Day 43 Camino de Santiago Aug 17 Cee

I awoke early, and headed over to the cafe for breakfast with a fine mist falling.   Breakfast was simple -tea, toast and fresh squeezed orange juice.   Today was 34k, another long day but one filled with great things.  For someone living in Arizona, seeing water is a great thing.
























The dam wasn't big, but it looked like a great place to take a leap off a cliff into... okay...okay... it looked like a great place to watch someone else take a leap off a cliff.

     The river had that, "I'm full of fish, and here for the takin' Steve!!"... Luckily, I know better and can hear what they are really saying.  "You don't gotta no chance, Amos!"  and so I gave up the thought of turning one of my walking sticks into a cane pole and going fishing.    Gotta keep my eyes on the prize.  If I stayed strong, I would be walking into Finisterre by about 5:00.

    Clouds were getting thicker and the mist became heavy with water.  I could hear the "Whump Whump Whump" of the windmills and they lined the way.  It's so strange to walk 30k and look back at windmills that you saw in the morning.  Those buggers can walk!!

    I had been hiking for 5 or 6 hours when I came across two women sitting  on the top of the hill/mountain. ( It's a hill if you are walking down and a mountain if you are walking up!) The older woman, Nudia, was from the Canary Islands and the younger woman, Anastasia, was originally from Russia and is Nudia's daughter in law.  Anastasia was doubled over with severe stomach problems.  I gave her some of my water and she felt good enough to walk.  I really felt like she needed a carbonated drink, like Coca Cola or Sprite.  But since they don't have vending machines on top of the mountain... I told them to walk slowly down and I would go get a drink and bring it back up the mountain.  They laughed because our language barrier was great.  They thought I was leaving so they said good bye.

I went down the hill, found a albergue, bought three drinks, left my pack, and walked "briskly" back up the mountain.  They were shocked as they saw me back on the mountain.  Anna was taking a picture of the mountain/ocean view and captured me coming up the trail.    This is where we met up in a field of heather-like flowers.  The three of us sat overlooking the ocean.

  Our first views of the ocean were like a pump of life.  To see the water was emotional, not because I really get off on oceans, but it was very near the end of the trail.  Swimming to America was not in my plan.
     The next views were of the town of Cee and Corbubion.  Cee is more industrial and Corbubion is much more of a tourist town, complete with nice white beach.    I could smell the salt.  I could taste the seafood!  I would be in Finisterre in a few hours.

   Ahhhh.... but the fly in the ointment.  Nudia's other daughter, Elena, who is a stewardess for UAE, had hurt hurt knee on a mountain the day before and had to take a taxi from Negeria to the hospital in Cee.  She was waiting for them in the hospital.
     On the way there we met a Venezuelan woman, Wilma, who also spoke Russian and is an interpreter.  She came along with us as we headed off to Finisterre.  We all realized that we had not eaten all day and decided to eat at a restaurant that Wilma knew about.

    Nothing is done quickly when it comes to eating and we sat there for about 3 hours.  Yes, three hours!!  But it was great food and great conversation.  As we left I saw some men playing a card game called "Mus", which I could not understand and they could not explain.  They did say it was the most popular game in Spain...which doesn't explain why it's the first time I've seen it played!
 

 





But now it was 5:30 pm and we knew that it was still 14k to Finisterre.  No way.  Finisterre would be packed and we would not be able to find a room or a bed in an albergue, so we got a room in a albergue on the Cee/Corbubion border.  Not bad views for 10E!  Great room, drunk landlord.  More on that later.

   Once we had a room we went for a long walk along the bay and then down to the beach.  The beach wasn't great, (think Daytona...NOT), but it was water.

     Anastasia liked having her picture taken with these classic "poses" like vogueing.  It must be the way things are done in Eastern Europe because it wasn't the first time I had taken a picture of an Eastern European who vogued.

     The bay and the clouds were gorgeous and it was fun just to stop walking and relax.

    How drunk was he??  We had just gotten into our beds and he staggered in the room, woke everyone up by yelling!  Now if my room is right on the bay, which it was, and a man comes in the bedroom and yells at 11:00, which he did, I'm assuming there's a fire or a ship has crashed into our building.  But what he was saying was,  "Hey! Go downstairs!   The cafe is giving free bbq'd meat away.  Go!  Go!  So we got up and went downstairs and had a beer and bbq'd ribs.  Very very good.
   

