Day 35 ~ 17 kms to Ribadeo

Today was a strange day.

 It started out with a beautiful sunrise in a beautiful seaside town and went straight to 10kms or so of nothing but farm fields. 

There was also one big beach that snuck up on me. I was climbing up a hill to a church in the middle of a green field and when I reached the top, BAM, there was a giant beach and an overlook.

That's where I met Joe from Ireland. He asked if he could walk with me into town and though it was my last walk I said sure, why not. We had some great conversation, stopped for a coffee overlooking the last beach before the trail turned inland for him and my Camino came close to the end. 

A couple kms of road walking into the city, and then we crossed a very long bridge into town We parted ways when we arrived in Ribadeo, it was early in the day and he had another 10kms left to walk. I found a gluten free pizza for lunch...finally and of course had a celebratory glass of wine.

I found a laundromat, washed my clothes and then found my sexy hotel to pack and prep for my flight tomorrow to Barcelona.

I have very mixed feelings about today. The obvious being excitement and joy at the thought of seeing my kids and my dog in 2 days. Excitement also at seeing my Amigos again tomorrow to celebrate.

The other side of things is the anxiety of what lies ahead. The transition of going from one routine to the other. The end of the trail and back to work. The stress of 3 flights, 4 airports, the covid brain tickle and my visa bill hahaha.

When I did the Camino Frances in 2018, I learned so very much. It brought much change to my life and how I choose to live it. I learned to let go, to live in the moment and that less is more. I learned to love again. I discovered strength and courage, more than I ever thought I had. I learned to believe, the power of will and uncovered my faith. I also learned to accept what I could not change and embrace life and myself with love and hope. I discovered freedom.

I returned home feeling light in spirit and my heart was full.

This time around, I returned to Spain to walk the Camino del Norte and to walk by the sea without expectations of some great epiphany. I haven't lost any of the values or lessons learned from 2018. I have not lost my way but 2020 was a tough year, for all of us. There has been much loss, overwhelming fear, panic and now, division amongst us all.

I came here to Spain after many attempts, feeling tired, heavy hearted and more than anything just in need of reconnecting with myself and the earth. Walking is therapeutic for me. It clears my mind of clutter. It is a peace that I only feel when walking but especially here on this historical trail. The magic of the ruins, the churches and the cobblestone. 

I wanted that feeling of freedom and to walk off my worries and maybe even a few pounds. I wasn't searching for anything but I found plenty.  I found friendship here, not the fleeting kind. The kind you hold close to your heart and keep with you for always. I found the strength to forgive. To forgive myself and others.

I discovered I do like fish and I do like white wine. I have also determined that 30kms in a day is too much. It hurts more than it used to. I've realized that as much as I enjoy my solitude....some things in life are better shared ❤

Galicia, I love you. I will be back next year to finish what I started.

Barcelona.... I'm on my way 😁🍷

Day 34 ~ 31kms to Tapia de Casariego

My alarm went off at 6am as it does every Camino morning. I however did not get up. Let's call it divine intervention. It was raining anyway and still raining when I opened my eyes at 0755. I realized I had slept in and jumped out of bed to get ready...and yes, that did hurt haha. I knew I had a long day today and didn't want a late start. The sun was struggling to be seen as it rose behind the pine trees next to my hotel. The rain stopped and I could see the sky glowing orange behind the small forest. I rushed outside to try and capture it.

By 0835 I was at the bottom of the hill and at the same restaurant again as last night. I went in to order my café con leche and sat at an inside table amongst all the locals. Mosty blue collar men having a quick bite before work. One of them surprisingly had a black and white cow print telephone cover.. how fitting. It made me giggle. 

As I enjoyed my coffee, the sky, without much warning, opened up and let down a hard torrential rain making a loud roar as it smashed against the windows. We all turned to the windows and then some eyes fell back on me and I was beaming. I could not contain my joy,  relief or my gratitude which warranted giggles from the locals.

