Perfect walking weather, we were full of energy and soon enough we passed a borne that told us we had about 6 kms to go, which seemed about right. About half an hour later, another borne that noted we had 7.8 kms to go. What the ... ? As The French said, it was like walking through the fourth dimension. Not that it mattered. We had already pretty much decided we wouldn't go to the 12 noon pilgrims mass again - leave the space for someone else - so we were not pressed for time.
We arrived in Santiago soon after 11 - under beautiful blue skies. We went to our hotel - just around the corner from the cathedral, the same hotel Jill and Martin and I stayed in around this time in 2013 when Jill and I walked the Camino Frances. Domi and I have the same room I had then, with a view of one of the cathedral spires. That's a bit special!
We had a relaxing afternoon and evening wandering around this city that is very familiar to us now - it's the fourth time I've walked in to Santiago and Domi's third. As we watched the peregrinos gathering and wandering through the square in front of the cathedral I thought of those earlier times - after the Camino Frances on my own in 2011 and with Jill in 2013 (when Martin greeted us with posters and balloons!!), with Domi and Guy and Martine after we walked the Primitivo in 2014, and then today. I thought of others I know who've shared that experience including Sheryl and Glenn and Domi's good friend Raymond, our friend Helen, my brother Michael late last year and my sister Pam and brother in law Peter just the other day. I offered to take a few photos today for people I saw walking in alone or in twos - and each time they accepted with big smiles. And then they handed me their phones. It was almost impossible to see what I was looking at in the glaring sunlight. Hope they turned out. Doesn't anyone use a camera anymore?
As we've walked these last few days on the Portuguese Way, Domi and I have talked about our impressions. The Portuguese was never on our wish list of Caminos - it was something of an afterthought when mapping out what we might do after Rota Vicentina and visiting Lisbon and Porto. I had read mixed reports of the Portuguese Way - it seems to polarise those who have walked it. First time pilgrims - including those we met along the way - seem to enjoy it more than those who have walked other paths before. And it is difficult not to compare.
It's a short walk from Porto to Santiago so the end is in sight within days of beginning. It's not a challenging path, except for the amount of road walking. It's beautiful in some parts, but not at all in others. And it was unlike the Camino Mozarabe and Rota Vicentina trails, which we had just come from, where we walked through entirely different landscapes but found each magical in its own way. For all of that we're happy to have walked the Portuguese Way and to have chosen the coastal path as far as we could.
As we sat in the Santiago sun late this afternoon looking back at all that we'd experienced and enjoyed since we flew from Paris to Seville five weeks ago, Domi reminded me that it was not necessary to compare. Every day and every experience cannot be at the same level - the important thing is to accept and appreciate the unique nature of each. Wise words, French!
Tomorrow morning we fly to Paris for our next adventure. I expect I'll start Part 2 of my blog diary tomorrow or the next day. If you'd like to follow, just scroll to the bottom of this page for the link. It's the first one under Jenny's other blogs.
Hasta luego. A bientot. See you soon.
J x
We had a relaxing afternoon and evening wandering around this city that is very familiar to us now - it's the fourth time I've walked in to Santiago and Domi's third. As we watched the peregrinos gathering and wandering through the square in front of the cathedral I thought of those earlier times - after the Camino Frances on my own in 2011 and with Jill in 2013 (when Martin greeted us with posters and balloons!!), with Domi and Guy and Martine after we walked the Primitivo in 2014, and then today. I thought of others I know who've shared that experience including Sheryl and Glenn and Domi's good friend Raymond, our friend Helen, my brother Michael late last year and my sister Pam and brother in law Peter just the other day. I offered to take a few photos today for people I saw walking in alone or in twos - and each time they accepted with big smiles. And then they handed me their phones. It was almost impossible to see what I was looking at in the glaring sunlight. Hope they turned out. Doesn't anyone use a camera anymore?
As we've walked these last few days on the Portuguese Way, Domi and I have talked about our impressions. The Portuguese was never on our wish list of Caminos - it was something of an afterthought when mapping out what we might do after Rota Vicentina and visiting Lisbon and Porto. I had read mixed reports of the Portuguese Way - it seems to polarise those who have walked it. First time pilgrims - including those we met along the way - seem to enjoy it more than those who have walked other paths before. And it is difficult not to compare.
It's a short walk from Porto to Santiago so the end is in sight within days of beginning. It's not a challenging path, except for the amount of road walking. It's beautiful in some parts, but not at all in others. And it was unlike the Camino Mozarabe and Rota Vicentina trails, which we had just come from, where we walked through entirely different landscapes but found each magical in its own way. For all of that we're happy to have walked the Portuguese Way and to have chosen the coastal path as far as we could.
As we sat in the Santiago sun late this afternoon looking back at all that we'd experienced and enjoyed since we flew from Paris to Seville five weeks ago, Domi reminded me that it was not necessary to compare. Every day and every experience cannot be at the same level - the important thing is to accept and appreciate the unique nature of each. Wise words, French!
Tomorrow morning we fly to Paris for our next adventure. I expect I'll start Part 2 of my blog diary tomorrow or the next day. If you'd like to follow, just scroll to the bottom of this page for the link. It's the first one under Jenny's other blogs.
Hasta luego. A bientot. See you soon.
J x
