Ok ya´ll, I have a date with a young man from Florida in about 45 minutes...and the computer has only about 25 minutes left, at the moment...so...ya gets what ya gets!!
Where to begin...ok, maybe back in Santa Irene would be great idea? Made that tiny village late on Saturday, along with my beautiful friends from Sweden. Ingmarie and Evelille (spelling?) started in Sarria, the last major outpost for those "only" doing the last 100km. As much as I tried or wanted to look down my weary and old pilgrim nose at this, their joy and delight at being on the road together was infectious! We enjoyed walking sorta together and then meeting up to find an alburgue or hostel.
In Santa Irene, we tried really hard to find the private alburgue, and failed. Too tired, as we´d just completed a bit over 30km for the day. So we stayed in the public one we´d stumbled too, and were rewarded with a room to ourselves. Joy of Joys! NO Supermercado or anything else, so back up the hill and into one of three restaurants there. We´ll St. James was looking out for us as it was one of the best meals I´ve had. The girls ate ensalad mixta, I had a lovely veg soup. We all agreed to fish, so it came family style. And oh what style! No Pomme Frites for us.... Real chunks of potatoes, with olive oil, and three kinds of grilled fish! Salmon, Hake and Calimari! Evelile finally tried calimari and declared it good. For Postres, we had fruit macerated in orange juice. Peaches and plums etc. Absolute perfection..all at the staggering price of 9€.
The girls had also given me another gift, for helping them along the way (that´s a laugh with my un poco Espanol!) But it was one of the most precious gifts, especially to a woman living out of a bag for more than a month. It was a tiny bottle of conditioner. I can comb my hair properly using the small brush that Emmanuel from Stuttgart gave me (lightening his pack and making me feel like a girl again!)
So..anyhow...At five in the morning, with my miners lamp firmly on my head, I left, hell bent on making my way into Santiago in time for the noon pilgrims mass. It was dark. Really dark. However the sky was clear, the moon was out and I simply had to take my time. So, happily I can report I made it thru the forest without a faceplant and any other untoward happenings. Didn´t even scream in the one town where the motion detector sign that talks to you began to greet me in the dark!! Very proud of myself for that one!
Now my family will find this hard to believe, but I walked nearly 12km before I had a cuppa coffee (con Leche of course!) But I did it and have to pinch myself from the shock of it. After this one lonely cup, I pushed on, and to all of Santiago, Mea Culpa! That had to have been one grim faced perigrina that passed you all on a Sunday morning.
Make it in time for Mass? You bet I did! Found me a padded seat on a confessional, huddled my now cramping legs and bawled (family, are you surprised?) It was a lovely mass, especially when I looked up and Pepy from Italy was standing over me smiling and telling me he and Enzo had spotted me!
So after Mass, they steered me to a place another friend from the Camino Forum had recommended (thank you Ian!). I knew it existed but by this point was too tired to even figure out how to find it. Turns out they were all staying there! So Enzo, my lovely heart transplant friend, literally took me by the pack and gently shoved me over there. Pepy and he shortened and stashed my poles. They made sure I got the Alburgue floor which is only 23€ including a fantastic breakfast buffet. So now I too can heartily and joyfully recommend the Semenario Menor (?). Beautiful, clean, friendly, and.....a room all my own, with a bath of my VERY OWN!! I can stay neeked for more than thirty seconds! I have white sheets...and a fluffy towel!!
Ok...time for my date with Hunter, touring the Cathedral roof and such!
Tomorrow...Finisterre per Autobus!! Midsummer on the beach...looking at home and thinking of all of you, at home and all of you elswhere...I love you all very much!!
Where to begin...ok, maybe back in Santa Irene would be great idea? Made that tiny village late on Saturday, along with my beautiful friends from Sweden. Ingmarie and Evelille (spelling?) started in Sarria, the last major outpost for those "only" doing the last 100km. As much as I tried or wanted to look down my weary and old pilgrim nose at this, their joy and delight at being on the road together was infectious! We enjoyed walking sorta together and then meeting up to find an alburgue or hostel.
In Santa Irene, we tried really hard to find the private alburgue, and failed. Too tired, as we´d just completed a bit over 30km for the day. So we stayed in the public one we´d stumbled too, and were rewarded with a room to ourselves. Joy of Joys! NO Supermercado or anything else, so back up the hill and into one of three restaurants there. We´ll St. James was looking out for us as it was one of the best meals I´ve had. The girls ate ensalad mixta, I had a lovely veg soup. We all agreed to fish, so it came family style. And oh what style! No Pomme Frites for us.... Real chunks of potatoes, with olive oil, and three kinds of grilled fish! Salmon, Hake and Calimari! Evelile finally tried calimari and declared it good. For Postres, we had fruit macerated in orange juice. Peaches and plums etc. Absolute perfection..all at the staggering price of 9€.