Not so fortunate were other pilgrims that tried to fit under the awning but arrived already soaked. We all watched and couldn't help but giggle as one pilgrim struggled to put on his poncho. The back side kept getting stuck on the top of his backpack. Then he was trying to force his head through I think the arm hole and it was backwards so he tried to spin inside it. The locals were howling with laughter at this point and I couldn't help but laugh with them. I was about to get up to help the man with his struggle but he sorted himself just in time. As soon as he got himself right the rain stopped and the sun was shining bright onto the surrounding green fields. The black sky that was now fading to blue made a nice backdrop for the most subtle rainbow. This is when my walk began.

I walked through fields on farm tracks that led me to small town after small town as the sun kept climbing behind me. 

There was no movement in these towns. No children playing. No Abuelas hanging laundry. No Abuelos tending to their gardens. Just the odd cat, grazing cows and a horse or two. Everything was wet and muddy but I was ready. I had my gaiters on and my poncho ready to throw on at a moments notice.

My eyes were on the skies behind me and the clouds kept chasing me. They caught me eventually and I walked in the rain for a while. It was nice actually. It kept the air cool  and washed my spirit clean. 

It didn't last long and even when the sun came out, the air stayed cool. There was not much to see today other than some lavanderas from 1930.

 A structure built over creeks where I imagine the old Spanish wives would wash their clothes and talk smack.

I walked 10kms into Navia which I decided was the armpit of Spain despite being on the water. A very industrial town and mostly under construction perhaps getting the face-lift it sorely needed. No patios, no smiles, no eye contact even. It was, however, a lovely welcome by a historical church and a generous fig tree. 

I have been wanting and waiting for weeks to pick and eat a fresh fig and today the Camino provided.

I didn't speak to anyone today except I was yelled at by a scary Spanish woman. She was large and had just one tooth. We passed eachother crossing the bridge out of town. She said something about a Barco on the river and as hard as I tried, I didn't understand. I said I am sorry, no abla Espanola so she yelled at me louder as if I would understand her better. I didn't so I wished her a good day and rushed off before she cast a spell on me. 

I climbed a big hill out of the armpit and had a picnic, brunch sitting on a stone wall on the shoulder of town, entertained by a cat chasing butterflies on old train tracks.

From there it was more of the same again and still no patios and I was in need of a coffee.

When I reached La Caridad with aching feet, I saw a patio but next to a road with construction so I opted to stop at the next one in town. Well a hundred steps later and the town was behind me and that patio was the only one. This girl does not go backwards. I kept going conquering 2 more big hills which was difficult on an empty fuel tank and gumby legs. At the top was a roundabout and fields in all directions and smack in the middle was a deserted bus shelter. This was a shady bench and perfect for another picnic. This time I had chorizo and peppers, of course my Lay's and even gf cookies dipped in nutella. 

I took off my gaiters, my boots and my socks and my toes did a happy dance in the breeze.

From here I still had 10kms to go. 

I wasn't truly feeling up to it to be quite honest but I forced myself to trod on.

The last 5km was on a straight road with nothing but an abandoned house here and there. Coming up behind me was that dark cloud again. That put the last bit of jump in my step. 

Tapia Casariego welcomed me with crashing waves and a lovely overlook. It's a small seaside town but Wow it is so beautiful.

I checked into my hotel and collapsed on my bed. After I finished whimpering for a few minutes I got myself all cleaned up and did what I do haha... I went for a walk. The town perimeter is a lovely seaside walk overlooking a beach, a rocky shore, a fishing pier, a lighthouse and a harbour filled with colorful boats and lined with patios.

I was so very fortunate to walk this stone trail at sunset and it was an incredible way to close out my last full day of walking.

As I reached the patios and made almost a full circle, the sky turned pink before saying goodnight.

The patios were damp and the air fishy and salty so my old bones said "let's go back to the hotel restaurant and have wine there".... besides they have an elevator hahaha.

I ordered grilled veggies, my vino Blanco Alburino  and a coke zero. As an added bonus I had my first Santiago cake of the Camino. I went to bed with a full tummy and a full heart

Day 33 ~ 22kms to Luarca

It's difficult to leave early now. At 0845 the sun hasn't even come up. Its behind the mountains and its cold. Not Canada cold. But cold compared to what it's been until now. It's actually perfect hiking weather. 

