Sunday & Monday, October 2 & 3

We arrived in Santiago, walking through the tunnel to the sounds of bagpipes, on a beautiful, sunny day. We rejoiced in the camaraderie of the hundreds of people in Plaza Obradoiro all enjoying their first few minutes in front of the Cathedral, all of us finally reaching our destination. Some of our Camino friends had hoped to make it in time to attend the Pilgrims Mass at noon, but we heard later that the queue was very long. We were still basking in the wonderment of my mother’s reassurance that she was right there with us, and we wanted to cherish the moment.

We finally checked into the absolutely gorgeous Hostal dos Reis Católicos Parador. I’d been in touch with our friend Garrett, who was leaving for Ireland that afternoon, to let him know when we arrived, and before we settled in, we met him for a glass (or two) of Champagne to celebrate seeing each other again, and completing another journey. Afterwards, we bid him a fond farewell, and went into “business” mode: unpacking and sorting our clothing and gear, showers, laundry, and packing a “Camino” suitcase to be shipped back to Park City while we extend our trip in Europe.

As we were heading to the lavandería (laundromat), we ran into our Irish Camino friends Sean and Erin, and invited them to join us for dinner that evening. We quickly changed our reservation from 2 people to 4, and went happily on our way. Everybody in town was in good spirits, all talking about their experiences on their various Caminos, sharing stories, many talking about their “next” Camino. I put the kibosh on any discussion about THAT with Mike. Too soon? I think so.

This was such a tough month for me. Mike had lost quite a bit of weight before our Camino; I lost ZERO. My husband the stats guy was his usual focused self, clocking at least 40k steps (~20 miles) every day for the previous 4 months.

It took me a ridiculous amount of time to find a pair of shoes that worked for me. As it was, my feet were never happy. The North Face trail runners that worked 5 years ago were discontinued, and I spent months trialing 9 different pairs of shoes. I settled on Brooks Cascadia 16 trail runners, which were “okay”, but after 10 miles, my feet hurt. A lot. The orthotics that I finally got didn’t work with the Brooks shoes, and I wasn’t about to start my search again 1 month before our Camino. I consulted a web site on how to tie hiking shoes based on your feet’s specific needs, and that did help a bit. My training also took a dip a few times, but I don’t think that had a huge impact.

My heart was heavy, my emotions were just below the surface at all times, and yet, I was grateful that we were able to make this journey without an emergency flight back to NJ. I felt that my first “Camino miracle” was from my mother. If she’d been alive, she may have been in and out of hospitals, as she had been for 6 weeks in July and August. I would have been worried sick, would have been on the phone with my sisters, and I wouldn’t have experienced the gift of having my mom “along for the ride” with me. Never one for subtlety, my mom kept giving me signs that she was right there. When we were served the first bottle of cold red wine, I laughed and sent my sisters a text that Mom was still driving us crazy. What’s with the refrigerated red wine? During the next weeks, we were served a few MORE bottles of cold red wine. Then there was the salt in a bowl on the table in a restaurant. No spoon. My mom always put a bowl of salt on the table. Not a salt shaker or a salt grinder. A bowl. “Just use your fingers.” We’d get up, pour another bowl of salt in a small cup, and bring it to the table with a spoon.

Our short stay in Santiago was fun. After getting our official Certificate of Completion on Monday, we went to the Pilgrims Mass, lit candles for my parents and our friend’s mother, and walked through the “Holy Door” (Porta Santa) in the Cathedral. The door is only opened during Holy Years. 2021 was one of those years, but due to COVID, Pope Francis extended the Jubilee Year and its blessings for an additional year.

We bought some Camino pins that Mike put on his hat, a pair of earrings to replace the pair that I wore every day on both of our Caminos and somehow misplaced a day before arriving in Santiago, and a Tarte de Santiago (a delicious almond tart) to bring to our friends in Rocchetta Palafea, Italy, and afterwards we had a lovely dinner with Sean and Erin.

I’ve been to Spain 5 times:
1973, when my parents, a few Aunts, a few cousins, and I went to meet our Basque family
2003, when Mike and I went for a delayed Honeymoon
2017, our 1st Camino
2018, after my sisters, nieces, and Mom went to Lithuania where my Grandmother was born
2022, our 2nd Camino

I’ve cried each time I leave this beautiful country, and this time was no different. I am certain that we’ll be back, but it’s always hard leaving. Until next time.

Sunday October 2, 2022
O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela

Day	Date	From-To	Sunrise	Weather	Start	# Hrs	Miles	Km	Elev.
28	2-Oct	O Pedrouza-Santiago	8:30	55 Fog	6:50	6:15	13.8	22	1229

We set out on our final day on well-worn dirt trails in the fog. With only about 12 miles to go, we were happily anticipating our arrival in Santiago. We knew that we’d get to the Parque de Monte Gozo, where we would get our first glimpse of the Cathedral. We read that in the park there are statues of 2 pilgrims pointing toward the city. Unless you knew to deviate from the path (and the all-comforting arrows), you wouldn’t necessarily see the statues. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

If you read the blog entry about our walk from Vilalba to Baamonde (Day 23), you might remember that I wrote about how I feel that my parents are with me on this journey:

