The Travellers Return

We are safely home from our travels. A wonderful time with lovely walking weather. We travelled, as planned, by FEVE from Santander to Ferrol via Oviedo and Ribadeo taking 4 days to reach Ferrol. It then took 9 days to walk from Ferrol to Santiago. Unforgettable experience!!!!!!
Then we took a bus to Lugo and onto Ribadeo to catch the FEVE back again by stages to Santander. With sightseeing in Santiago and onwards that all took another 10 days.
The return crossing was very rough and we are finding England rather cold. The temperature in Santander was 32C and we have had over 20C much of the time with lows of around 15C. (Oviedo was only 9C one evening.)
We have many thoughts and photos. These are now all posted and can be found under the headings for May

The final day - Santander

Our final day was spent in Santander as the ferry sailed at 9.00pm
Time for a walk along the Sardineros beach and for a paddle (Valerie). Then we collected our rucksacks from the hotel and went into town for supper before going to the ferry. This was the hottest and most humid afternoon we had, still 32C at 6.00pm.
There were kites flying over the plaza and a storm building over the mountains. The ferry sailed on time and straight into fairly rough seas

View along the Sardineros beach

Pilgrim paddling

A black kite flying over the plaza near the ferry-port

Last view of the mountains from the ferry

Llanes

After walking along the cliffs we went back into the old town. The tiled house is just by the Hotel Gran Paraiso where we were staying again this year. The old palace is having work to stabilise it as much had already fallen down. There is a lovely Romanesque church and a number of interesting old houses nearby. Some of the houses are being restored, including the one with a detached kitchen, joined by an archway passage, to isolate any fire risk.
After just one night here it was time for the FEVE again to Santander

A Casa Indianos and the old palace

The Romanesque church

House with separate kitchen joined by the archway

Restoration work on the house, the interior view is through the left hand doorway.

Ribadeo to Llanes

From Ribadeo we travelled by the FEVE to Oviedo again and then on to Llanes. The Oviedo-Llanes train had a problem and limped its way along. Inspected at El Barrón it went on to the next station where a relief train was waiting for us. So after a change of train we made up some time arriving in Llanes in time for some lunch.

We went for a walk along the cliffs, so different from last year when it was very stormy. Instead it was warm and sunny with lizards running along the stones

View from the cliff top across town towards the mountains

The cliffs in the distance are where the 'bufones' were seen last year

A lizard sunning itself

A Five-spot Burnet

Lugo to Ribadeo

The Arriva bus to Ribadeo left Lugo at the time given at the bus station, 10 minutes earlier than the time given at the information office. It was a good journey with lovely views, but it is difficult to take good photos from the bus.
In Ribadeo we went to the Cafe/restaurante/hotel Ros Mary on Calle San Fransisco. We were there on our way through to Ferrol and their Platos Combinados was very good. We also returned to the Cafe Garden for a room for the night, having booked ahead by phone this time. The usual 'wash clothes and siesta' before shopping for tea and for the Sunday travel on the FEVE. Then a good look around town especially the old part.

On the Sunday morning the Trans Cantabrica was in the station. This travels overnight and stays in various towns en route each day for the passengers to go sightseeing.

The Gaudi style architecture in Ribadeo and the chapel of the Convent church of Sta Maria do Campo.

The TransCantabrica train in the station at Ribadeo.

The inside of the Pullman dining coach

Lugo 2

We had planned to go to the Provincial Museum but it was closed for the day. Instead we found the museum 'House of the Mosaics' with its mosaic pavements and hypocaust. These are in situ at the house of Oceanus beneath Rúa Dr Castro 22 and were discovered during excavations in 1999.
Lugo - House of Mosaics

We checked our bus time to Ribadeo at the bus station. It leaves 10 minutes earlier than we had previously been told. A further walk around the town and we found an internet cafe.

Lugo

Thursday 19th

We walked down to the Roman Baths under the Hotel Balneario y Termas de Lugo. This is near the bridge, built on Roman foundations, and Camino out of town. (A good coffee stop for those walking the Camino.) The overpowering sulphur smell of the baths will be remembered for a long time. The Roman baths themselves are fascinating.
There were frogs, dozens of them, among the weeds at the river side, but almost impossible to photograph. Then it was time to walk back up the hill again, another steep one!

In the afternoon we walked the 2kms right round the walls of Lugo.

This Casa Indianos near the hotel has not yet been repaired, many are very dilapidated while others have already been restored

The old wall at the rear of the Cathedral has re-used older stones, some of which are carved and some may even be Roman

The road and the Camino cross the bridge, which is built on Roman foundations with mediaeval piers

The Roman baths under the modern spa hotel

The yellow and green frogs can be seen if you look very carefully at the full size image

The footpath at the top of the Roman walls of Lugo, near the one remaining section of tower

Santiago to Lugo

Wednesday 18th

The Empresa Freire bus runs between Santiago and Lugo. We walked up to the bus station and caught the 11.00am 'direct' bus to Lugo. The other leaves at the same time but wanders around the villages en route.
We had used the internet in Santiago to book into the Hotel Metropol in Lugo for 3 nights. We stayed here on the way home from Terry's Camino in 2009. To our delight we were upgraded from a double room to a double with a separate kitchen and dining area - effectively a small apartment, still for the same price. Lovely to be able to store food in the fridge and have a table to eat at. Plates and cutlery provided and also some pots and pans to use on the 2 ring hob, which we didn't use. Plenty of hot water too for showers and washing our clothes, which hung in the shower to dry.

In the afternoon we visited the 'Walls' Museum and the Cathedral before going to the Café del Centro for a steak and salad.

