2015-10-23 and 24: In Santiago (maybe one or two km)

Slept long. Ate in the restaurant of the hostel. Cleand and did some more maintenance. Also fixed the check-in for my flight home and had the documents printed.
Now it was time for the pilgrims mass - finally.
On the way there I met a Swede from Gothenburg near my age. Had walked the Camino Frances. But he was in a company with his friends, so we did not have much time to talk.



At the Missa de Peregrinos (pilgrims mass), I got a place near the front, but had to stand. A good speech in Spanish by the bishop (?) of the required humanity in these difficult day with all refugees and other similar problems. Also greeting from other priests from different countries in different languages. The only thing missing was the swinging of the botafumeiro. Due to all pilgrims coming to Santiago they now have two mass per day one at 12 the other at 19:30. And today they were only swinging at 19:30. I'll go and see it tomorrow.

After the mass I went to a Movistar shop to fix my communication problem with the Tuenti account. It proved that the automatic refilling of the account was not there. I had to fill the account manually. So I did and the mobile worked again. What a disappointment. I have to investigate this further. Why do you have to do this manually in these days?
After eating some I walked around in the old city and found some old friend from the camino. This is really a gathering point! I also went and bought some books in Spanish. And now I'm writing this.



The mext morning I discovered the market and the market halls. You could buy a number of things but concentrated on flowers and food.



Outside the cathedral the was a demonstation by the communist party and some syndicalist flags. Together with the cathedral it made an interesting combination.




The final photo from Satliago is my hand on the pilgrim shell at the ground of Praza do Obradoiro in front of the cathedral.

... end of the Camino end of my long walk from Granada and Sevilla towards Santiago ...

2015-10-22: Caminando Muxía - Cabo Finisterre (Fisterra) (32/522 km)

I had never walked between Finisterre and Mixía and had wanted to do that. I failed two years ago due to very bad weather coming in. But now...
I was early at the bus station since I was a bit uncertain about the time. But the bus came and left with me in it at 8:50.
In Muxía I left the other pilgrims who first should go out and visit Virgen de la Barca, out at the point with all the special stones that are supposed to be the remainders of the stone boat that controlled by the Virgin brought Santiagos body to Spain.
I took a hamburger at a bar and started to walk. I knew the beginning since two years earlier. I passed two young men .One of them had the same backpack as I. He proved to be from Finland. Photos were taken. With good speed I passed the beach where I had been swimming at my previous visit. But not now.



Up in the hills. Up, up and up! The top was at some 370 m. On the way down after almost 7 km there was a good view towards the sea. New photos were taken.











Gradually I approached Lires where that was a much feared ford over a river. But --- not now they had built a stone bridge for the camino. The old fording stones could still be seen however. And yes - it was difficult. An then I was in Lires. My first plan had been to stay there and sleep. But the walk had gone fast and it was too early. So after something to drink I continued. Now the sea could be seen at may places and the coast is beautiful. Costa del Morte (The coast of Death). Today it was the coast of life. I met not a few pilgrims walking in the opposite direction.
After a number of kilometers I started to descend towards Finisterre. I marched through the small city that I love. But what changes there had been! New private albergues everywhere. Not the only one that it had been 8 years ago. And a lot of pilgrims walking around.
I decided that there was time to walk out to the Cabo. And in spite of stopping when a couple told me not to bring my backpack - there is no albergue out there - I continued with my backpack on. The road and especially the footpath goes along an often very steep slope with no safety rail. Thrilling indeed! I reached the end of the road when passed the lighthouse (Faro de Finisterre). And here it was - the end of the Camino. The place of my dreams, where some people burn their boots and with an absolutely fantastic view of the sea. Today the sea was calm and the sun was beginning to set.



But I was in a hurry to get back. So I started to return with very quick steps when a car with two girls stopped and offer this old man with a backpack a lift into town. I declared them the angels of the day. In town I had some difficulty in finding the main bus stop. But eventually I found it and recognized the site from 2007. And the bus should not leave until three quarter of an hour later. Time for "un refresco and una cerveza"!

The bus came. We wet on board and then I discovered that I had ended up at a round trip to all the small cities around this part of the coast. A fine good last view of Cabo de Finisterre. In Santiago just after ten. At the hostel a hungry me ate the two tuna cans that I had carried in my backpack for this part of the camino. What a day!

2015-10-21: Caminando Puente Ulla - Santiago de Compostela (24/490 km)

After having had breakfast and after having said hi to the three French ladies, the camino went upwards trough the hills. After some 4 or 5 km I discovered an albergue of the new municipal model. It would have been a very good alternative to the private at Puente Ulla. The camino was well marked and good as it went through forests and small villages. I met one of my Italian acquaintances and we both had to speak castillano (Spanish) since he could not speak English. It worked well.
Coming out of a forest on a hill I could actually see the towers of the cathedral in Santiago at a distance of more than 10 km. I had never thought that this was possible - but it was.

Gradually the was more and more villages and roads and Santiago was approaching. After a building site we crossed the railway. And - there was the site of the terrible accident some 4 years earlier when a train in too high speed ended up in the concrete wall killing several passengers.The the side safety net of the bridge was covered with candles, crosses and various things let by pilgrims and others. I had tried to find this site earlier after my Camino Primitivo but was then unsuccessful. But here it was.

