Fresco Camino Day 4

Today we finally reached the 100 km marker! To get the certificate of completion for the Camino pilgrims have to prove they journeyed the last 100 km to get to Santiago. Is that why people do it— to get the certificate? If not that, then why? What’s so special about Santiago?  Unlike Jerusalem, the founding place of Christianity, or Rome, the founding place of the Catholic Church, Santiago is not a major founding place of any institution. Saint James may be buried in the tomb at Santiago, but there is a good chance he is not. So, why have tens of millions made this Camino since the Church declared it a holy site? Over half a million in 2025 and this year will top that! Many make it more than once in a lifetime. It seems to me that the Camino is not so much the relics that lie in Santiago de Compostela. But if it’s not about the destination at the end, why are so many people willing to endure such hardships to get there?  It is a long arduous journey on foot, literally along a winding rocky path walked for centuries by pilgrims seeking something that cannot be easily explained in words. When you ask a pilgrim why are he or she is making the Camino, the answer is never, I want to see for myself the relics of St James. The answer is unique for each person and becomes more interesting each day of the journey. I pondered that today as I walked 21,346 steps, climbed 25 flights, descended 66 flights, journeying 2.3 miles down from Ferreiros to O Descanso, and down another 2.2 miles to Portomarin. From there I rode up the 2 mile 720 ft incline and got out at the Hórreo (corn crib) at the 86 km mark and walked the rest of the way to Gonzar, 9.2 miles total for the day. We feasted on a delicious home made picnic in the shade, and took a long siesta before our planning meeting and dinner in town. We're staying two nights in the Vistalege Hotel and Spa in Portomarin. I discovered two potential blisters on my toes and put moleskin on them. I have nineteen stamps in my Camino passport and will get one more tonight.

 

Fresco Camino Day 3

We started our walk at 8:00 instead of 9:00, hoping to beat the heat of the day, but we were outpaced by the sun. Through the streets of Sarria and up 50 steps to a patio, Ana gave us an oral history of the various peoples who conquered the Iberian peninsula from the time before the Christian era when tribal indigenous Celt-like people lived in Galicia to the present day with its more or less politically autonomous regions. From Sarria with an elevation of about 430 meters above sea level to Mercado with an elevation of nearly 600 meters we walked 6.35 km, mostly uphill in the cooler part of the day through rolling countryside, classic Galician farm lanes, stone paths, meadows and small hamlets. I prayed along the way for my family, friends and sisters, for our Laudato Si’ commitments for Care for Creation, for the people and land of Galicia, and for my own discernment of what God is calling me to in the next phase of life. The final rise of 100 meters through Peruscallo and Morgade to Ferreriros was very difficult because of the high humidity and temperatures nearing 100 degrees. My 20 year-old Keen hiking boots are working well, and thanks to the walking sticks my feet, knees and hips are pain free. The challenge has been the long inclines in the sun that increase my heart rate and make it difficult to breathe. I had to stop and rest several times because my heart rate spiked and I felt faint. I rested and drank water, and prayed, then continued on. I arriving at our picnic after nearly six hours on the Camino. I set a personal record of 25,065 steps, 9.3 miles in one day. We had three hours siesta and rode into Samos to visit the Benedictine Monastery, attend Mass and have a fabulous Galician dinner in town.

Fresco Camino Day 2

We received a stamp for our Camino passport at our hotel, then loaded our baggage into the van and headed to our starting point for the day at Rabanal del Camino, at the 243.8 km marker. We walked to Foncebón at 238.5, made a rest stop and had our passports stamped again and went on to have lunch at the Cruz de Ferro at 236 km where pilgrims for centuries have left tokens of the burdens they want to leave behind. I added a black obsidian stone that is supposed to absorb toxic patterns, clear emotional language and help people confront inner truths. I am facing the reality of my aging body and living within my limits while trying to be of some help to others. Our guide Ana provided us a delicious picnic lunch. Along the way we passed through many small villages and rural scenes with ancient chapels and hermitages and humble albergues. We rode through Molinaseca and Ponferrada to our accommodation for the night, Hotel Alfonso IX in Sarria. Cesar taught us about the local flora and fauna, and Ana taught us about the history of the Camino. We received two stamps along the way at the tavern in Monte Irago and the Godivah albergue in Ponferrada. The day was very hot, in the high 90’s, and the elevation was nearly 1500 meters, (4,900 feet), the highest on the Camino Francés. The terrain was rocky and quite steep in places. I had an abnormal heart rate alert during the first segment of the climb and decided to ride in the van to the next segment skipping the steepest part of the climb. My hips and knees are not causing any trouble, but I am finding it hard to breathe in the thin air. We all made it to the end without injury but pre-existing conditions are making the journey a challenge for several in our group. From the Iron Cross we travelled on to O Cabreiro, the village with round Celtic style thatch roofed houses and a church where the miracle of the bread and wine occurred. Near the hamlet where the thatch roof cottages, a bagpiper played a highland tune to welcome us. We traveled for an hour or two through the Galician mountains to where we will stay for two nights. Our group gathered to hear the for plan the next day’s trek, and enjoyed another delicious meal and convivencia. Interesting fact: King Alfonso IX lived in Sarria, and died on the the Camino of a gastrointestinal illness at the age of 59. Aging gracefully means changing our dietary habits to suit our bodies needs. The king reminds us of that. I skipped the heavy entree and had two vegan appetizers instead. At the end of the day we walked 6.9 miles, climbed 98 flights and descended 19. All of us are hoping more than anything for a good nights sleep.