I fueled up on a café con leche grande at my hotel restaurant to start my walk and a search for a store along the way, I need supplies!! It was a bit of a walk to get through and out of Cadavedo. Nothing open yet at 9am and it was only 11°. That same dark cloud that has followed me all week was still following me. Today it's closing in fast. The sun peeked out from the mountains, then lost the battle with the clouds and disappeared before it even had a chance to warm me up.

Just as I left town and started on the rural path, a local elderly man walked with his cane towards me. He stopped when he got close and asked (in Spanish) if I was walking the Camino. I said "Si" with a giant smile. He held up one finger (not the middle one) and asked if I was just 'one'. Meaning alone. And again, I said "Si", I also flexed my muscles and he laughed and said "Si si" and wished me a Buen Camino. I said Gracias and blew him kisses (I actually did haha) as I walked away. He was beaming and so was I. Maybe I should marry an elderly Spanish guy... they seem to like me.

As I headed for the forest it started to sprinkle so I put my poncho on and said 'bring it'. This off and on poncho party went on all day. It never really rained hard.... just taunted me. When you are in the woods you can't see the sky or rain clouds so I stayed on alert with easy access to my sexy poncho.

It was probably when I was fighting with that saucy raingear that I missed a sign. After a while I realized that there was no one in front of me and no one behind me for a very long time. I was in the deep woods, mostly pine with some eucalyptus scattered about. Everyday I take a leaf and crumple it in my hands... the smell will likely always remind me of Spain.

I walked... and walked, nothing and no one but me and the trees. Then came a gradual descent.... and when hiking the Camino Norte, what goes down must eventually climb back up. With every step downward I knew there was a strong probability that I was no longer on the official Camino but possibly a side trail.  It was too overgrown to be the official track but it was definitely an established path. I had a fully charged phone, strong legs and loads of water so I wasn't worried.

 Then I heard the ocean and it put a little jump in my step. It was dramatic for sure but not sure it was worth the 4kms I added to my day or the isolation or certainly the climb out. 

I survived so I can now say that it really wasn't safe to be out there in those conditions alone. The trail was steep, wet and very slippery. When I finally reached the top again and stepped out of the forest there was no signage. 

Just a field. Not even a path. There was a fence on one side but no gate. I found a tractor path and followed it through a corn field. 

That path turned into a lane and led me to a small town and a tiny church.

 I picked up the Camino trail again there but first.. they had a supermercado!!! Yay! Supplies!! I bought 4 oranges, tuna, a jar of peppers, a jar of gf nutella, water, cheese, ham, chorizo, yogurt x4, candy covered pine nuts because why the heck not, and conditioner because I ran out and I'm tired of brushing my hair for 3 hours. This isn't the dark ages. These supplies should get me through the next day or two. 

Leaving the grocery store a man stopped me and in Spanish asked me if I was from Canada. I said "Si" and then he asked me to wait there. I did. I was packing up my bag anyway with all my goodies. He went to his car and helped an elderly woman out and walked her over to me. It was his wife. She said in perfect English, "I hear you are Canadian.... so am I." Of course we were both smiling and talked for at least 30 minutes. Her name was Nina and she lives in Cadavedo with her Cuban husband. She moved to Spain when she was 9 and never lost her English. She didn't even have much of an accent but she spoke slowly and carefully. She said she rarely meets Canadians but is thrilled when she does. She was so very proud to have been born in Canada, 9th generation Canadian in Kirkland. She was quite elderly but still very pretty. I'm guessing in her younger years she was a knockout. She was a kind soul and her husband shared in her joy of having met me even though he understood very little of what we said. It seemed when we tried to part ways that they wanted to hug me or shake my hand and with Covid I wasn't sure where this was going. Her husband reached out and took my hand to shake. And then Nina took my hand with both of hers and wouldn't let go. We kept wishing good things for each other, good health, a good life, a safe journey, a happy future. If she was just a little smaller I would have put her in my back pack and taken her with me! I left there with a very heavy pack full of food and water but my heart was light and full of love. I smiled for a long time after.

