Day Thirty Four

Picture of botafumario at pilgrim mass.

Day Thirty Four

Another picture of entryway to Paradore.

Day Thirty Four

Picture of Paradore from across main plaza in front of Cathedral.

Day Thirty Four

Botafumario video link 2:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Sdglj6vpufatJOh72

Day Thirty Four

Botafumario at Sunday Pilgrim mass.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/3SukkHL15kJUxUt13

Day Thirty Three

These posts marked the territory of the Paradore.  The Paradore in medieval years was autonomous with its own administrative and legal status separate from local and regional authorities.  People could seek sanctuary inside and did - often creating friction between the Paradore and outside authorities.  

Day Thirty Three

Relics of Santiago at Cathedral.

Day Thirty Three

Back of statue of Santiago pilgrims can hug and think about what brought them here.

Day Thirty Three

Entry door to our Paradore the Hostal dos Reis Catolicos.  Built by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel of Spain as a pilgrim hospice. Construction started in 1492 and took ten years to complete.

Day Thirty Two

The Monte de Gozo just outside Santiago de Compestela.  Medieval pilgrims could see the Cathedral from here (not as easy today) and would walk barefoot from this point.

Day Thirty Two

Another look at the path today lined with Eucalyptus trees.

Day Thirty Two

The Way today.

Day Thirty Two

Church at Lavacolla.  Pilgrims took a bath at this town in preparation for arrival at the Cathedral. (Translation note:  Lava - wash; colla - tail or bottom).

Day Thirty Two

In line for compostela certificate ay Pilgrim Office.  It took us about an hour and a half to get this far!

Day Thirty Two

Arrival!

Day Thirty Two

Arrival!

We walked into the outskirts of the city of Santiago de Compestela around noon and were at the Cathedral by 1:30 pm.  After checking into the Paradore de Santiago where we are staying for the night we went to the office to collect our certificates for completing the Camino.  It took two hours but we have them in hand.  Tomorrow we explore the Paradore and the Cathedral.

Day Thirty One

Castaneda to Pedrouzo

It was another longish walk with the throngs of pilgrims and others today.  Our partly sunny walking day passed by quickly and we reached Pedrouzo thinking and feeling we could have pushed on a bit closer to Santiago de Compestela.  We have less than 20 kilometers of the Way to finish tomorrow and look forward to arriving at the Cathedral.

Day Thirty

Pathway.

Day Thirty

Medieval bridge near Furelos and our lunch stop.

Day Thirty

Pilgrim lunch of falafel, humus, chicken burger and apple smoothies.

Day Thirty

Crucero do Melide.

Thirty Days on the Way

Palas de Rei to Castaneda

Another longish day of walking the Camino.  A good part of the day was under trees along paths and unpaved roads.   Many of the small towns here have stone crosses.  We walked by a 14th century one, the Crucero do Melide, considered to be the oldest in Galicia.  The town we are staying in was well-known to medieval pilgrims.  They picked up limestone rock from Triacastela and dropped it in Castaneda to be processed into material used for the upkeep of the Santiago Cathedral.

Day Twenty Nine

Portomarin to Palas de Rei

There was less sun today but many more people.  We shared the Way with hundreds of them young, old and in between. They were walking in front of, beside and behind us.  It has become crowded and we skipped stopping at some of the places you can rest and get snacks or other food because they were overflowing with people. A new experience for us as we adapt to being on the most popular part of the Camino Frances. 

Day Twenty Eight

100 kilometers to go!

Day Twenty Eight

Sarria to Portomarin

There were noticeably many more people on the Camino with us today.  We passed the 100 kilometer marker and continued to walk through the countryside in Galicia.  The original town of Portomarin is underwater.  It was abandoned and rebuilt on higher ground after the original site was flooded due to a dam project.  However, two churches were taken apart and reconstructed in the new town.  We are staying in a Pousada hotel that was purpose built in the early 1960s after the dam project. Most Pousadas are historic buildings that have been repurposed for tourism. Not this one!

Day Twenty Six

On the other side of O'Cebreiro heading to Triacastela.

Day Twenty Seven

Last steps into Sarria.

Day Twenty Seven

Along the Way today.  Galicia.