1. A strong breeze that helped to “push” me up a huge hill
2. Randomly meeting Garrett, who we met in 2017 on a different Camino route
3. Meeting an 83-year-old man from Maine who’d never been to Spain and never liked to hike, who started walking Caminos after his wife died… and he was sure that he saw her walking ahead of him
4. Ordering a glass of red wine, only to find that it had been refrigerated
5. Rain in the forecast every day for the past 8 days, but it hasn’t amounted to anything
6. A whole basket of butterhorns in a café

In that post, I said: “If I meet anyone from Lithuania on this trip, I’ll probably burst into tears”

So…. We were almost to Monte Gozo, and Mike was ahead of me (as usual). Lots of people were speaking English, and Mike started chatting with a couple from Colorado Springs, Stephanie and Kyle. They had done the same route (half of the del Norte and then the Primitivo) last year, same as we did in 2017. They were also going toward the pilgrims’ statues, so we continued chatting. I told Stephanie about my mom’s passing and that I feel that she is on this journey with me. I said “I swear, if I meet anyone from Lithuania…”, and she turned to me and asked, “Are you Lithuanian?!” Turns out that ~ yes ~ HER grandmother was born in Lithuania, just like mine. Her mother is half Lithuanian, just like mine. By the time Stephanie and I reached Mike and Kyle, I was crying. Mike looked concerned, and I told him through my tears that Stephanie is part Lithuanian. If he hadn’t decided to speed up to chat with this lovely young couple from Colorado, if we weren’t all walking to the pilgrims’ statues, if I didn’t mention my mom…. But we did all of those things, and my Mom made damn sure that I knew she was right there with me.

Saturday October 1, 2022
Arzúa to O Pedrouzo

Day	Date	From-To	Sunrise	Weather	Start	# Hrs	Miles	Km	Elev.
27	1-Oct	Arzúa – O Pedrouzo	8:29	53 Cloudy	6:40	6:22	15.2	24	1261

Our headlamps are getting a lot of use! Starting out almost 2 hours before dawn has been somewhat challenging, as we need to be extremely vigilant to see the arrows to guide us along the Way. After we arrive at our destination each day, Mike apparently hasn’t had enough of the “official” walking. He goes out to find the next day’s path out of the village. I’m happy about that, since I am directionally challenged, and would undoubtedly get lost on my own.

Our hotel was a few kilometers from the Camino path, so the expected 12 or so miles became 15. It was a relatively easy walk, a few ups & downs. We stopped for a café con leche once we found a bar that was open. And then we spotted the very memorable “Beer Garden”, with “trees” made of empty beer bottles. I’m certain that anyone who’s walked the French Way, the Primitivo, or the del Norte has taken pictures of this bar. Last time we must have arrived there later in the day, as there were a LOT of people, many drinking beer in the late morning. This time, it was too early to be open. It appears that peregrinos leave their old shoes by this bar. Some are filled with dirt, and a few have plants growing in them.

We started seeing significantly more people, since the 3 routes merged as we all walked toward O Pedrouzo. We met our Camino friends Sean and Erin from Ireland at one of our stops, got to chatting, and overshot our turn to the town by a few kilometers. Back on track, we got to the Hostel Residencia Platas, where the woman at the front desk was dealing with an awful woman who had a permanent scowl and a very bad attitude. After we checked in, we asked the lovely front desk woman for a restaurant recommendation. The Café-Bar O Pedrouzo was the BEST! We ordered an ensalada mixta and the steak, which we “cooked” ourselves. It was one of the most delicious steaks we’ve ever had. 

The hotel was similar to most of the ones we’ve stayed in during both of our Caminos. Shower was a bit small…. But for fans of cruises, it probably looks familiar. 

Later in the afternoon, the streets below were filled with peregrinos, drinking, laughing, just enjoying the whole Camino experience. Mike found a cute place, Taste the Way, that he wanted to try. Who did we run into but Sean and Erin again! We sat at a communal table along with 3 Aussies, drank some wine (Albariño), had some food (not much for us because we were still full from lunch), and had a few rounds of the Licor de Café that my cousins Ismael and Inma recommended. It was a wonderful, fun evening, and we said that we hoped to see them all again.

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday September 28, 29, 30, 2022
Baamonde, Miraz, Sobrado dos Monxes, Arzúa

Baamonde to Miraz
So much for non-rainy days…. We had a very gentle mist throughout Monday morning on our walk to Miraz. After we stopped at a café, it started to POUR. Peregrinos came into the café with ponchos, dripping wet. We were grateful that we had a short day and a taxi ride to Sobrado dos Monxes for the night.

When we arrived at Hotel San Marcus, we met a couple from Arlington VA that we’d run into several times in the past few days. Steve and Beth said that their trek from Miraz to Sobrado dos Monxes in the rain was challenging. We all agreed that we’re hoping for drier weather, although they really do need the rain here in Galicia. Happy to stay in a very nice hotel with an excellent shower! We had lunch with Steve and Beth, and said that we’d probably run into them again on the Camino.

