Camino Inglés day 5: Sigueiro to Santiago de Compostela

 On the Camino Inglés I have not met anyone from England (or Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland).  Most of the pilgrims I have met have been Spanish and my ability to communicate in Spanish is still limited to ordering beer, asking where the loos are and asking for directions.  Most of the time I can’t understand the reply but I think I am now able to follow what is being said I little more easily.  But free flowing conversation has been a little lacking over the last few days.  It was a joy therefore to discover that Courtney was in the same dorm as me. 

We went out for a beer, which quickly became three beers, or in my case two beers and a gin and tonic, all served with delicious tapas and a salad each.  It was fascinating to learn about her work in Algiers and her plans to move to Poland. A very pleasant evening! And we were tucked up in bed by 8.30pm.  

It seems that I maligned our Spanish dorm mates yesterday.  They left for dinner just before 9pm, promising us that they would be as quiet as possible on their return.  They were as good as their word!  I hope we didn’t walk them this morning.

I didn’t sleep well.  I was awake from about 4am.  I considered just getting up and going but, with only 16km to go, if I left then it would still be dark when I arrived.  And nowhere would be open for coffee.  I eventually got up and left just before

It was a mainly flat, mostly road walk.  I saw my best sunrise of the whole trip but I was mostly focused on getting to the end.  By the time I found an open cafe/bar I was only 5km from the cathedral so I decided not to stop.  I arrived before 9am and before the Pilgrims’ Office opened. The Plaza do Obradoiro was almost completely deserted and after the obligatory selfie in front of the cathedral I went to wait for my compostela and mileage certificates. 

So, that’s another Camino in the bag. The Camino Inglés is an odd one.  I didn’t love it, and it it’s s not one that I would do again. And I’d think twice before suggesting it to other people.  I guess, if you’d not walked any other route it would be perfectly lovely but it lacks the awe inspiring views and leg challenging climbs of the Primitivo and  the beauty, variety and the camaraderie of the Frances.  For me there was just too much time spent walking on, or right next to, roads.  If you are considering the Inglés I would suggest going with a friend.  You don’t have to walk with them, but on such a short Camino you are not guaranteed to meet kindred spirits and it is nice to have someone to chat to in the evening.  Sharing a private room often costs the same as )or a couple of euros more than) two bunks in a shared dorm. 

Home now beckons.  A cup of tea sounds quite wonderful. Looking forward to seeing what comes next.  I  will spend some time helping my oldest set up his new shop, I’ve got my middle child’s graduation to attend - life with five children  (even if they are all grown up)  is never boring!  I do now that I will be back in Spain  thou walk another Camino soon.

Camino Inglés day 4: Hospital de Bruma to Sigueiro

A
2k trek back to the Camino meant I was keen to get started early start this morning but not so keen that I changed my alarm!  For once I was asleep when it went off. I was on the road by 6.15am and I knew that there would be far less elevation gain today so I wasn’t too worried.  

This morning was the first day that I felt that an extra layer might be needed. It was marginal, so I decided not to bother and just walk faster.  It was foggy which meant my field of vision was severely limited.  In a collection of houses that dared to call itself a village I found a weird collection of statues that appeared to have been rescued from churches and a dinosaur!  There was also a tractor on an elevated train track.  Or maybe I was hallucinating due to lack of caffeine! At about 8km I found a bar selling coffee and saw the Spanish couple and the German girl I’d met previously. Believe me, until you’ve tried to explain the phrase ‘hair of the dog’ to someone with limited command of the English language you haven’t lived!  There was no sign of Courtney, the only English speaking pilgrim I’ve met on this Camino.  It seems that she wasn’t planning to leave Bruma until 7am - an hour after the three she had been walk with.

The fog threatened to become rain and it can’t be denied that this country desperately needs rain right now.  At one coffee stop the news channel was broadcasting reports that the wild fires had reached Lugo where I was this time last week.  I put the waterproof cover on my back pack but left my jacket unworn.  I’d rather get a bit wet than wear a waterproof jacket!  The noise drives me to distraction.  It has to be bucketing it down for me to bother.  And I’ve asked myself every single day why I packed waterproof trousers!  Even in tne torrential downpours I had on my way to Finisterra last year that was 175g of kit I didn’t use. 

The fog limited the views, it felt very hemmed in all day.  The walking was easy, overall downhill, mostly on asphalt with a a few trails through eucalyptus plantations.

 There was an approximately 5km stretch alongside a  very busy dual carriageway.  Not exactly inspiring! This was followed by a route through an industrial estate to get to the centre of Sigueiro.  I know it can’t all be stunning vistas and the glory of nature, but I’d rather not have juggernauts racing past!  There was a brief respite just

before the end of the town when the Camino went through a park and over a medieval bridge.

