April 10, 2018

SFO. Air France flight to Paris

We are on board for Paris waiting permission to take off. This airbus will be our home for the next ten hours so here’s to a comfortable flight. Norm and I each have two small bags, a rolling bag sized small for European standards and a daypack. I’m densely packed with the genealogy information so far collected by my family in the last 150 years. My great grandparents were from Croatia, Giovanni Cambio from the Castilla region of Dálmata and his wife Catterina Barbare Cambio from Orebic.

We are returning to the homeland with the ease of flight, a journey taken by our ancestors by ship in 1886. Catterina sailed with two children, my grandmother Erminia and her brother Roberto. My grandmother was 18 months at the time. Her husband, Giovanni was finally escorting his young wife to the New World.

Catterina left behind a sister, Ana Claric, married to Lujo Claric and parents, Giovanni Barbare and Maria Pekovic. Before leaving, Giovanni Cambio bailed out his father in law, who had gone bust with his venture in the shipping business. He purchased from the Barbare’s 21 parcels of land in and around Orebic. Following the land purchase they left the Dalmatian Coast to never return again.

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Santiago de Compostela, Spain

It was a full day walking in a stream of pilgrims through eucalyptus grove, up and over Mount Gozo. We took it slow but steady to savor each moment of the day. When we came up on Mount Gozo, we caught our first Glimpse of Santiago, but it was partly hidden by trees. We hiked in at the same time as Jeff, Deb and Linda. Linda was taking it slow walking in with full blown tendinitis. We got in at around 2:30 after lunch. Lunch was salad and nuts for me and Norm had a sandwich at a campground on the last mountain before we descended into the city. When we came in it was of course the usual long march through suburbs following a zig zag path until we caught sight of the Cathedral spires. We found our hotel, with our bags waiting for us right next to the cathedral. We also began to meet friends who we had hiked with this last month. It was a holiday so music was playing, and costumed dancers wandering the streets. We were greeted by a serenade with bagpipes. We took a nap before tackling the city. Once rested, we lined up for our Compestela around the corner from the Cathedral. I was nervous about this thinking perhaps I wasn’t worthy. The fellow behind us helped me calm down as we talked about our journey to Santiago. He was from Portugal, and had done this before. When we reached the window, there was no quiz. I suppose the clerks thought that anyone walking the 500 miles must be worthy, so we both left with our Compestelas rolled in a tube and big smiles on our faces. We were going to meet some friends for dinner, but on our way across the plaza we ran into Texas Dave, and he had some important news. He had heard rumor that the botafumeiro would be swung after evening mass. We tried to find our friends, but ran into Shiva and David instead at the Paradora. We made a quick decision to all attend the evening Pilgrims Mass. We scrambled to find seats in a church crowded with scruffy backpackers. The service was all in Spanish, but I was pleased I could understand a good part of it. The service is given by the resident clergy and visiting pilgrim clergy jointly. The best sermon was delivered by a pilgrim priest who described the way in terms of a journey of self discovery where heart and spirit find renewal. Naturally all the Pilgrims were blessed. At the end, they did swing that huge botafumeiro which spewed frankincense and myrrh. Everyone greeted and shook hands with everyone around and that concluded our mass. We felt warmed and doubly blessed by the miracle of arriving on a day when they performed the full mass with the botafumeiro because it doesn’t usually come out on a weekday. We went to dinner with David and Shiva to celebrate our successful pilgrimage. We enjoyed our evening so thoroughly that we didn’t get to bed until close to midnight.

O Pedrouzo, Spain

We hiked in the sunshine today from Arzua to O Pedrouzo. It was so wonderful to be warm and dry. We hiked with a crowd of happy campers all coming into the home stretch. We found some new friends and old along the way. We hiked most of the day with Kathleen from San Diego and met her friends Stan and Kiki. We ran into Jeff, Deb, and Linda almost every rest stop as Linda has tendinitis and needs to rest often. We took it slow so we could savor the day. I reflected on those who I love, both alive and passed on, and meditated on blessings for them. The highlight was seeing a big green lizard which Norm caught with a snapshot. We reached our destination by 1:30, settled in to our room for a shower and rest. Then out we went to explore this little town and to find some dinner. We are reflecting on our journey now, what worked, what didn’t, what provoked our gratitude or inspired us. And we talked about tomorrow, and how we will attend the special mass for pilgrims, and we will need to present ourselves to get our Compestela, which is our certificate that we walked as Pilgrims with God in our hearts. Tomorrow is our final day and we close this short and intense chapter in our lives.