Miraz to Sobrado dos Monxes
On Tuesday morning, we took a taxi back to where we ended on Monday, and made our way back to Sobrado. It rained off and on throughout the morning, and we finally had some sunshine, so we took off our ponchos and put them into our backpacks…. but on our final approach to Sobrado we had a sudden rain & wind storm. Too late to put ponchos back on, so we plowed on, [literally] soaked to the skin. If only we hadn’t stopped for that last café con leche, maybe we would have made it before the storm.

Sobrado dos Monxes is a small town, and its claim to fame is the Cistercian monastery. The history of this monastery can be traced back, according to some researchers, to the 5th or 6th century AD, making it one of the first Christian monasteries. The first documentation dates back to the 10th century. Its location on the Camino del Norte led to the monastery’s rapid boom and its importance to the economy of the area, since it is only 70 km from Santiago de Compostela.

In 1142, the monastery of Sobrado dos Monxes passed into the hands of the most influential order of the time, the Cistercian order. The construction of the new building was done by master stonemasons from various parts of the world. We didn’t make it to the monastery for a tour, but from the outside, the buildings are stunning.

Sobrado dos Monxes to Arzúa
Happy that there was no rain in the forecast, we started out early on a very cold morning. No rain, but plenty of mud on the trails, similar to our last few days on the Camino Primitivo in 2017. There are plenty of chestnuts falling from the trees. Easy to slip on them, so we’ve been careful. Our trekking poles have saved us a few times from falling on our butts!

You can feel the excitement of everyone, knowing that we are less than 40km from Santiago. Tomorrow, three Camino routes will converge, and the tranquility of the past month will change quite drastically. But for today, we enjoyed seeing only about half a dozen people on the quiet road leading to Arzúa.

We arrived early to Hotel a Curuxa, 2 hours before check-in, so we continued down the hill to a café for a snack, and while there I had a really nice chat with my sister Jeni, catching up on what my sisters have been doing at the house in Piscataway, talking about how (and when) I can help once we get back in October. The time difference and our walking schedule haven’t been conducive for phone calls, but I was happy to talk to Jeni today.

Tuesday September 27, 2022
Vilalba to Baamonde

Day	Date	From-To	Sunrise	Weather	Start	# Hrs	Miles	Km	Elev.
23	27-Sep	Vilalba -Baamonde	8:23	53 Fog	6:45	5:18	12.7	20.4	897

Fog. Lots of fog. It started clearing about 2 hours into our walk, shortly after sunrise. It wasn’t really that cold, but it felt colder than 53 degrees because of the dampness in the air. We were excited because we knew that we’d get to the 100km mark today. Just 62 more miles to our destination!

There was only one café on our walk, but it was a relatively short day. Happy to get café con leche and a small cake. And a mini croissant that reminded me of my mom’s butterhorns (crescent rolls) that she made for every holiday for over 60 years.

We made it to the very small town of Baamonde shortly after 12:00, found a café, and met a father and daughter, Sean and Erin, from Ireland who are doing the final stages of the Camino del Norte (Vilalba to Santiago de Compostela). We had a delicious lunch at a restaurant called KM101, so named to represent the last 101 kilometers before arriving in Santiago. Our hostel is literally at a truck stop, so I may need to find the earplugs for tonight.

My mother has been constantly on my mind since we started our Camino. She died less than a week before we left for Spain. I flew to Europe the day after her funeral, and I’m having a pretty rough time, not being with my family in NJ. It sounds odd, but because my Mom isn’t with us in life, I feel that she and my Dad are with us in spirit on this Camino.

So far, here are some of our experiences that make me believe that my parents are walking with us:

1. A strong breeze that helped to “push” me up a huge hill (see Car Trip to Boise story below)
2. Randomly meeting a lovely Irish gentleman (Garrett) who we met in 2017 on a different Camino route (previous blog Portugalete to Castro-Urdiales… my Dad is of Irish descent)
3. Meeting Tom, an 83-year-old man from Maine who’d never been to Spain and never liked to hike, who started walking Caminos after his wife died… and he was sure that he saw her walking ahead of him
4. Ordering a glass of red wine, only to find that it had been refrigerated (drove us crazy ~ my Mom always refrigerated red wine, even if it hadn’t been opened!)
5. Rain in the forecast every day for the past 11 days, but it hasn’t amounted to anything (see My Mom the Weather Whisperer story below)
6. A whole basked of butterhorns (mini croissants) in a café (my Mom was famous for her butterhorns, and we have hilarious stories about her “teaching” us how to make them)
7. If I meet anyone from Lithuania on this trip, I’ll probably burst into tears

Car Trip to Boise:
When I was a teenager my Dad decided that he’d drive his 4 daughters and his wife (my Mom) from NJ to Boise ID to meet his Basque cousins. We all still have a touch of PTSD from that trip. But meeting our Arano family, first in Boise, and then in Spain, has been an amazing and ongoing blessing. I am beyond grateful to have rekindled relationships that started 50 years ago. One of the side trips that we took on that Boise vacation was a short hike down to the Snake River. We were kids; we loved the hike. The scenery was spectacular, and we were probably happy to get the hell out of the car. On the hike back up from the river, my Mom was struggling. “Push me up the hill, girls!” she said. And we did.