Sigueiro is a largish town.  It even had a sports shop - I managed to pick up some spare socks in case my remaining pair don’t make it to Santiago.  I had a delicious salad and a couple of beers in a great cafe.  I could happily eat there again for dinner tonight -

I will have to see if they are open for dinner. Then I returned to my accommodation for a siesta.  It is a largish town.  It has a lot of Albergues.  The chances of being in a dorm with people I have already encountered are small… and yet… 

Just after I lay down on my bed (no bunk beds here) in my 6 bed room who should walk in but the three young Spanish guys from Betanzos.  They have not learned any dorm manners.  Ah well, it is only one night.  I’m currently drowning then out by listening to the ‘Rumors’ album at full volume on my headphones. 

Camino Inglés day 3: Betanzos to Hospital de Bruma/O Mesón Do Vento

 Before I write about today let’s talk about dormitory etiquette.  The word itself is derived from the Latin ‘dormire’ which means ‘to sleep.’  That should be all one needs to know in order to behave appropriately in a dormitory.  And, when on Camino, pilgrims sleep a lot.  Or try to! Yesterday afternoon at about 5pm, siesta time, three of us were snoozing or quietly relaxing on our beds.  Three young Spanish men came in, talking loudly, laughing and joking.  As late arrivals they each had top bunks. One thing you should not do when climbing onto the top bunk is to use the pillow of the lower bunk to step on.  Especially when your foot is still encased in the sweaty walking sock you have been wearing all day (and from the smell possibly longer).  This crime is even more egregious if the occupant of the lower bunk has her head on said pillow at the time!  Shall we say that I wasn’t warming to these new arrivals?  The three of them proceeded to chat across the dorm and on their mobile phones, often turning the volume up as they showed each other videos.  At 6.30pm I’d had enough and went out to find dinner.  On my return they were still at it.  There was a brief respite when they went out to dinner at 8.30pm, but they returned a couple of hours later.  Let’s just say that none of the early risers in the dorm felt at all guilty if we made a noise this morning!

It was an odd Albergue. It had the most chaotic kitchen I’ve ever seen (mine included) and I’m not sure that all the hospitalieros are on the same page.  I’d booked my bed in advance and arrived relatively early.  A group I met and was chatting with hadn’t booked but were told there was space when they arrived.  At about 6.30pm however two people with reservations arrived.  The hospitaliero was not on site, so they phoned the number to check in.  The first we knew was that they were walking through the dorms looking for their beds.  Which had been given to other people.  I can’t imagine how awful they felt, thinking they were at their destination and then having to hunt around for somewhere else.

I woke up in the middle of the night in a panic about my accommodation for tonight.  I’d booked via email, and it occurred to me that, although I’d supplied all the information requested, I hadn’t had anything back that said, definitively I had a room.  Accommodation at this stage is tricky because two paths meet and Hospital de Bruma is tiny.  It is also 10km to the next town on the Camino that has any accommodation.  I had booked a room 2km off the Camino rather than walk hoping to get a bed in the municipal albergue which only has 19 beds.  I emailed, because ‘phoning at 2am didn’t seem like a good idea.  I ‘phoned at 8am and got no reply.  By then I was already walking, and walking with a purpose.  Every other place had been fully booked when I’d been doing my planning.  If my room wasn’t secure I needed to be one of the first 19 people to arrive at the municipal. It wasn’t until about 5km before Hospital de Bruma that I managed to make ‘phone contact.  I used my best Spanglish and was relieved to have my reservation confirmed.  

So what about the actual walk? Today was the ‘big hills’ day. This meant that there was about the same elevation gain as on a typical Primitivo day.  The difference being that today’s walk was mainly on asphalt which makes it easier as you don’t have to worry about tripping over or loose stones. I raced a group up one of the long hills.  I’m not sure the youngsters realised it was a race, but I won anyway! I chatted with Courtney, originally from California now living in Algiers, a couple of times while walking and when our stops coincided.  I had the best tortilla ever at my breakfast stop at Mesón Museo. It was fresh out of the pan and was just delicious. And although I have failed to see a theee legged cat, I did see a three legged dog.  It was a small dog - so almost a cat. 

On arriving at Hospital de Bruma I discovered that I would need to retrace my steps for about 500m to find the road to Mesón do Vento.  In some ways this walk along farm tracks was some of the best walking of the day.  

In other news, I knew I’d regret getting rid of the socks I wasn’t wearing.  I had two pairs I was wearing in rotation, until someone took one pair off the drying line, they even took the two safety pins that were attaching them to the line.  So now I am down to one pair.  Obviously the pair that I have left is the older pair, I predict at least one hole appearing by the time I finish walking! 