 

Day 42 Camino de Santiago Aug. 16 Olveiroa

What a long but rewarding day!! 34K!!  Tired hammier and tender feet.  Still afloat though!  Windy all day and at times, it was necessary to bend over almost touching my knees with my nose,as I walked, just to make any progress.  Fun!!  No rain!!







    As I left Negreira this morning, I saw the huge crane, which means more building... with German Euros!!  Ha!  I know the Germans see those cranes and say, "Octoliebah!!!  Bad spelling but it basically means, "Are you kidding me!!! What are we building now!??!"

  It threatened to rain all day.   Dark foreboding clouds everywhere.  But no rain.  The views were gorgeous, and the only cost was a steep climb up a mountain.  

     Huge storm yesterday and yesternight!  Trees were knocked down across the trail, but you know me... I watched too many westerns and immediately smelled... Ambush!!

   











  Looks like a sure detriment to pulling my backpack!  There was lots of mud on the trail, but since it was such a rare occasion, it was fun.  I saw some people with some browns spots on their knees and thighs, so my guess is that they had a different take on it being fun.

   Today's trail was very well marked.  It made walking on my own, lot's of fun.  It's amazing how lost in thought I get and "wake up" and say, "Oh my gosh.  Where is a marker?"  Then I see a yellow arrow or a shell and I'm good to go!

     It is not a good sign when you see the sky in the trail you are walking.  Made me think of the time in Africa I was riding a bus and we had to get out and push it several times.  That was mud up to my waist!  T.I.A.  can't get mad about it!

     I can see why they say Galicia reminds them of Ireland.  The stone walls are covered in moss,  That's liquid sunshine.  Except for the lack of hydrangeas, I still prefer the desert. Give me 300 days of sunshine!  I say that while it's 116 in the desert and I'm in the land of rain!!   But with the right person, does it really matter where you live?  NOPE!

     Gorgeous views today.  Galicia grows tons of corn.  Great way to put the rain to use. Off the subject, but two pilgrims were hit by a car yesterday.  Over 2000 pilgrims came into Santiago over the last three days.  That's a record.  Pilgrims have been coming to Santiago for 1,000 years and I pick the most crowded days!

    Just wanted to show you some beautiful flowers..

     Last night I mentioned about the Romans chasing the Galicians and God destroyed the bridge.  It's on all of the city signs.

    You can usually find fresh water fountains near the beginning of each city.  A bit less on the Camino to Finisterre, but here was one.  It looks like the lion in the Wizard of Oz.

     Just loved the views today.  Beautiful fields.  Abundant wildflowers.  Hard to keep walking because I kept wanting to stop and not only smell the flowers, but photograph them.

    I love these grain silos.  They use them to store vegetables.  This area has really unique ones, built on what look like giant concrete toadstools.    "Toadstool"... I don't think I've ever seen a toad's stools.  Must be kinda cute though?

    At 29K I was on fumes.  Then I saw this sign for a funeral service and managed to kick up the pace!!   What's that old saying, "If you ain't movie', you must be dead!"

     It wasn't that it was beautiful, it was that it is so rare to see a lake.  Only the second lake I've seen on the Camino, and maybe the third in all of Spain.  Lot's of beautiful rivers, however!
   







 
 
 

Day 41 Camino de Santiago Aug. 15 Negreira

Well today is August 15th, and that makes tomorrow... August 16th, which is a HUGE anniversary for people from Memphis.  Listen to the radio tomorrow for hints of what the anniversary is.  As for today, I am so so glad that I waited a day in Santiago so that I wouldn't have to walk in the rain.  Because today... it rained cats and dogs!!  But it was fun.  Walking in the rain is always fun, to me, if I know that at the end of the day, I'll be high and dry.  And I am.  I'm in a nice 10E albergue after only 22K of walking.

   This is good ol' St. James, who had no idea that he was starting a whole way of making a living for so many Santiagoans.  That's him with a sword that looks bent to heck.  Must have poked a Moor with a hard head or something.  I'm thinking that if I were a descendent of the Moors, who happened to be living in Santiago, I wouldn't be too fond of that statue.   Doesn't he remind you a bit of Pancho Villa?