On the first few days of our Camino, it was very hot. There was very little wind. And there were hills. LOTS of hills. I remembered pushing my mother up the hill when I was 14, and I thought, “give me a push, Mom!” Moments later, a huge breeze came from behind. I swear, it helped me up the rest of the way.

My Mom the Weather Whisperer:
My parents bought a beach house on Long Beach Island around 1978. They entertained a lot, and sometimes the weather didn’t cooperate. I’d tell my Mom that rain was in the forecast on weekends when they were having an outdoor barbecue or some other epic event (pig roast, Bouillabaisse extravaganza, etc.). My mother would announce, “there will be NO rain!” Even if was raining all along the Jersey shore, sure enough, it didn’t rain in Barnegat Light, at least not during the parties.

When Mike and I looked at the weather forecast for the past 11 days on the Camino, we assumed that we’d have to deal with non-stop rain. We were prepared, with backpack covers, rain jackets, and ponchos. We did have a little bit of rain on 4 days, but really not a lot. Quite different from our Camino in 2017, when we had more rainy days (and mud!) than dry ones. I just feel like my Mom is blowing those rain clouds away from us. Come to think of it, it HAS been a bit windy!

Tomorrow will be a shorter day (only about 9 miles unless we get lost) to another small town (Miraz). Looking forward to an easy day.

September 22-25, 2022
La Caridad to Vilalba

Day	Date	From-To	Sunrise	Weather	Start	# Hrs	Miles	Km	Elev.
19	22-Sep	La Caridad-Ribadeo *	8:14	55 Sunny	7:40	4:30	15.3	24.6	1234
20	23-Sep	Ribadeo – Lourenzá	8:16	57 Cloudy	6:49	7:40	17.9	28.8	2506
21	24-Sep	Lourenzá – Abadín	8:18	58 Rain	6:45	7:20	16.5	26.5	3051
22	25-Sep	Abadín – Vilalba	8:20	48 Rain	7:26	6:04	14.6	23.5	1143

Day 19, La Caridad to Ribadeo ~ Sept 22
Mike did this stage solo, as I badly needed an extra day to recuperate. After a massage, I felt much better, and I was grateful that Mike had suggested that I take a day off. Our hotel room overlooks the River Eo. I enjoyed a beautiful sunrise before breakfast.

Mike, in the meantime, didn’t have to wait for me to catch up or to stretch my legs and feet. He managed to do the 15 miles in 4½ hours, including a café con leche stop (he texted me the picture). We had a lovely lunch in the Parador dining room, and he told me about his hike. He said that it was relatively easy, with very few hills and a beautiful walk across the bridge over the River Eo. I wished that we could have gone to the Playa de Catedrales…. Another place to add to our list to do the next time we visit Spain.

Ribadeo is at the start of our time in Galicia, the last province on our Camino.

Day 20, Ribadeo to Lourenzá ~ Sept 23
This is where we start our trek inland. The terrain is hillier, and the elevation pretty much stays at about 1000 feet. This is a very rural part of Spain, dotted with small villages, not too many places to get café con leche, and fewer peregrinos. Many of the people doing the Camino del Norte jump down to the Camino Primitivo after Gijon, and we’ve noticed a pronounced decline in the number of people that we see.

The terrain was mostly pavement, and the uphill climb was pretty tough. At one point I stopped at a park bench to rub my feet while Mike continued up the hill to try to find a café. Lo and behold, there was one! We stopped for a bite to eat and a café con leche, and met a bunch of young folks who seemed to be traveling somewhat together, meaning they all seemed to have the same daily destinations and it seemed like they were pretty much staying in the same albergues each night. They were from the Netherlands, Germany, Russia, the UK, and Canada. And the 2 guys from London also showed up.

We finally arrived in Lourenza, had a bite to eat in a small bar, and found our guesthouse. Casa Gloria had potential, but things went south pretty quickly.
First: no hot water. Mike took a cold shower, but I went to find the innkeeper who had to call someone to fix the problem. Poor Mike never really got warm.
Second: we had a double bed. We sleep in a queen-sized bed at home, but when we’re away we usually book a king-sized bed.
Third: the walls are very thin. Just saying.
The positive: the guesthouse is owned by a person who also owns a bakery, so they left some yummy pastries and juice for us in the self-service kitchen.

Day 21, Lourenza to Abadín ~ Sept 24
We started out walking up a surprisingly pleasant trail in the rain. Up until that point, the forecast had been for 7 days of non-stop rain that never really amounted to anything significant. Because there were very few puddles on the trail, it was pretty easy. The trail had dozens of little lizards. Very cute.

Walking with headlamps is easier than I remembered from 5 years ago. This time, we also had rain jackets, backpack covers, and ponchos. The rain only lasted a few hours. By the time we reached Mondoñedo, it had cleared up. Mondoñedo has one of the Camino del Norte’s most beautiful Cathedrals. Wish we’d been able to go inside.

We started seeing windmills, which we didn’t see on the coast. On the Camino Primitivo 5 years ago when we’d see the windmills we could be guaranteed that we’d have to climb up to them. This time, we walked on paved roads around the mountain. And we didn’t have to climb all the way up to the windmills.

