Spain
We arrived in Madrid with just a few days to explore before departing for the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain. Below are a couple of pics from our neighborhood walking tour.
After saying goodbye to Madrid, we jumped on a 4-hour train up to the small town of Sarria. This was our first experience with high-speed electric trains (160mph).
The Camino de Santiago
The Camino de Santiago is a network of pilgrim trails all across the Iberian peninsula that lead to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Tradition holds that the remains of Saint James the Apostle are located inside the Cathedral. Pilgrims have walked the Camino for many many years, dating back to the first, King of Asturias Alfonso II, around 820.
A lot has changed over the years. In 1985, just 690 pilgrims (the ones counted anyway) walked the Camino. Now, almost half a million folks from all over the world make the trek each year. You can even bike or horseback ride the Camino!
The minimum number of kilometers required to receive an official “Compostela certificate” is 100km. To prove the journey, you must collect sellos (stamps) along the way (minimum 2 per day). The stamps are available in many locations (accommodations, historical buildings, cafes, etc).
The entire Camino Frances route is 790 kilometers (and takes around 35 days to complete). With only 5 days allocated to this portion of our trip, we jumped ahead (/cheated?) to the final 100km stretch of the pilgrimage. This stretch of the pilgrimage is located in the autonomous community called “Galicia.”
Day 1 — Sarria to Portomarin, 26km
The trail is well-marked with scallop shells (see second pic). The scallop shell is an iconic part of the Camino with many stories about its origin. Today, many pilgrims carry the shell on their backpacks during their journey
Today’s trek was just 26km. We started in the cool fog of the morning (which was great for the first assent out of Sarria) and by mid-afternoon, we were in sunshine.
Day 2 — Portomarin to Palas de Rei, 25km
Our second day on the Camino was one of our favorites. We spent the majority of the day hiking through small villages and agricultural lands producing (predominantly) corn and grains.
That neat structure in the third picture is a Hórreo. Their function is to store grain and other food crops for the winter, keeping them dry and safe from animals. These structures exist all over rural Galicia and vary a bit in style depending on the community.
Day 3 — Palas de Rei to Arzua, 29km
On day three we finally discovered why pilgrims were rushing on the tail each morning. Breakfast! Coffee, torta de santiago, and Spanish tortilla are all incredible dishes served frequently at small coffee houses along the Camino. Torta de Santiago is a moist almond cake from Galicia with origin in the Middle Ages! Truly incredible. Spanish tortilla is essentially a “super omelet” with eggs and potatoes (and whatever else the chef feels like throwing in). Savory and hearty!
These treats were a heck of a lot more enjoyable than our “we are on a world trip” budget meals… And no, that's not cat food. I don't think…? My Spanish isn't all that great….
Some of our accommodations had a kitchen! We jumped on those opportunities to make something nice!
A few additional photos from day 3. Chris testing his rabies shots again…
Day 4 — Arzua to O Pedrouzo, 19km
Rain rain and more rain! Not my favorite way to hike but we were prepared. Galicia receives more rain than the rest of Spain with over 200 days and 2000mm of precipitation per year. Thank god for good rain gear!
Day 5 — O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostella, 20km
The final day of our trek brought us to Santiago de Compostela!
Having walked a minimum of 100km to Santiago, we received our official certificate documenting the trek.
We also attended a pilgrim’s mass at the cathedral that evening (all in Spanish). We were incredibly lucky to witness the “botafumeiro” in action. The botafumeiro is a thurible (weighing 80kg) that, on rare occasions, swings in the cathedral during mass. It takes 6 people to hoist it up into the air where it travels over 68km/hr dispelling incense. Unfortunately, Medium won't let me upload my video (will try and upload it on Instagram instead) but you can see a YouTube link I found below:
Exploring Santiago de Compostela
Before returning to Madrid, we spent a couple more days exploring the beautiful city of Santiago de Compostela.
Madrid
Back to Madrid via high-speed train with just enough time to explore the botanical garden and take a nap on the bench. Settling into the backpacker lifestyle…
Once again, a few weeks is never enough time to see a new country. Now off to Greece.
Three Important Words in Spanish
Hola- hello
Gracias- thanks
Salud- cheers
