Day 5 on the Portuguese Way to Santiago: No (or Low) Judgments

Caldas de Reis to Padron

June 1, 2017

For those with whom I work

Today we reluctantly left the exceptional Torre do Rio to make our way to Padron. 

This day was considered “Easy/Medium;” except for a few slight uphill treks, the walk was mostly straightforward. The weather was initially foggy and cool before turning partly sunny and humid. Despite the warmth and humidity, we were treated to some special scenes as we walked through several small hamlets, seeing children in school, homeowners tending their abundant gardens, and neighborhood churches and cemeteries. 

The local school where the teacher is reading to the children

...and where the school children greet pilgrims in many languages 

Santiago

Local cemetery

At a rest stop, we met an Austrian woman who was walking alone to her destination of Finisterre. She explained how this was her second attempt having walked from Porto last year before her body gave up at some point before completing her journey. Not making it to Santiago by way of my own two feet was my greatest worry and as much as I tried to tell myself that “whatever the journey is, it’s my Camino,” I know I would have been disappointed in myself if I could not make it. I wholeheartedly believe that each person’s Camino, each person’s path is valid; I do believe this…for everyone else. But for me, well…we are sometimes harsh with ourselves, aren’t we?

Today we stopped once for a very brief time and then only to get our credentials stamped or to go to the bathroom. We saw very few pilgrims again today and for long stretches, we were the only ones in sight. I appreciated the long stretches of quiet interspersed with the occasional connection with fellow pilgrims. The walk was mostly meditative and before too long, we were approaching the tree-lined center of Padron.

We visited the Church of St. James built on the site where it’s believed that the boat carrying Santiago’s body docked. The entire small church is filled with sacred art depicting Santiago’s life and I had a potent sense that I was getting closer to Santiago.  

We walked a bit out of town to our hotel, Pazo de Lestrove, which Lynne described as “spartan.” She said it felt like a 1950s convent which makes sense since it was a former leisure spot for the bishops of Santiago de Compostela. It did have a lovely and comfortable outdoor area – a great place for my late afternoon nap. After a very decent menu del dia at the hotel restaurant, we prepared for the next day – our walk to Santiago.

Notice Santiago on top of the fountain reminding us to keep walking

Length of Walk

Estimated: 13 miles

Actual: Just about 13 miles!

Blister Report                   

Janine – some healing blisters; some new ones emerging – always a curious experience to take off the shoes and socks and loads of tape and find some budding blisters in unexpected places

Lynne – still nothing

Lodging

Pazo de Lestrove – simple yet adequate rooms; comfortable outdoor spaces; onsite restaurant

Day 4 on the Portuguese Way to Santiago: For Chris

Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis

May 31, 2017

In memory of Chris

This morning at breakfast Lynne and I simultaneously mentioned Chris, reminded that we are walking the Camino during the time of the anniversary of her death. We started out well leaving The Parador in Pontevedra, crossing over the beautiful bridge as we walked out of town.  From there the Camino continues through the Albariño vineyards and farms and is, by all accounts, a very scenic and enjoyable stage of the Camino.  

We stopped at a little café about four miles from Pontevedra where I had the obligatory café au lait and where we met a wonderful old man from the area who was selling his handmade jewelry. He was friendly and sweet and I was happy to buy a camino necklace from him.

Maybe I got it in my head that Day 4 was expected to be mentally difficult – or maybe the combination of blisters, incredibly sore and tender calves and a newly acquired shin splint (OUCH!), made this day the most difficult for me thus far. I guess it was providential that we found this sign on the Way:  

It was not a difficult 15-mile walk in terms of elevation but it was a tough and painful day for me.

I was so grateful for the energizing healing herbs of fennel and mint that grow wild in this part of Galicia and for Chris’s intercession on our behalf as we walked into Caldas de Reis.

Caldas de Reis

Arriving at Torre do Rios, we were greeted by a magnificent place of beauty and hospitality. 

The inn is owned by a woman who has personally decorated it and she has tended to every detail. The bedrooms and public spaces are all beautifully appointed and the grounds are picturesque with a river running through the property and flowing into a swimming pool that was delightfully cold and refreshing for our weary legs and feet! 

Chris would have loved this day, this walk and the breathtakingly beautiful lodging at Torre do Rio.

