to be captured on camera by us though. Full of centuries of saints and kings, and prayers from the faithful

Hugh has a go on the balance bridge in the playground

at Leon

We walked into Leon despite the guidebook suggesting to catch the bus due to the big city roads etc

It sure is a change from the empty countryside, and smells a lot worse

However we walked past an outlet shop and Carrie got some new clothes. We can´t carry much in apack, and some things were getting so tired from back pack and hand washes

Leon promises some interesting sights, so we do a bit on the computer then go and have a look

on the road to somewhere

Most of our walking is in the open, crunching along the gravel. Walking, walking and walking...

Sometimes we play games, or look at the flowers. More often we just let all the mind stuff evaporate, and just walk...


Sometimes we talk about feet and sore shoulders from carrying packs, but that conversation has lost its novelty

Carrie is wearing a new top - the orginal one fell apart

This bit of countryside gets the prize for most flat and featureless

Half way at Sahagun

Carrie here has fallen in love with a handsome fellow pilgrim. Most of them are so dirty! And their socks! He stands outside the hostel in Sahgun, which is about half way of our trip

We have met other pilgrims who have come from lePuy and Paris in France, Geneva in Switzerland, and even Rome in Italy

They must have a lot of time, or a lot of sins to expiate

Underground sites at Moratinos

Here Carrie, Hugh and Suzy are looking at a number of underground rooms of uncertain use. Carrie thinks they may be for hobbits! One was labelled as a bar, so maybe the men retire there and watch the football. You can see a TV aerial and chimmneys. Or maybe they just store the wine in them