Since we ended this stage in a very small town, we took a taxi to Vilalba where we were staying for the night. The next morning, a taxi took us back to where we ended up, and we walked back to Vilalba. The logistics seemed daunting until we realized they made sense. And it was nice to be in the same place 3 nights in a row (including an extra rest day).

Day 22, Abadín to Vilalba ~ Sept 25
After our ride back to where we ended up the day before, we started out in the rain again. We passed lots of cows, lots of baby calves. The mist in the valley was mystical looking, and the mixture of sun poking through the clouds and darker rain clouds was beautiful. We met one of the “kids” that we’d met a few days before. Carmen, from the Netherlands, walked from her home in June, through France, to the Camino del Norte in Spain, and will finally finish next week in Santiago de Compostela. When we saw her she had been walking for 112 days! Wish we’d gotten a picture with her. We had a nice chat over café con leche.

We also met a couple from Arlington Virginia who were heading to Vilalba and will get to Santiago a day before us. We’re taking a rest day tomorrow, so we’re a day behind most of the people that we’ve met this past week. We were surprised to see a woman who is doing the Camino on horseback! She walks the horse through the villages.

We had a delicious comida at LarOs Píos, after seeing a small parade of people wandering around the Plaza, dancing to bagpipes and a drummer. They came into the restaurant where we were dining… after they danced outside for about 15 minutes to the bagpipe music. No idea what that was about, but they seemed happy, all dressed up in fancy clothes. Before heading back to our hotel, we stopped in at the Church of Santa Maria to light a few candles, say a prayer, and take some pictures. Many of the churches have automatic [electric] candles. I imagine it’s to make sure that nobody inadvertently starts a fire. But it is odd to put a few coins into a slot to light a candle.

We decided to do laundry so that we could have a day to relax on our last rest day, and gave ourselves a tour of the Torre dos Andrade, which is now part of the Parador where we are staying.

Vilalba ~ Sept 26
It was very nice to have an extra day of rest! We walked around the town; Mike bought a sweater, and we found a Michelin-rated restaurant, Meson dos Campo, for lunch. It was a wonderful meal! The building is beautiful, the food (a tomato salad with figs, onions, and goat cheese; tuna tartare with guacamole and salsa; and beef tenderloin) was outstanding. Best part: Mike went down to the wine cellar to choose a bottle of wine, a 2006 red blend.

I took advantage of our downtime to upload pictures and catch up on our blog. Mike found the route out of Vilalba for our walk to Baamonde (about 12 miles) tomorrow. Now, to sleep! Thanks for following along.

September 18-21, 2022
Ribadasella to Navia

Day	Date	From-To	Sunrise	Weather	Start	# Hrs	Miles	Km	Elev.
15	18-Sep	Ribadasella-Colunga	8:03	61 Cloudy	6:41	6:15	16.4	26.4	1574
16	19-Sep	Soto de Luiña-Cadavedo	8:06	57 Cloudy	8:44	8:39	14.9	24.0	2293
17	20-Sep	Cadavedo-Luarca	8:08	56  Clear	6:35	6:20	12.2	19.6	1112
18	21-Sep	Luarca – Navia	8:11	53 Clear	6:44	5:39	12.7	20.4	1090

Day 15, Ribadasella to Colunga ~ Sept 18
After a welcome day of rest (and laundry), we left the beach, and started our trek toward Colunga. The benefits of walking before dawn are seeing beautiful sunrises and walking before it gets too warm. We passed a bunch of hand-painted signs on posts, listing cities where fellow peregrinos were from. The man who owned the property had a make-shift mini golf course, and he asked us if we wanted to add Park City. We declined, but it was fun seeing all of the signs.

We’ve started seeing the hórreos in Asturia. These are buildings that were used to store and preserve food, specifically grain, away from moisture and animals (particularly mice and other rodents) and to keep them in an optimal state for consumption. They are characterized by raised pillars and grooves in the perimeter walls to allow ventilation. Hórreos are mainly found in the Northwest of Spain (Galicia and Asturias).

We walked through the charming little village of La Vega, where the townspeople have painted gorgeous murals on their houses. The walk was mostly on paved country roads, and we walked through eucalyptus forests. I learned from Ismael, my cousin’s son-in-law, that the eucalyptus trees are terrible for the environment. Brought from Australia, they grow quickly, and then are cut down for paper. Invasive and highly flammable, the trees dry out the land surrounding the forests, and are the cause of many of the fires in recent years. As you can imagine, the issue is political: the environment versus the economy.

We arrived at Hotel Mar del Sueve in time to take quick showers before having a wonderful lunch by the sea at Restaurante Vista Alegre with Charo, Ismael, Guillermo, and Martín. It was the last time that we will see our cousins until we hopefully return in 2024. Of course, we had rodaballo and a bottle of Rosé from Navarra.

Day 16, Soto de Luiña to Cadavedo ~ Sept 19
This was our final “jump-ahead”, where we skipped a few stages and cities (Gijon and Aviles among them). When we arrived in Soto de Luiña, the driver dropped us off at a café, where we could thankfully get café con leche and some food before starting our 15-mile trek. I told the café owner (who was full of advice for all of the peregrinos, and who reminded me of Seattle Chef Thierry Rautureau without the hat) that we had skipped those cities, he said it was a good idea, because that part of the Camino is “feo” (ugly).