Length of Walk

Estimated: 13.7 miles

Actual: 15 miles

Blister Report                   

Janine – Thankfully, some blisters are beginning to callous, and I’ve acquired a couple of new ones           

Lynne – 0 – the little baby blister turned out not to be a blister at all 😊

Lodging

Torre do Rio – Fantastic; beautiful grounds with a river running through the property flowing into the swimming pool. Perfect treatment for tired legs and feet. Beautifully appointed bedrooms and public spaces. Gracious hospitality. Menu del Dia was fine; breakfast was abundant. Didn’t want to leave!

Day 3 on the Portuguese Way to Santiago: Trust Your Instincts

Redondela to Pontevedra

May 30, 2017

For Sheldon

Resting my feet before the day's walk

Today I needed to figure out how I was going to take care of my feet and walk another bunch of miles. After debating with myself for a while – do I try different shoes? Different socks? A different method of keeping the feet dry? – I made the very tentative decision to try my inexpensive sneakers instead of my high-end walking shoes. On a whim, I also decided to try Vaseline rather than the more expensive Sportslick, and some socks I bought online at the last moment before leaving the U.S.  Finally, I wrapped my blisters and other parts of my feet with tape.

Tons of reading about the right or best ways to avoid and/or treat blisters didn’t confidently support my decision to wear sneakers or to wear the wool-less socks I wore today. And yet, today I trusted my instincts – or was, at least, desperate to try something different!

With my $25 sneakers, $1 Vaseline and $5 socks, I moved through the day at a fairly good clip. Lynne noticed that I has established a consistent rhythm; what she didn’t know was that, at times, I was feeling competitive with some of the other pilgrims on the Way, particularly two Italian women who, along with most other Europeans, seemed to take the two steep climbs with much greater ease than I did.

Walking on the highway: An act of faith

Despite the blisters and our first serious interaction with the N-550, I was feeling okay during this third day, likely helped along by listening to a book I downloaded, which I found to be both distracting and focusing at the same time. This was the day that Lynne really began to feel the pain in her legs and moved quickly yet a bit more gingerly especially on the uneven terrain. My legs, on the other hand, were feeling fine and I was delighted!  

Overall, this was a pleasant day of walking with a stop at the café after the bridge in Arcade, a place where a battle for Spain’s independence from France took place in 1809.

At this point, the Way is well-marked and very little mental energy is required to figure out which way to go. Walking becomes a meditation as we simply follow the yellow arrows and the occasional scallop-shell way-marker, that is, until we get to the city. The towns are not as well marked. I noticed the distinct difference between the physically challenging yet meditative rhythm of the day’s walk through the small hamlets and forests followed by the mental challenge (wake up!) of figuring out where we were to go once we came upon the city!    

Wall of Shells

A house in one of the hamlets

On the wall of a home in one of the hamlets

Grape vineyards and...

lemon trees...Everywhere!

Where everyone stops to get a stamp

We arrived in Pontevedra and walked through several narrow streets and small plazas in this quaint Galician city. The city has several elements dedicated to pilgrims, including the Capela da Virxe Peregrina, a round church located in the Praza de Peregrina on the camino path. While it appears to be circular, the church’s floor plan is in the shape of a scallop shell.

After checking into the hotel, the routine is the same each day: Feet and legs up to get the blood flowing the opposite direction, followed by blessedly wonderful showers, followed by the sometimes-painful muscle rolling, and in my case, the patient draining and cleaning of blisters.

After a superb and simple seafood dinner at the local restaurant, Casa Fidel O'Pulpeiro, we walked (yes, we did!) around the city and visited the outside of the 16th century Basilica de Santa Maria la Mayor. Back at the Parador de Pontevedra, we had dessert on the terrace before retiring for the night. 

I've been warned that in general, Day 4 is one of the hardest; I'll keep you posted about that!

  

Length of Walk

Estimated: 13.5 miles

Actual: 15.5 miles

Blister Report                   

Janine – Stopped counting.                         

Lynne – one tiny little baby blister that probably doesn’t qualify since it doesn’t hurt.

Lodging

Parador de Pontevedra: Great location in center of Pontevedra with garden terrace restaurant. Can’t remember the room.