The Roman Eagle, sign of Lugo's Roman past

The kitchen in our rooms at the Hotel Metropol

The north door of the Cathedral in Lugo, with the carving of Christ as Ruler of the Universe

The interior of the Cathedral showing the apse and the altar with its silver reredos and giant monstrance

Santiago de Compostela

Tuesday 17th

After some sightseeing we returned to the Cathedral to hear ourselves 'read out' as having walked the Camino Inglés. Ourselves and 2 pilgrims from Italy. Several pilgrims from other countries and on other routes, but no others at all from England.

Outside again we found that the celebrations for the Dia de Galicia were taking place, including bagpipes and dancing in local costume.
More sightseeing in the afternoon, including the Cathedral museum and up onto the balony overlooking the square. We had a coffee in the Reyes Catolicos. We have to say that the service is better in the Dakar, who also have a delicious Tarta de Santiago. This evening, while having supper in the Dakar, we actually had a short thunderstorm - the last rain of our Camino and it has all been when we were inside.
We are in the internet cafe again to post this and to book a hotel in Lugo for tomorrow.

So our time on the Camino, for this year, is over. We return home via Lugo, Ribadeo, Oviedo, Llanes and Santander

Los Reyes Catolicos from the Cathedral balcony

Giant shell carving in the Cathedral wall

A statue of San Roque and a Mapa Mundi, both are in the Pilgrims' Museum

Gallego pipes and dancers in the square

Our hostal was at the far end of this old street, Rúa da Algalia de Abaixo.

Monday 16th

We had time to look around Santiago for a while before the Pilgrims´Mass at mid-day. Pilgrims continued to arrive and to walk up the steps, behind the statue of St James, to give him the traditional hug.
The Pilgrims' Mass itself was wonderful. We sat in the nave under the organ and the congregation around us really joined in with the responses. They were taught to us, by the nun who is the cantor, before the service started.

After the service it was time for lunch and siesta, needed as the weather is now quite hot. Then we had time for sightseeing and found an internet cafe. There are very few of these so much will now have to wait until we are actually at home and can fill in the gaps.

Waiting for the service to begin.

There is a pilgrim behind the statue of St James

The organ pipes are horizontal

Sigueiro to Santiago

Sunday 15th

We did it!! in 9 days from Ferrol. Probably a record for the slowest time. The weather has been very kind to us with great walking conditions.

It was sunny with a cool wind for our last day. We had coffee in the cafe/bar near the hostal but they had no croissants, so we set off to the nearby church to eat ours washed down with some Coca Cola. There was no-one around to ask for a sello until a visitor to the church came past and kindly signed our credenciales.
Then it was time to set off again along a mix of road and track, sun, shade and a cool wind all of which made walking pleasant. We were very glad of the food and water we had with us as, being Sunday, the cafés on the outskirts of Santiago were closed. It was warming up too when we stopped in a shady area near some houses and ate the can of peaches. Then the final walk into Santiago arriving at the Cathedral at 13.30. After visiting St James and the shrine we went on to the Pilgrims' Office and received our Compostelas - very moving.
Lunch and then to the Hostal Linares, a good very quiet hostal/pension, which Terry had booked on Saturday night. (A total of 20kms from hostal to hostal) After a siesta we went out sightseeing and found the Café Dakar. The best food in town!!

So it has taken 9 days to walk Ferrol to Santiago, and about 900 photos. We need time to sort them out and all the memories they bring.

Shadows in the morning sun

The Red-rumped Swallow makes a tunnel into its nest. This one was below the motorway bridge

Another hill to climb? Yes eventually

A Galician hórreo (granary)

More sheep, wandering up the hill, with their shepherd

Over the hill top and there was a Scarce Swallowtail feeding on Asphodel

Our first real view of the cathedral. The main tower is shrouded in scaffolding and net

The final stretch downhill on the cobbled road through the old town

The Cathedral from the Plaza del Obradoiro

The nave was almost empty when we arrived

Calle de Poulo to Sigueiro

Saturday 14th

A final good bye to the wonderful folk at the Mesón Novo and back to the Bar Cruceiro to continue walking. The bar was shut (9am) but we had our sellos yesterday and we had breakfast and coffee before we set out.
It was quite cold at first and stayed very cool and cloudy. Nice for walking though. Trees and tracks, with one long straight stretch through the trees which actually felt very hard on the feet.
We had our 'lunch' in a bus stop with a convenient seat, ham and tomato bought from Meson do Vento, along with oranges, croissants etc at various stages as needed.
We reached Sigueiro in time for lunch (Spanish time) at Hostal Miras. (11kms from the 'Cruceiro') A very good menu del dia - Vegetable soup and braised veal. Our room looked out onto the road junction and after the quiet of other nights the traffic was a bit noisy.
After a siesta we walked around the town and to the old bridge over the river. There were a few other pilgrims to talk to, most were pushing on to reach Santiago that evening. Anticipating that places are closed on Sundays we visited the supermarket to stock up on food for the road - croissants, coca cola, oranges, apples - and for tea - bread and cheese and a can of peaches. We didn't eat the peaches so they joined the food for the road.

There are many wild flowers along the Way, including Purple Bugloss and Wallflower Cabbage .

The sheep were being driven across the road. We wondered if they were taken into the shed behind the house for milking.

This long straight stretch of track was through eucalyptus plantations. We found it quite hard on the feet

A waymark on the way into Sigueiro

The bridge at Sigueiro is on Roman foundations, with mediaeval arches and a modern top

At the end of the bridge the waymarks lead left out of the town