By the time we had a “real” breakfast (eggs, bacon, fresh-squeezed orange juice, café con leche) and socialized with the café owner, it was 8:45, 2 hours later than we usually start walking. We met a lot of other people that day, including 2 students from London who will arrive in Santiago 2 days before they start University.

It was a beautiful walk, along high cliffs above the sea. We should have looked at Google Maps a little earlier, as we passed right by our “Casa Rural” and kept walking in search of a specific restaurant…. which was closed. We ended up eating at a small place that had not-so-great food, but we were very hungry, so we would have settled for anything. However, I did try Martín’s favorite dessert, the tarte de la Abuela (Grandmother’s cake), so it was worth the stop. We backtracked to the Hotel Astur Regal, where they apparently also serve lunch! If only we had known…..

Day 17, Cadavedo to Luarca ~ Sept 20
We had a relatively short trek this day, but we still left very early. We passed a lot of churches, chapels, ornate cemeteries, and what we later learned were “paneras” (bread baskets) similar to the hórreos (granaries). The panera has a flat roof with an easel; hórreos have gabled roofs that join at the upper point. In addition, paneras are usually larger, and have bases of more than 4 “legs”.

As we walked into the gorgeous town of Luarca, we were awestruck by its beauty. The cobblestone streets, the views of the beaches, the energetic vibe of the town… and that was before we climbed up to our hotel, the Casona el Gurugu. As luck would have it, the owner was passing by as we were trying to figure out how to get into the lobby. AND, his sister and her husband, who live in Texas and speak perfect English, happened to spot us at the same time.

This hotel has to be one of our favorites along the Camino del Norte. It has been completely renovated, from the panera that is now a conference room, to each room specifically designed with an important historical person of Luarca in mind. We stayed in the “Gines” room, and later learned about the man for whom it was named and designed.

Gines was in love with a local woman, but they were not allowed to get married because he did not have any money. He went to “the Americas”, ended up in Cuba, made his fortune, and returned to Luarca, only to find that his love had married somebody else. He stayed in Luarca and wanted to buy the grandest coche (car) to show off his wealth. The room was designed in a Habana (Havana) theme. The bar was designed as an Irish bar. The owner, Avelino, his wife Esther, his sister Isabel, and her husband Nelson, were charming, and happy to share the history of this gorgeous place with us. Based on their recommendation, we had a delicious comida at La Perla Negra (The Black Pearl). I mistakenly ordered lubina (sea bass) instead of rodaballo, but it was delicious.

Mike and I agreed that we’d love to come back to this charming town, and to spend more time at this equally charming hotel. PLUS, it’s at the top of the town, meaning that we didn’t have to climb up a hill to get to the Camino the next morning.

Day 18, Luarca to Navia ~ Sept 21
The walk from Luarca was relatively flat, with beautiful views, beautiful beaches, pine forests, and open countryside

The plan was to walk to La Caridad, about 20 miles, and then get a car to Ribadeo. By the time we reached Navia I couldn’t walk another step. We decided to stop at a bar for something to drink (cerveza for Mike, Coca Cola for me), and we called a taxi to take us to Ribadeo. I was very grateful that we were traveling through a town instead of a forest where it would have been impossible to get a ride. When we did the Camino in 2017, I was determined to walk every step. This time, I’m struggling a lot more, and I decided that there is no shame in cutting a few miles from our plan…..

And then Mike suggested that I may want to skip the next day (La Caridad back to Ribadeo) altogether. It was billed as a relatively short day, not many hills. But I was in a great deal of pain, and I opted to stay back at the Parador and have a massage. That rejuvenated me, hopefully enough to make it the rest of the way to Santiago de Compostela. Big downside of skipping that stage: I totally missed the Playa de Catedrales.

September 9, 10, 11, 2022

We were excited to spend another weekend with my family, this time in the beach town of Isla, in the Cantabrian Province. My cousin Marisa made a wonderful meal on Friday night. We spent the evening with Marisa, her husband Amador, her sons Josu and Iñigo, Iñigo’s wife Yoli, their beautiful daughters Lucia and Claudia, Marisa’s daughter Charo, her husband Ismael, and their sons Guillermo and Martín, my cousins Karmele, Mari Loli, and Andone, Andone’s daughter Amaia and her 2 also beautiful daughters Zoe and Xana. It’s amazing how much energy we had after a very long walk that day!

On Saturday we set out to find a laundromat in Isla, but the closest one was several kilometers away, and we decided to ask the hotel to do our wash for us. Worth it! We had lunch with Charo, Ismael, and their sons, and then cheered for Guillermo and his futbol team (Guille was fantastco!).

After futbol, we went to Santander for a ferry tour of this beautiful city. Being on the water on a hot day was a brilliant idea that Charo and Ismael had. Such a treat! I love ferries, and even though we couldn’t understand the guide who was explaining what we were seeing (and apparently cracking dumb jokes), Ismael helped to translate and to point out places of interest and historical importance. Afterwards, we had pintxos and wine, and made a stop at El Corte Ingles for a few bottles of wine for a family dinner the next day. If we lived here, I’d definitely spend time at El Corte Ingles! I remember going to that store in Madrid in 1973 with my Mom.