Today was mostly rural Spain without any sea views even though I was walking along the coast all day.

I found a bar at the halfway mark and stopped for a coffee to get me up the next big climb. As I arrived 2 pilgrims were leaving. They spoke terrible Spanish (sorry Bill) and I thought they must be English, so I asked them. As the words came out of my mouth I saw the Canada patch on the pilgrim's backpack. I shouted out "Are you Canadian??? "And he shouted back "YES, are you?!!! He was so thrilled to finally meet another Canadian and to finally speak English. I remember that feeling well. That's how I felt when I met Jorge and we talked for hours. It was Bill's birthday today and he was walking with his German friend Hannes that he met here on the Camino. We chatted for a bit but then they went on their way and I fueled myself with caffeine. 

It worked. I put my running playlist on and I made it to town in 2 hours instead of 3 hours. That included an incredibly steep ascent out of the valley.

Luarca was such a beautiful town and what an entrance.

I walked in from rural fields high above the sea into a normal looking small Spanish town and then BAM. I turned a corner around a plain white apartment building to see a very steep cobblestone street with a railing and a view overlooking the entire harbour.

 All the homes were built into the hills and all the shops and pubs down by the water.

 Colorful fishing boats were anchored in rows and everything was aglow from the afternoon sun finally revealing itself.

I was following the Camino shells and arrows through the quaint town, still unsure if I was going to tackle another 12k to the next town or stop for a drink. I found a pretty street lined with patios and a make shift canopy of purple and white umbrellas. It was so beautiful. Then I heard "Hey Canada!" It was Bill and Hannes. They called me over to join them for a drink. I ordered a vino Blanco and we all talked... mostly about either Canada or the Camino.

They were quite nice gentlemen and I was happy to have met them but I couldn't settle in Luarca. It was a bit early to call it a day but the thought of another steep climb and 12 more kms was daunting after already doing 21kms so I treated myself to a taxi ride to my hotel. The entire time I was thinking ' I could not have made it this far'. 

The Hotel is great.

 I handwashed some clothes, enjoyed my sunny view from the balcony and even went for a walk to a local restaurant for Vino and some dinner. 

I talked to my guys in Barcelona when I got back and they had me laughing on the phone. I look forward to seeing them Friday and my family on Saturday!! 

2 more days of walking. Walking is the easy part. Transitioning back to a pre Camino existence.... that's the hard part.

Buenos Noches xx

Day 32 - 22kms to Cadavedo

Aside from the strange vibe at my small hotel last night, I slept really well. My bed was like a big poofy cloud with a million blankets. This allowed me to sleep with both windows open in hopes of letting the weird energy out and the good energy in. I was surrounded by mountains, trees and a babbling brook. After I tucked myself in I fell asleep listening to the rain. All traffic ceased and it was silent. My Hotel was a refurbished Tailors house from wartimes and was a place where unique suits and even uniforms were made until mass production made them cheaper and quicker. It was also a bit of a museum and had antiques including sewing machines everywhere. It was interesting but also borderline creepy, like Abuela was still in the attic sewing. The bed and shower were both worth the strange vibe. I think it annoyed them that I only ordered soup and a glass of wine in their restaurant last night. The soup was ok.. my appetite waned after I fished 2 fruit flies out of my wine glass. I think they were also from 1942.

I left before the house was awake and walked a km or so until I found a restaurant open. I ordered 2 coffees and 2 eggs and 2 bacon. It was more like 2 pieces of ham... it's not like the bacon at home in which case I would have ordered 10 pieces. My waiter was an old man who sang as he cleaned tables and I loved him immediately. Friendly and cheerful. He spoke to me in Spanish and I did well in understanding and responding despite not having my translators. He told me not to miss Playa de Silencio. He was impressed by me walking alone and wished me a Buen Camino and Forte. I wish I knew how to tell him he made my day.