Marching in through Santiago the road whent uphill trough old parts of the city passed a faculty of the university and all of a sudden I was standing at Praza do Obradoiro (Plaza de Obrador) in front of the cathedral. A magic moment as always. People everywhere hugging, resting on the ground with sticks and backpacks many probably tired but happy.Most of course having walked the Camino Frances, where more than 200.000 walk per year. I have have heard that 8.000 - 10.000 walk the Vía de la Plata and Camino Sanabrés per year. It is the longest with its 1.000 km but the third in number of people walking it.









I found my hostel at the side of the cathedral in a building that earlier contained Semiario Mayor (the major priest seminary of Santiago). I had ordered by mail, one of the spartan pilgrim rooms at the top floor. My reservation in advance proved to be necessary, since some others of my camino friends waked in and tried to get a room but everything was fully booked.


After having rested a little I was out with a friend from France that had walked the "new" Camino del Invierno. He had walked with some Americans from Burgos to Ponferrada. But the male partner (from Seattle) never showed up. I guess that he had miscalculated the time since the late bus from Finisterre gets in at ten o'clock not earlier. And the we had all gone to our respective hotels/hostels.

2015-10-20: Caminando Laxe - Puente Ulla (36/466 km)

A day tat not started well. I got lost for a while since I took the wrong turn in the dark. It was probably due to that I had mixed up the directions already yesterday when I went to have dinner. It seems that have you once navigated wrong that get suck in your memory. Hmmm....
Well I found my way and got right after some ten minutes. Had my breakfast at the same place as yesterday.
The day continued through a hilly landscape with a lot of small villages.I wonder what will happen with those in a few years time. The landscape in Galicia is here very green with a lot of forests. Not least with a lot of chestnuts trees. So there were often fallen chestnuts all over the road.





Met the Frenchman that had walked the Camino Invierno, a couple of times. The Camino de Invierno (Winter way) is much little walked. I was an alternative way starting in Puente Ferrada when O Cebreio at Camino Frances had snow. Then you walked south through the Galician hills and mountains until you met the Camino Sanabrés at Laxe. No albergues yet but well marked according to the Frenchman.
Finally down the hills in serpentines at Puente Ulla. All roads and railways have bridges here. There are only private albergues here no public. I found my and got a room at a reasonable price.

I had dinner downstairs with the Frenchman and three French ladies, also of a mature age. One spoke English. They had walked from Seville at the beginning of September. But I began to understand that he one that spoke English had difficulties when she for the third time asked me where I had started and didn't remember that she had asked me before. Life is sometimes not easy

2015-10-19: Caminando Oserira - Laxe (32/430 km)

A rather tough morning. Very stony and narrow track and upward 250 300 m. A very hilly and dangerous path in the rain that continued all day. Many small villages without anything.

At the end of the morning I reached Castro Dozón where I had coffee with the Belgian man.
I continued up and down but not so steep and narrow and reached Laxe in the middle of the afternoon all wet and chilly. A good and big albergue. But chilly indoors, so I wonder if anything that I washed will dry.

About 50 km left to Santiago. I expect to take those in two days.

2015-10-18: Caminando Ourense - Cea - Oserira (36/398 km)

Marched out alone over the old roman bridge and through streets in the dark. It was raining for the second day in row. Up, up and up...! Eventually I reached Cea. I had determined to stay in the monasterio de Oseira.

After a lot of lonely roads up in the mountains I reached it. A gigantic monastery. Started to be built in the 1100 sometime, but later expanded an rebuilt several times. Three monasteries in one. Today mostly a museum. I took a guided tour a bit later. A dying monument.






The albergue in one of the houses. Old, big chilly. Six pilgrims in total. The Belgian man , a German lady and three Spaniards and me.

We all went to the Vispera. It was held at the balcony of the cathedral like church. Eight monks - most of the old or very old - two visitors and us six pilgrims. The Vispera lasted almost one hour and was mostly sung to an electronic(!!) organ. I wonder what will happen with this monastery in some year. A museum only?? It is mostly museum today and had a small shop that also served as the reception for the albergue.


After the Vispera we three non Spanish pilgrims went to have dinner in the small bar. The food was quite OK. But the bar did not open for breakfast...

2015-10-17: Caminando Xunqueira de Ambía - Ourense (23/362 km)

I went up early and tried to navigate out from the albergue, but had some problem with the GPS that only locked occasionally. However we found a place to have breakfast.After the breakfast the GPS still didn't want to cooperate. So while walking through the village I took out the batteries. But the memory card disappeared at the same time. And I couldn't find it.
All of a sudden I had all friends searching and calling for the help of San Antonio (de Padua). He will help when you have lost something. And he did, so I found the very small and black memory card. Now my GPS worked well. So I could lead the company.

After a while we split inn smaller groups. Me and Marc went together. Thinking back it was an uneventful walk.We gradually approached Ourense that is a big city. We had morning coffee in the middle of an industrial area. And then criss-crossed small villages that eventually became a rather hilly city and city streets.




I tried to find the cathedral but failed and had to ask. Eventually we found it somewhat anonymous and the uphill also the albergue in the San Franciscan monasterio. We were the first come. Eventually more of the others showed up. An evening with tapas close to the cathedral.
Here my problems with the Tientu SIM card started. It could not be used for datacom. No credit(??) I could not use that phone any longer. And since it was late Saturday I could not fix it. It came at the worst time. I have to wait until Santiago and meanwhile use my expensive Swedish SIM.