 

Camino Inglés day 2: Pontedeume to Betanzos

 Before I forget, again, there is a question that has been bugging me.  I see lots of dogs here who are on chains in the garden.  Every dog I know in the UK has an uncanny ability to get itself entangled in its lead, yet the dogs here seem to be able to cope with being chained up.  How?

Last night I could swear I could hear people talking every time I woke up.  The reason for this became clear when I left my accommodation at 6am.  The square outside was full of people, still wide awake, still drinking and their night out! No wonder the siesta is important here.  

Today’s walk was OK.  Mainly on tarmac roads winding along country lanes and through small villages.  The areas I am walking through are far more populated than on the Frances or Primitivo, I’m just going to have to get used that.  More houses doesn’t seem to mean more open coffee shops. The curse of walking on a Sunday is that you have no idea if the bar or cafe mentioned in the guide/on the app will be open.  Today it was 11km before I found a place open for coffee in a village that wasn’t even mentioned on the app.  They served one of the best croissants I have ever eaten and had toilets that were so sparklingly clean that I felt I was the first person ever to use them. 

I saw four other pilgrims while walking today, this route is very quiet from that point of view.  On arriving at my Albergue I snagged a bottom bunk and waited for the shower.  There are eight bunks and one shower and toilet between us. Not ideal, but it is only for one night.  I found the local supermarket and picked up something to eat- just in case nowhere serves dinner before 9pm (the time advertised in two places I have seen so far) - before going out to look for lunch. 

Betanzos is a walled town on the bank of the Mandeo river,  but the cafes and shops are all perched precariously on the steep hill.  As it is Sunday most shops are closed.  I always forget that it is Sunday!  The centre feels prosperous, but there are still semi derelict and abandoned buildings in the ‘high street.’ 

Siesta beckons now…

Camino Inglés day 1: Ferrol to Pontedeume

 Not only was last night a fiesta in Ferrol it was also the Rally de Ferrol. This started in the next street to my hotel, secondary double glazing was not up to the challenge so I took advantage of the hotel WiFi to leave Radio4 playing for a couple of hours while I feel asleep.  

I woke before my alarm went off.  Repacked my bag and set off.  I am so glad I didn’t need to retrace my steps to the very start. I knew that I would have to spend some time walking out of the town but, and I blame a chronic lack of research, I didn’t realise that it would be 18,5km until I saw anything resembling trail! And even then it was a path about 5m away from a dual carriageway! 

What research I had done (joined a Facebook group, read a few posts) told me that I was in for ‘hills, hills and then some more hills’ so I was pleasantly surprised by how gentle the hills were.  I may have cursed the crappy navigation skills of the early English pilgrims, who could have saved me a 17k walk through residential and industrial estates if they had just landed their boat on the other side of the river. 

I didn’t see any other pilgrims until at least 16kn.  I suspect they had started from Neda as this is suggested by the guide book as a useful way to break up the one long stage on this Camino.  No chats were had today.  It feels very odd to know that I won’t see the Primitivo gang. I did get an update from Maura and the two Carols with a picture of them in front of the Cathedral in Santiago. 

Pontedeume is a pretty town. I’m sitting outside a bar in the town square with a cold beer people watching.  There is some sort of book/library festival going on, but what I am struck by, again and again on this trip, is the fact that  Spanish people seem to have a better work-life balance than we do.  

Oh! My accommodation tonight deserves a mention.  I couldn’t reserve a bed at any of the Albergues, so have needed up in a room above a restaurant.  The room is tiny, but has its own bathroom and cost me €20 - that’s only about €4 more than a bunk bed in an Albergue dorm. 

Camino Inglés Day 0: Getting to the start!

A WhatsApp message from a friend this morning, in response to me stating that I was on a bus, asked ‘Wnu Ferrol?’  My answer was ‘So that I can walk back to Santiago!’  The Camino Inglés hadn’t really been on my radar until I realised that the Primitivo would leave me with time to spare. I wasn’t certain I wanted to commit the extra time but, having not bought a return ticket, I set out on the Primitivo thinking that decisions wouldn’t need to be made until that one was done and dusted.  It didn’t quite work out like that.  Being a short Camino (114km) the Inglés is normally quiet.  The wildfires seem to have changed that.  At one point sections of the hugely popular Frances route were closed, pushing people to find other routes.  A few enquiries about accommodation on the Inglés told me that a decision needed to be made and beds needed to be booked. I started booking accommodation about a week ago. The last piece in tne puzzle finally fell into place yesterday morning.  Or at least I think it is all in place, I have a list of dates, towns and hostels scribbled on the back of a napkin!