On Sunday, we planned to go to Marisa’s and Amador’s again, for a barbecue. Some of my cousins from Ermua met us at our hotel before walking to Marisa’s. We hadn’t seen Julen and his wife Arrate last weekend in Markina, and we were delighted that they were able to make it to Isla. Ismael, Inma, and Luken also came from Ermua, as well as Mikel and Ainara from Vitoria. So fun! In addition to the family that we saw on Friday, Josu’s wife Geno came, and their daughter María and their son Jesus. Besides a wonderful selection of barbecued meats, Marisa made Arroz con Leche (Rice Pudding) for dessert! I heard that she makes “the best” arroz con leche, so I was really looking forward to that. On a scale of 1-10, I’d give it an 11.

Marisa is an amazing hostess. She made sure that we had plenty of sparkling water, wine, and food. Although it was a very hot day, they set up tents to keep us cool, and a breeze helped as well. I only wish that we’d taken more pictures of the family. I miss them already.

The only way to “catch up” and post pictures from the past week is to include everything from Monday through Friday. It was a tough week: hot, some rain, a few steep climbs, a few wrong turns. A typical week on the Camino. I also got my first blister. It is small but mighty. The sunrises are getting later, but we’re still trying to start each day before 7:00. Goal is to start at 6:30, but so far no luck.

Day	Date	From-To	Sunrise	Weather	Start	# Hrs	Miles	Km	Elev.
10	12-Sep	S/Miguel- Somo	7:51	63 Sunny	7:20	5:52	13.4	21.6	852
11	13-Sep	S del Mar-Comillas	7:53	82 Sunny	6:53	7:14	15.1	24.3	1536
12	14-Sep	Comillas-Unquera	7:55	68 Clear	6:53	7:17	16.8	27.0	1586
13	15-Sep	Unquera-Llanes	7:57	68 Rain	6:47	8:14	16	25.7	1305
14	16-Sep	Llanes-Ribadasella	7:59	66 Overcast	6:45	9:05	22.7	36.5	1349

San Miguel de Meruelo to Santillana del Mar
After another fun weekend with my family in Isla, we continued our journey westward toward Santiago de Compostela. Since we had veered off the official Camino to stop in Isla, we took a taxi to San Miguel de Meruelo, and walked to Somo, where we took a passenger ferry to Santander. Apparently, the boats that are on the shore next to the ferry have to wait until high tide to be of any use.

Mike got a kick out of a tractor that must have run out of gas. A petrol truck came to the rescue! The walk to Somo was mostly on paved roads, past beautiful rolling hills with glimpses of the sea. A local woman ran to tell us that there was a more beautiful trail that runs along the cliffs. We tried to find it, and ended up on a very sandy path that did eventually lead to the ferry dock.

We were happy to arrive in Santander, a city that we enjoyed with Charo, Ismael, Guillermo and Martín a few days earlier. We had rodaballo (turbot) for lunch again, and then took a taxi to Santillana del Mar. On our first Camino del Norte, we “jumped ahead” to miss some of the cities, and to make up for the extra time that we spent with family. We are doing the same this time, enjoying the countryside.

They say that Santillana del Mar is the town of the three lies: not holy (santi), flat (llana) or by the sea (del mar). This medieval jewel is in such a perfect state of preservation, with its bright cobbled streets, flower-filled balconies and huddle of tanned stone and brick buildings – it looks like a film set.

We stayed at the Hotel Museo Los Infantes, a beautiful and very old Inn in this beautiful and historic town, took a walk through the old town, had a glass of wine in The Parador, and took extra care on the cobblestone streets. A few tour buses filled with mostly older (than us) people came through.

Santillana del Mar to Comillas
When we left Santillana, it was 82 degrees, not a great way to start. But the beautiful mountains and view of the sea were spectacular.

A highlight was Cóbreces, which “lights up with color”, dominated by 2 pastel-colored buildings:
• the red Church of St. Peter ad Vincula, a striking Neo-Gothic structure with 2 prominent towers and an octagonal dome. A monument to pilgrims stands behind it.
• The sky-blue Cistercian Abbey of Viaceli, distinctive for its rows of pointed windows.

We met Tom, an 82-year-old man from Maine, who was also heading to Comillas. He is doing his 7th Camino. His wife, who taught in Bilbao, was fluent in Spanish, and was an avid hiker, died in 2013. That’s when he decided to do a Camino. While he was walking, he believed that he saw his wife walking ahead of him. Such a lovely thought. Since then, he’s done 5 more Caminos, and has had several unanticipated interruptions in his attempts to do the Camino del Norte. We hope he’s able to complete it this time! Mike feels that meeting Tom was a sign that my Mom is walking with us on our journey.

A town with palaces and noble homes, Comillas was frequented by the Spanish royal family at the beginning of the 20th century. Its main attraction is an odd villa called El Capricho (“The Whimsy”), created by Antonio Gaudí and covered with green and yellow three-dimensional flowered tiles of his own design. It is a stunning combination of brick, iron, and pottery, displaying both Spanish and Arabic influences. Gaudí assisted with the general design and furnishings of the Palacio de Sobrellano, an impressive Neo-Gothic building. As in 2017, we didn’t make it to El Capricho in time to take a tour.