Arzúa, Spain

Norm has made a recovery, but now I am coughing. I usually resist viruses though, so not too worried. We planned a short hike only to Arzua, and we were here by mid-day. On our way here, we ran into some familiar faces, Jeff, Deb and Linda from Australia, and Shiva and Dave from California. Everyone looked happy and brightened in the sunlight. Yes, the sun came out and the rain stopped. There’s a bit of sadness knowing this long trek is nearly finished. We stopped at a couple of places, the coffee bars. We weren’t so worn out, just wanted to dawdle a bit and enjoy the sun. As we walked, we reflected on the places we have been on the Camino, and the people we have met. If we had only started a day sooner, it would have been a very different experience. Or a day later would have had another result. We had paella for lunch in Arzua, and now we are just relaxing after we have seen all there is to see. It’s Sunday, so as usual, many shops are closed. A lot of pilgrims will rush to make the Pilgrim Mass by tomorrow in Santiago, but we don’t feel so compelled. It’s the journey after all. We talked about what our plans are after Santiago, and about what direction our lives would now take us.

Melide, Spain

I woke excited about walking on my own, taking an hour to get ready. Of course, it was still raining. I woke Norm to say goodbye, and we would meet at our hotel in Melide. He would go by taxi later with our packs. Following the Camino is pretty easy now because there are so many pilgrims here, and the trail markers are impossible to miss. I wore my rain gear, even though it was only a light rain, because it so quickly can change to heavy rain. It didn’t take me long to find Texas Dave, who I hiked with for a while, then said goodbye because he’s slow. I stopped for a simple breakfast of coffee con leche and toast. I wound up seeing Dave again at breakfast. There was a lot of mud so one has to pay attention to avoid wet feet. I always carry my sandals and dry socks just in case, but have never needed either. Weirdly, my shirt and pants can soak through, but my feet stay dry. Usually, there’s a way to traverse any soggy trail with just a bit of imagination. Sometimes someone has places stepping stones strategically. As I walked, my mind wandered too, traveling over my lifetime just as I travel this long trail. I didn’t have to worry about keeping up or slowing my pace. It was always just right for me. I stopped a second time also for a break and warm drink. I reached Melide around noon, and found it to be a pretty big city. The next challenge would be to find our hotel. I could see in our map book is was on the Camino and near a church so that helped. I walked right up to a Pension with the same name, Xaneiro, so went in to find out if Norm had checked in. They had no record of us. But then, we realized we wanted the Hotel, and this was a Pension. The clerk called our hotel, and yes, Norm was there. So with new directions I arrived at our place in about 10 minutes. Norm is feeling better. He washed all our clothes, and we found a place to get hot soup. We also bought some fruit for tomorrow. We made our reservations for the next few nights. Norm will be back on the trail tomorrow. We plan to finish our trek on Tuesday taking three days so we can go at an easy pace. We are hoping for sun tomorrow.

Palas de Rei, Spain

Hiking into Portomarin was a long and lovely hike in the rain with many muddy stretches. We ran into Texas Dave at our last coffee break. He was hanging in there. We wondered how he could keep up with us since he’s a slow hiker, but he starts each day an hour or more earlier than us, and ends an hour or so later. We also hiked into Portomarin with Ursula who we didn’t expect to see again as she is a quick hiker and we separated in Leon. On our day going to Portomarin we had the pleasure of meeting a father and daughter from Nashville and Seattle, Rob and Kate who were hiking together. Kate was enjoying some special time with her father. The trail is very crowded now, often we come across large groups moving along together. Our hotel, Villajardin, in Portomarin was one of the nicest, and we appreciated the special touches in the room, such as strong wifi, heat that worked, a heated towel rack that could dry socks, a comfortable double bed, and space to stretch. We also enjoyed a good dinner there, and complimentary breakfast. We saw little of the town because it started to rain hard and we stayed in for the night. We hiked out of Portomarin today after changing money heading up a steady slope to Palas de Rei. Again we hiked with a big crowd of pilgrims, some in groups and some pairs and many solo. As we slogged through mud and clammy weather, Norm kept slowing down and I had to stop many times to wait for him. By the time we made it to our first coffee bar, he had slowed to a creep. He’d developed a deep cough these last few days, due to the damp weather and his compromised health was catching up to him. We were in Gastar at a Pilgrim’s rest stop and it was around 11. We’d hiked for three hours but made poor time due to our slow pace. I noticed a taxi ad on the wall, and we agreed to end our hike and I called the cab. He arrived very quickly as I had told him my husband was ill, but didn’t explain much more. Our phone doesn’t work so well since its skype over wifi, and my Spanish is accented so we do well to communicate. I wondered if we had a police escort because a police car was ahead of us the whole way, or was I just imagining. We were twelve miles to our destination but the way there was an endless parade of bedraggled hikers picking their way through rain and mud. Norm was quiet and I felt worried and disappointed in the day’s outcome. At Hotel Plaza they were surprised to see us so soon. We had to wait while they readied our room. Norm slept the afternoon away. We had dinner around the corner at a friendly Alberque. We reserved our next hotel – that’s Sunday because we reserve two days in advance. Our plan tomorrow is for me to hike alone, and Norm will go by taxi with our bags to our next hotel. It’s a shorter hike and tomorrow is only light rain. I’m hoping he can kick this bug. I’m fine enough to walk, but sad Norm can’t join me. Today’s hotel is Spartan, with twin beds, little room, and weak wifi.