    This is the original pilgrim!!  I saw him for two days and he may be a bit touched in the head.  He walks around and people photograph him.  Probably hired by city hall to help promote the whole Camino experience.
   I could hear this old pilgrim mumbling, "ahem, er um, uh could a you a um er a scoot in, er um, uh just a  er uh um a little uh er uh um closer?"

    Santiago is bigger than I thought.  It took an hour just to get out of town.  Okay, I got lost two or three times, but still... This was a beautiful park just at the edge of town. One seriously old man was sitting on a bench smoking the biggest cigar I've ever seen...or smelled.  It looked like one of the goofy cigars you can buy in Tijuana.  His son probably sent it to him as revenge for not letting him walk in the rain as a kid!  

     About 3 k out of town, I got a good glimpse of the spires of the Cathedral.  It wasn't as early as this picture makes you think.  It was raining and the sun was shrouded.  It was 9:30 AM.  I don't do that 5:30 walking stuff.  I call that the Baker's Walk - as if they are all going to work in a bakery.  I'm kinda on the "Broken Clock Walk".  I just get up when I feel like it, take a shower and viola!  I'm fresh as a daisy!

     This daisy got plenty of wet today.  The first hours of the hike went up, up, and up, through a pine and eucalyptus forest.  It poured down for awhile (get the poncho out!!)  and then it would stop (put the poncho back!!).  Then it would start.  (get the poncho out!!).  Then it would stop (put the poncho back!!).  Are you getting tired of reading the monotony of the ordeal?  I made the mistake of saying, " Geez, either stop or start will you!"  I wasn't angry.  I was happy Steve.  Unfortunately, the rain gods said, "okay, then let it start... and continue....hard!"

     One time when it did clear, it allowed me to see that the road went quite a ways which meant that I could roll.  When it was raining cats and dogs, it was okay because the rain was blowing sideways directly into my face, which was okay because my body was blocking it from getting inside my backpack.  I don't mind getting wet.  It's like a shower with clothes on.  The ultimate in efficiency - wash clothes as I clip away the kilometers.

    Galicia is beautifully green, which probably means more rain is on the way.  It also is the perfect climate for growing grapes.  If I could stick around for another month or two, it would be fun to pick grapes.  Everyone here seems to have a backyard canopy made of grape vines, yet I see no bees.
     All these beautiful stone towns and I turned a corner and it was like Trumanville.  I understand the logic in making houses look alike, however, if I were the King... I'd say that they have to be in the style of Galicia....not Pleasantville.  By the way, that is a camera, not a street light!

You already know how I feel about graffiti, but I have to admit, other than hanging grapes, what else is more irresistible than a sign that says this.  Really?
 Where is Wienerville?  I'm just amazed that the town hasn't had the sign erased...or changed their name...

There is a legend that God destroyed the bridge to keep the Romans from capturing the Galicians who were at war with them.  (EVERYBODY was at war with the Romans!) On the state emblem, you can see a lightening bolt coming down and separating the bridge in half.

    Probably one of the most beautiful towns on the entire Camino is this town, Ponte Maceira, with it's 100 meter long Roman bridge.  By this time the rain had become a river flowing from the sky and I was ready to come up for air and lo and behold, a restaurant.  I plucked my little wet self there and had the view, the lunch, all good.  Even stopped raining...until it was time to walk again. Good sense of humor, those rain gods!!

     In my next life, I'm coming back as a trout fisherman or as a bear.  The rivers look so inviting.  Cold water, but not white ankle white.  Clear as a bell and fast moving.  Ernest Hemingway would have enjoyed this part of Spain...if he could have remained sober long enough.

     I like to think that it would be fun to have that stone house, turn into an albergue, but with that hassles of the government regulations, I think it would turn into a class A headache.  It would be fun for while, until I couldn't get the fish to bite, couldn't get the mosquitoes not to bite, and I'd have no customers.  Oh, and I couldn't speak the language, and I'd have no close friends nearby...Other than that, I think it would be a real hoot!!

     The homes in this town aren't all this big, but they are all cut stone and solid as a rock... don't say it...duh!  This one was on a slight hill overlooking the river.  Closest thing I've seen to a castle in a few weeks.   I wouldn't want to clean it, heat it, or cool it.

    This is what I call a beautiful entry way.  I love the hydrangeas as they remind me of my grandmother's house.  People here put nails in the ground (iron) to make the hydrangeas turn more purple.

   
The quickest way to become wealthy is to decrease your wants - SWB