Comillas to Unquera
Starting before dawn with headlights, we have seen some beautiful sunrises. The last time we walked to Unquera, we walked by the beach. This time, we walked (unintentionally) inland. But the walk through a golf course, a partial rainbow, and a Maxfield Parrish sky made our wrong turn worthwhile.

We walked alongside train tracks and on a lot of paved roads. The pavement is not the best for our feet, legs, and backs. I prefer it over wet and slippery, rocky paths, but I sure do miss the Midmountain trail in Park City. We met João Paulo from Brazil, who was doing a “fast” (as in fasting from food) day. Now that’s what I call poco loco!

Just as my feet were about to go on strike, we reached the Hotel Canal, and walked across the river to Casa Sein, where we’d had a wonderful meal 5 years ago. The food, service, and wine did not disappoint.

We were exhausted, but the room didn’t have a/c, and a pesky mosquito kept us awake for a few hours.

Unquera to Llanes
This morning started with a steep climb up to Colombres. Mike thinks the tiny chapel at the top is a place to give thanks that we made it. As always, the sounds of roosters, cowbells, and birds accompanied us on our early morning trek.

It’s funny how your mind plays tricks on you. I remembered this stage from 5 years ago as difficult, but very pleasant, a mostly even walk on the high cliffs above the Cantabrian Sea before a tough descent to Llanes. Maybe because we had 2 hours of heavy rain and we were walking in very wet shoes, maybe because we took a coastal trail instead of staying on the paved roads…. In any case, the last 5 miles of this stage were really hard. Lots of ups and downs, the town seemed like it was getting farther away rather than closer. Thankfully the rain stopped and our clothing dried out a bit before we walked to a restaurant for a welcome meal, cold water, and wine. Hotel Sablon is very nice, but once again, no a/c. We put our shoes, insoles, and clothes on the balcony to dry, and decided to deal with a hot room rather than mosquitos. Longing for a good night’s sleep.

Llanes to Ribadasella
This was our longest trek since starting our Camino. My cousin Marisa’s son-in-law Ismael walked the 36km with us. Ismael has a great eye, and he stopped to take some beautiful photos on the way. He also helped to keep our minds off the long walk. I felt badly that Ismael had to take a bus back to Llanes to get his car, and then to drive more than an hour back home. But it sure was nice to have him along for the day!

Yesterday, and again today, we ran into Miguel from Madrid. He speaks a little bit of English, and he seems to be walking with an older guy who takes his shirt off every time they stop for café con leche. Not a pleasant sight.

We passed through “Poo” (the town), walked next to beaches, and stopped a few times for café con leche and, later, for bocadillos muy grande and cokes. Including the walk across the river to our hotel, we ended up walking 23 miles. Thankfully we have an extra day in Ribadasella to do laundry and rest our tired legs and feet.

Thursday September 8, 2022

Portugalete to Castro: 26.5km / 16.5 miles / 7 hours
Sunrise 7:42
Weather: 63°F / 17.2°C, Sunny
Start: 6:40
Total Ascent: 1408 ft.
Arrived at 13:45
Difficulty Rating: Terrain 3; Waymarking 4
Scenery Rating: 4

After a brisk and very early climb up from the beach in Portugalete, we walked on a pretty cool pedestrian and bicycle path that crossed over a crazy amount of freeways. The vast majority of our walk was on paved paths, which was a change from the rocky, sometimes slippery terrain that we’d experienced during our first couple of days on the Camino. We climbed a very long stairway, which we remembered from 5 years ago. Our training hikes on steep trails made us more prepared this time!

When we got to the Hotel Las Rocas in Castro Urdiales, we saw a gentleman who looked familiar. We were busy checking in, so I didn’t say anything. Later, when we went back downstairs the man was there again. I asked him a few questions:
“Do you speak English?” (Yes)
“Are you from Ireland?” (Yes)
“Is your name Garrett?” (Yes)

We met Garrett 5 years ago on the Camino Primitivo, walking and chatting. We ran into him a few times, in hotels and again when we arrived in Santiago de Compostela. We couldn’t believe that we saw him again! On a different Camino, in the same hotel where we were staying. What are the odds?

We asked Garrett to join us for lunch, but he wanted to stay closer to the hotel. We had a good meal at La Marinera, walked around the castle ruins, the Gothic Santa Maria Church, and harbor, and went for a walk on the beach. The cold water was just what our sore feet and swollen ankles needed.

Later, we had a glass of wine with Garrett, and compared our Camino plans. We’ll be crisscrossing each other a few times during our Caminos, but probably won’t see him again. He will drop down to the Camino Primitivo as we did in 2017, and we’ll continue on El Camino del Norte.

Castro Urdiales, called Flavióbriga by the Romans, is set on a cliff by the sea. A long-inhabited area, with remains dating to 12,000 BC., a Templar castle stood here. The Parish Church of Santa Maria de la Asuncion is a very famous sight. One of the Norte’s finest Gothic churches, its exterior is spectacular, with buttresses flying in all directions. Strange iconography on the main entrance’s frieze harkens back to Templar time, with rabbits kissing oxen, dragons eating serpents eating birds, and so on.