The girls had also given me another gift, for helping them along the way (that´s a laugh with my un poco Espanol!) But it was one of the most precious gifts, especially to a woman living out of a bag for more than a month. It was a tiny bottle of conditioner. I can comb my hair properly using the small brush that Emmanuel from Stuttgart gave me (lightening his pack and making me feel like a girl again!)
So..anyhow...At five in the morning, with my miners lamp firmly on my head, I left, hell bent on making my way into Santiago in time for the noon pilgrims mass. It was dark. Really dark. However the sky was clear, the moon was out and I simply had to take my time. So, happily I can report I made it thru the forest without a faceplant and any other untoward happenings. Didn´t even scream in the one town where the motion detector sign that talks to you began to greet me in the dark!! Very proud of myself for that one!
Now my family will find this hard to believe, but I walked nearly 12km before I had a cuppa coffee (con Leche of course!) But I did it and have to pinch myself from the shock of it. After this one lonely cup, I pushed on, and to all of Santiago, Mea Culpa! That had to have been one grim faced perigrina that passed you all on a Sunday morning.
Make it in time for Mass? You bet I did! Found me a padded seat on a confessional, huddled my now cramping legs and bawled (family, are you surprised?) It was a lovely mass, especially when I looked up and Pepy from Italy was standing over me smiling and telling me he and Enzo had spotted me!
So after Mass, they steered me to a place another friend from the Camino Forum had recommended (thank you Ian!). I knew it existed but by this point was too tired to even figure out how to find it. Turns out they were all staying there! So Enzo, my lovely heart transplant friend, literally took me by the pack and gently shoved me over there. Pepy and he shortened and stashed my poles. They made sure I got the Alburgue floor which is only 23€ including a fantastic breakfast buffet. So now I too can heartily and joyfully recommend the Semenario Menor (?). Beautiful, clean, friendly, and.....a room all my own, with a bath of my VERY OWN!! I can stay neeked for more than thirty seconds! I have white sheets...and a fluffy towel!!
Ok...time for my date with Hunter, touring the Cathedral roof and such!
Tomorrow...Finisterre per Autobus!! Midsummer on the beach...looking at home and thinking of all of you, at home and all of you elswhere...I love you all very much!!
Congratulations Karin-engjoy Fisterra and maybe some lobster and a big glass of chilled green gold albarino to wash it down? If you can catch the sunset today the 21st, midsummers evening, the longest day of the year you will be carrying on an ancient tradition- say a prayer-to Jesus Christ, Sol Invictus or even older deities-for all of us past and future pilgrims :)
ReplyDeleteCongtrats a million times over. You did it! Did anyone ever say you couldn't (dare they even jest?) Are you flying back from Santiago or doing a reverse Camino back to France? Get your butt home so we can get some use out of those kayaks before you go and do something else that will take up most of your time...
ReplyDeleteHooray! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteKarin- congratulations- wonderful news to read!!! Glad you got to meet up with some fellow pilgrims at the Pilgrim Mass. I did the same and still have such happy memories of that. Yeeehahhahha. Don't lose your Compostela on the way home!
ReplyDeleteKarin,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!! You made it!!!
Karin, Congratulations! And thank you for great blog, I have enjoyed while reading it. Best wishes from Finland.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Karin - I've been enjoying following your Camino. Say a prayer for me,
ReplyDeleteAndy
Andy ... Happy to oblige...means I´ve gotta go back into the church!! My last twelve or so hours here in Santiago. So one more Pilgrims Mass, a little more Pulpo, Caldo Galego and I´m off! Looking forward to reading your fall blog! Wishing you and your daughter a great time, Karin
ReplyDeleteHey Karin,
ReplyDeleteGeneviève here. Congratulations! I have been back for 2 days now and have not really landed. Did you have a date with Hunter? ARe your feet better? (The last time I saw you in Cacabelos your blisters were giving you trouble. Take care and talk to you later
Genevieve, is it a date when your meeting to go look at a museum? and I could be his mother...and then some!! He is one very special young man. I hope he gets his wish and dream of an alburgue or other pilgrim resting place. Would love to help him with that.
ReplyDeletejust reading this and laughing too at your experience with the 'stupid' sign for the albergue. I've only been home 3 days now Karin and feeling a bit sad. I miss it and keep dreaming that I'm walking and wake up not knowing where i am. Weird that it's so darn hard and so wonderful at the same time.
ReplyDeleteCatherine