Sarria, Spain

It was a walk through Middle Earth or Paradise today. The sun came out, the rain abated so we could meander in comfort through the green Elven forests and ancient stone villages. We saw bees, butterflies and wildflowers. Storks flew overhead and birds sang all day. Once in a while, we heard a mother cow or calf bellow for each other. There were sheep out grazing too. We stopped for breakfast at an Alberque that advertised fresh apple cake which was a welcome break from toast. The volunteer Hospitlera who served us had lived once in Santa Cruz. The views from the breakfast table were stunning. When we stopped closer to lunch, we shared an empanada and ran into Texas Dave so caught up on his travels. Also saw Jamie, from Vancouver who walks 40 km a day. We didn’t expect to run into him again as he is young and goes at a fast clip. Our hotel this time is pretty basic, with no heat, no wifi and a shared bathroom. It is cheap, just 25 euro. When we call, we just pick names and numbers out of our hiking guide, and in Sarria, it is a bit harder to find anything. Tomorrow will be better. We’ve wandered a little in Sarria, but it began to rain, and there’s not much to see. We did enjoy a great pizza though at a nearby restaurant with wifi.

Triacastela, Spain

We were awake at 7, and walking by 8. There’s always a lot to do the first hour of the day. I usually start with my stretching exercises for my legs, feet, spine, neck and shoulders. Then there’s packing up the packs, both the ones we ship and the ones we carry. Preparing my feet to hike takes some time as I rub them with arnica gel and vasolina, then slip on my injinji toe socks with compression sleeves, then the boots carefully laced. We layer our clothes, and I carry dry socks, spare shoes, a down jacket and rain poncho. Today I wore my rain pants with leggings underneath, layered shirts, and I carry poles. Sunscreen is important too. We left our packs by the door for the Jacotrans service, and we walked to the next town for breakfast. Breakfast was disappointing this time because it was just coffee and packaged wares. We had our coffee and moved on. There’s always a second chance at breakfast in the next town. In the end, we had to settle for toast. It was cool, misty, and cloudy most of the day but there was little rain while we hiked. The flowers, moss and ferns were abundant. We passed quite a few other pilgrims. When we finally stopped for lunch, we saw a large tour group seated around a support van eating the lunch provided by their guides. I had a caldo with greens for lunch. It was a long steep trail down to Tricastela, and we were happy to be ahead of the rain. Our new hotel is at the far side of town. Our packs were waiting for us. When we went down for dinner, we were seated at a small table in a corner as the main dining area was all reserved for a banquet. We weren’t so hungry, so I just had soup and Norm had salad. Soon a young man came in as it was getting dark for a room and dinner. We invited him to join us at our table. Jamie came from Vancouver and had walked forty km that day! He’s twenty two and told us he just walks everyday until he’s worn out. He finished off two tureens of soup and a chicken dinner and commented he may go down the road for pasta. The funny part about this is he looked to weigh around 120 pounds. We enjoyed his company, but excused ourselves for bed before he was done with his dinner.

Pedrafita do Cebreiro, Spain

We set out at 8 in drizzly weather a bit unsettled because our hosts were unavailable. We just put the keys in the room and our packs in the hall entrance and left. It was a bit of a lesson in trust since usually we say goodbye to someone at the front desk when we go. We found coffee and toast just down the lane, but the bread here is so chewy that it hurts my jaw. Let’s just say I suffered breakfast. We had planned a short 14 km today because we are ascending a mountain about 2300 feet gain in altitude. The landscape as we hiked was gorgeous! We saw lots of flowers such as heather, forget me nots, and mountain flora and there was a chorus of birds. We avoided the muddier steeper route by walking the carretera or highway. It was not well travelled so quite peaceful. Most of the pilgrims took the muddier trail so we had lots of time on our own. We hiked alongside a family with mom, dad, son, and baby in a perambulator for part of the way. We had lunch at La Escuela where the views were fantastic. There we had lentil soup and dawdled over our coffee because the rain had become more intense. Despite my efforts to dress for rain, I got soaked. Norm, on the other hand, was feeling good and dry in his pricy Marmot raincoat. When we finally reached the mountain top it was a magical feeling to enter the Elven village. With just a little wandering we located our new hotel, our packs were waiting. We enjoyed a nap then wandered the village before we even settled our business. We are now reserving our rooms two days in advance because it’s getting crowded on the Camino. So our business each day is to find our next hotel and reserve a room. Then we call Jacotrans, who manage our luggage transport, to let them know our updated plan. The village on top of the mountain was really different because it’s Celtic. The gift shops had Celtic jewelry which I coveted, but didn’t buy because we are still walking. There were also a lot of tourists who weren’t hiking the Camino. It gave us a hint as to what lies ahead.