468: The REAL Camino Part IV

Almost finished. Tomorrow I will be on my last leg(s). The Camino wayside markers have a picture of their eponymous shell, a yellow arrow showing the direction of travel, and the number of kilometres to reach Santiago. So, at the beginning of the week the markers were showing > 100 km, and now they're showing <20. I will be pleased to reach the cathedral at Santiago. I plan to sit quietly in a pew for a while and thank the good Lord for allowing me to reach the ripe old age of 70, and in particular for looking after me this past week. With all the walking I've done you'll see I am but a shaow of my former self.

I'm staying tonight in an incredible pensión just outside Sigüero owned by a lovely couple who can't stop talking.  My Spanish would come on in leaps and bounds if I could stop here for longer. Their house is beautiful and my bedroom is very tastefully decorated. Such a difference from last night when it seemed I was there for the benefit of the proprietor who told me exactly when I could and couldn't have meals. Here they sent me pictures on WhatsApp of the kind of food they could offer and asked me when I would like it served. I checked in/registered online as it was siesta time. They simply buzzed me in the front door and told me which room I was in. I got to meet them after my kiplet.

They are bemoaning the lack of tourists because of COVID. Such a shame, it's had such a devastating impact on so many sectors. Tonight I am the only guest.

Casi terminado. Mañana estaré en mi (s) último (s) tramo (s). Los marcadores del camino del Camino tienen una imagen de su caparazón epónimo, una flecha amarilla que muestra la dirección de viaje y la cantidad de kilómetros para llegar a Santiago. Entonces, al comienzo de la semana, los marcadores mostraban> 100 km, y ahora muestran <20. Estaré encantado de llegar a la catedral de Santiago. Planeo sentarme en silencio en un banco por un tiempo y agradecer al buen Dios por permitirme alcanzar la avanzada edad de 70 años, y en particular por cuidarme la semana pasada. Con todo el caminar que he hecho, verás que no soy más que una imagen de mi antiguo yo.


Esta noche me quedo en una pensión increíble a las afueras de Sigüero propiedad de una pareja encantadora que no puede dejar de hablar. Mi español aumentaría a pasos agigantados si pudiera detenerme aquí por más tiempo. Su casa es hermosa y mi habitación está decorada con mucho gusto. Tal diferencia con la noche anterior, cuando parecía que estaba allí para beneficio del propietario, quien me dijo exactamente cuándo podía y cuándo no podía comer. Aquí me enviaron fotos por WhatsApp del tipo de comida que podían ofrecer y me preguntaron cuándo me gustaría que me sirvieran. Me registré / me registré en línea porque era la hora de la siesta. Simplemente me llamaron a la puerta principal y me dijeron en qué habitación estaba. Pude encontrarme con ellos después de mi kiplet (siesta).

Se lamentan de la falta de turistas a causa de COVID. Es una pena, ha tenido un impacto tan devastador en tantos sectores. Esta noche soy el único invitado.

467: The REAL Camino - Part III

Day 4

Friday 4th June 2021. The rest day that I had been wise enough to factor in. I woke up this morning and thought I had somebody else's legs. They are easing a bit now. I am in Betanzos, 50 km down and 67 still to do. Just short of halfway. 

There's no reason why you should have read any of my earlier blogs but in a couple of them I explained that I had been training for this walk since January, building up stamina and endurance. Lockdown rules meant that I couldn't get to Spain when I wanted to in order to finish the Camino on my 70th birthday, so I did the equivalent number of kilometres around my home in Cambridgeshire. One of my friends did it in the North of Scotland at the same time as I did it around Ramsey. We raised a couple of thousand pounds for our three nominated charities. The point I am laboriously leading up to is that Cambridgeshire is mostly flat! Galicia is anything but!  Yesterday I got up to 275 metres, which doesn't sound a lot but, take it from me you know when you've done it!

Yesterday evening I didn't feel like much to eat and simply ordered a cheese and ham sandwich. Then I asked the lady behind the bar for an ice cream with 3 'balls'. Anything at all would do, whatever she came up with. She pulled all the stops out and came up with the creation you see in the picture. 

The first picture shows one of the bridges I walked under. When is a bridge not a bridge but a viaduct? The last picture shows the elevations for each day of the walk.

Tomorrow would appear to be the most challenging day. After that it should all be downhill, metaphorically and literally.

 

 

466: The REAL Camino - Part II

Days 1 and 2 under the belt. I found today much harder than yesterday. (Note to self, wait for tomorrow!) Looking on the map the stretch from Neda to Pontedueme looked to be simply a North to South route but I found it to be a bit of a meander, in and out like a fiddler's elbow, up and down like a tart's drawers! You know the Duke of York? Not that 'nice' Prince Andrew, we all know and love, but the one from the children's nursery rhyme. I spent a lot of time today marching up to the top of a hill and marching down again. 

My heart has been in my mouth almost every step, for two reasons. Firstly I was concerned that the barking dogs I heard here and there might not have been behind big fences - they were, thankfully. I didn't need to parry them off with my trusty peregrino pole. Secondly that I might have come across a high bridge that needed crossing. I don't do high bridges and it would have been a premature end to the adventure. This one, at Pontedueme, was easy-peasy.

A few pictures: a few views, a few meals, and two Strava route maps.

The tourist office at Ferrol. The route starts here	Equipment for Seniors, but I needed to save my energy	Ferrol
Una tostada con tomate. A Spanish favourite.	Oranges	A mushroom. The best way to know if mushrooms are good to eat is to buy it in a shop.
View from the bedroom window	A square pizza! Who knew!	Another hill conquered