From there it was up and down several times, through the woods and with multiple creek crossings. One of my first challenges was getting through the longest darkest tunnel without freaking out.

 It was scary... to enter the dark, the unknown, alone. This tunnel was so long there was no light at the other end at first... the tunnel was bent and the end hidden. When I finally saw the light I felt incredible relief. 

I made it to Playa Silencio but went slightly off trail for the view of it. A local lady living next to the trail pointed me to the proper Camino and I thanked her but soon after realized it leads away from the beach. So I went back... yes uphill, and made my own way on a country road (she was just trying to help) and there it was. The view my singing waiter insisted I see. He was right of course, it was beautiful.

On my way back to the proper trail, I passed some farms and there leaning against a chicken coop was a fantastic staff. The bark was peeled off and it was straight and strong. This was a good one and could definitely help me with these hills. So I walked with it for about a hundred steps and it just felt wrong. I imagined an elderly farmer looking for his staff to tend to his animals and it made me feel sad. I don't need it like he would in those hills. So I turned around, walked all the way back and put it right where I found it.

 Some Spanish dog sitting in the shade was trying not notice that I was walking past him for the 4th time.

Listen to your intuition. Trust your gut. Choose right over wrong. That's the lesson today.

It was hours before I came to the next town and another café con leche to fuel me. It was more of the same after that.

 First up then down, then a horse, cow, dog and cat. 

Then down, then up, then a cow, horse, cat and dog.

 Throw in some flowers for a splash of colour and a view or two of the sea.

 Add a handful of pilgrims (none of them overly friendly) and here we are, sitting at a bar at 1pm, on my 2nd bag of chips and nursing a white wine like a life line. I was hiding here from the rain that is trying desperately to catch me. 

It's passed now after 30 mins of a slight mist and so off I go again, into the wilderness. 12kms done.... another 10kms to go. 

Time lapse.... 6 hours later. So many beautiful vista's today. Several hidden beaches and coves but only one that the trail actually brought me to. Playa Rio Cabo. No sand there, just rocks, smooth egg shaped rocks. Cliffs and a jagged shoreline, a long descent in and a longer climb out made for some serious seclusion.

Just before arriving in town I passed a field of cows. They were mooing if that's a word and charged the fence when I walked by ... not sure if they were hungry or just aggressive but they were yelling at me. It was funny. I had a stare down with at least 3 of them and I won everytime haha. 

The rain finally caught me... but not really. It was just a shower and by the time I figured out the puzzle of a poncho I bought, the rain stopped. Exactly like Pamplona in 2018. I stood under a tree and didn't even get wet.

I'm at my hotel now, it's on the edge of town and again like yesterday, it is silent here. After settling in and having a giant white wine in my room, I decided to check out the church at the end of the lane. The church is perched on a cliff with views in every direction.

I made 2 friends.. a black and white dog that I played fetch with at the church, he kept bringing me his tennis ball and had me trained in all of 60 seconds. Also a horse that I read to. 

He was alone like me and seemed bored so we hung out... in fact I can see him out my window in the field, just standing there, doing nothing and I wonder what would a horse do if he could do anything he wanted. Other than go for a nice long run that is. I wish he was closer so I could talk to him out my window. Not because I'm crazy... I just think he needs a friend. We all do. Someone needs to get him a nice girlfriend, maybe a nice blonde haired beauty. Maybe then I wouldn't feel so bad for him.

Oh my goodness. My waiter just judged me hahaha. He took my order and said "Really???.... that's alot of food" I ordered a vegetable salad with mushrooms in a balsamic vinagrette and chicken a la plancha (grilled chicken). Ok so it's 2 meals but I burned 2368 calories today and I walked 22kms without lunch and it's 830pm. Why not just take my money and see how I do? 

The veggies were excellent yes and it filled me yes but together with chicken would have been tasty 😁 

Stinkometer:

I cannot find a laundromat until my last day and I am almost out of clean clothes.

Might explain why my waiter in this town didn't smell "fresh" haha.

Buenos Noches my friends

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