Day Twenty Seven

Triacastela to Sarria

A shorter walk today through the countryside in the sun with plenty of company.  Many people begin the Camino in Triacastela and even more begin in Sarria as we near the 100 kilometer marker.  The pilgrim must walk at least the final 100 kilometers to qualify for the certificate of completion known as the compostela.

Day Twenty Six

Bust of Don Elias Valina Sampedro (1929-1989) in O'Cebreiro.  He was the parish priest who initiated the restoration of the Camino and introduced the yellow arrow to show the Way.

Day Twenty Six

Where Ray stayed in O'Cebreiro five years ago in a snow storm.

Day Twenty Six

O'Cebreiro in morning light.

Day Twenty Six

Another look at bell tower.

Day Twenty Six

Alex coming down from bell tower in stone church.

Day Twenty Six

Herrerias to Triacastela

A long walk today in the sun.  We crossed over into Galicia with the first stop at O'Cebreiro.  From here we walked mostly off paved roads.  Our path is now much more rural with farms and milk cows.  Although a small town today, Triacastela where we are staying tonight was once a major pilgrim center with three castles.  None of those castles remain.

Day Twenty Five

The road and the path.

Day Twenty Five

Goat cheese this way! 

Day Twenty Five

Pilgrim statue.

Day Twenty Five

View from Casa Rural in Herrerias.

Day Twenty Five

Leaving Villafranca del Bierzo.

Day Twenty Five

Villafranca del Bierzo to Herrerias

Today's walk was alongside roads.  We gained some altitude and passed through a narrow valley with views of the high mountain sides.  We are spending the night in a nice Casa Rural. Tomorrow we enter Galicia. 

Day Twenty Four

15th century Castillo Palacio de Los Marqueses above Villafranca del Bierzo.

Day Twenty Four

The Church of Santiago and the Door of Forgiveness. 

Day Twenty Four

Countryside.

Day Twenty Four

Pointing out the way.

Day Twenty Four

Leaving Ponferrada.

Day Twenty Four

Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo

The sun was with us today as we walked along paved road and through vineyards in the countryside.  Villafranca del Bierzo has a church with a special door.  In medieval days a sick pilgrim could finish the pilgrimage at the 12th century Church of Santiago by passing through its Door of Forgiveness (Puerta del Perdon). For this special service, the town became known as 'Little Santiago.' These days the door is only open in years designated by the Pope. 

Day Twenty Three

16th century clock tower in Ponferrada.

Day Twenty Three

Entryway to Templar fortress.

Day Twenty Three

The mountain trail.

Day Twenty Three

Another view of the pilgrim bridge in Molinaseca.

Day Twenty Three

The other side of the bridge in Molinaseca.

Day Twenty Three

Cruz de Ferro (Iron Cross).

Day Twenty Three

Mountain albergue with no running water, no power and an old-fashioned out house.  The hospitalero dresses like a Templar Knight.

Day Twenty Three

Pilgrim bridge in Molinaseca.

Day Twenty Three

Foncebadon to Ponferrada

There was a light dusting of snow on the ground as we began walking through our coldest morning to date. Our first stop was the Cruz de Ferro.  Pilgrims pause here to reflect on their journey and often leave a stone or a token of some sort at the foot of the cross. We then continued on past the highest point of our walk and started downhill.  Downhill was actually both up and down and it took us most of the day to get out of the mountains. The end of this transit was at the edge of the town of Molinaseca that we entered via a medieval pilgrim's bridge.  Our stop in Ponferrada included a visit to a 12th century Templar castle at the edge of town. It is a national monument of Spain and has been restored.

Day Twenty Two

Camino graffiti.

Day Twenty Two

A little off-road walking.

Day Twenty Two

Heading out of town after lunch in Rabanal del Camino.

Day Twenty Two

Entering the village of Santa Catalina for our breakfast stop.

Day Twenty Two

Murias de Rechivalda to Foncebadon

It was a crisp start to the day that warmed up with the sun. Our walk today was mostly on paths alongside the road.  We passed through a few small villages and steadily gained altitude. Tomorrow we will reach the highest point on the Camino Frances - the route we are following to Santiago.