This morning I had a lie in!  I didn’t get up until 6.30am.  I showered, sorted my kit out, and headed off to the bus station.  I was far too early for my 8.50am bus, but I wanted to be sure that I knew where I was going.  The ticket to Ferrol was €8 for a two hour journey.  

I got to Ferrol just before 11am. Hours before I could check into my room. I left my backpack there and made my way to the Pilgrim Office to get my new credential.  My hotel was 3km from the start of the Camino. I got my map out and decided that not even I am quite mad enough to add 3km to an already longish day tomorrow.  I walked from the Pilgrim Office to a point close to the hotel and recorded it on Garmin.  Tomorrow I can just get up and go!

After that I wandered around the town, had a delicious empanada and a beer for lunch before checking into the hotel for a siesta.  It feels odd to know that I definitely won’t bump into my Camino family again.  New adventures await, starting with a bit of exploring around Ferrol later this evening. 

Day 13: O Pedrouzo to Santiago.

 And, just like that, it is done! 

An early(ish) start, because I was awake, meant that I was on the trails before they got too busy.  I set myself a target of getting to Santiago before 11am.  Not a hugely challenging target to be fair, but one that meant I would have plenty of time in the afternoon to complete boring tasks like laundry.

I thought that I remembered this section clearly.  I’m my mind it was all downhill and mostly alongside the airport.  I also remember it being hugely crowded.  An early start, combined with being slightly closer to Santiago at the start, meant that I was ahead of the crowd from the start.  I decided to pick up the pace.  If I saw someone ahead (people join the trail from wherever they have spent the night) I made it my mission to overtake them.  It made the time pass more quickly, which is just as well because the route itself is nothing special at this point.  The best bits were through woodland, delicious smells of eucalyptus and wild herbs, Not so nice was seeing the evidence of wild fires. And there was quite a bit of time spent walking on a path next to a main road.  There was also a bit more uphill than I’d remembered.

A pair of traditionally dressed Galician pipers were playing by the side of the trail about 8k outside Santiago.  Most people who have completed a Camino will remember the piper that plays under the archway as you approach the cathedral, well I got there too early for anyone to be playing there, so at least I heard them once during the Camino.

The weather was misty this morning, I thought I was on for yet another arrival in the rain, but the clouds started to clear as I approached Santiago allowing me to see a glimpse of the cathedral as I approached.  It was great to get to the Plaza de Obradorio before it got too crowded.  I took a couple of photos and made my way to the pilgrim office to register for my compostella.  I was the 120th pilgrim to finish today and the first from the Primitivo (not that it is a competition).  

Next I dumped my bag at my Albergue for the night (KM0), jumped in a taxi to Decathlon on the outskirts of town, where I was hunting for a charging cable for my Garmin.  Apparently they only do them online.  I treated myself to a new outfit though which means I can put all my clothes in a washing machine this afternoon get them properly clean!

Back into town and feeling peckish. There was only one thing for it. Kebab, gin and tonic at the Newroz Kebob. Only a 10 second pour on the gin  this time - but I suppose it is only lunchtime.  A quick stop at the hostel, a shower and brand new clothes felt wonderful, and then I was out again.  When I got here this morning Santiago was a sleepy little city, with quiet streets. By mid afternoon those narrow streets are crowded with people.  In the old part of the city most of the shops are souvenir shops, the newer part has all the ‘high street’ names.  I took refuge at ‘Botafumeiro,’ a bar on the approach to the cathedral, ordered a beer and wrote some postcards while people watching. 

The three schoolboys came past, they finished a couple of hours ago, and stopped to say hello.  I think that completing a Camino at their age (16/17) is a great achievement. A couple of days ago they asked me if I was a teacher.  I wondered what might make them think that.  Apparently, about a week ago, I’d wanted to get their attention and I’d said ‘Boys!’ in a way that made them all instantly stops what they were doing, wonder what they’d been caught doing wrong, and turn to face me instantly!

Back at the Albergue, lying on my bed after repacking my backpack (I jettisoned a couple of unworn pairs of socks to make room for new skort, top and underwear) I suddenly heard my name! Paulo, one of the Italians on the Primitivo is here too.  He’s catching a train to Madrid at 5.45am tomorrow. I told him not to say goodbye.

This evening I’m rewarding myself with a nice meal because I did a SCARY THING.  I didn’t realise quite how scary it was going to be when I booked it.  After all I’ve done the Sydney Bridge Climb and Up at the O2. The roof top tour of Santiago Cathedral is terrifying and wonderful. I don’t think my terror levels were helped by the fact that our tour guide only spoke in Spanish, she obviously gave out some safety instructions, but she spoke so quickly that I hadn’t got a chance of understanding her.  The views were stunning. It was worth scaring myself.  I just wish I’d understood more!