Revering the relics

We attended pilgrim mass at midday, ate lunch in our 16th century monastery room, then went to the cathedral to join the longest ever queue to hug the statue and revere the relics. Then we had a beer, did some shopping, ate some tapas, drank some oujo blanco and tea at Carretas, and watched a concert in the cathedral square. We had managed everything and completed our pilgrimage. Our feet could finally rest. 

Milladoira to Santiago de Compostella

The End

We walked the last 8km in the dark including through a wood and reached Santiago as the last revellers were leaving. We got into the main square before the police sealed it off. We met the monastery Poles in the Pilgrim office, had breakfast with Uska and Xena, and met the monastery Germans in our hotel. We did it! Now off to Pilgrim Mass. 

Mini Fiesta in Milladoira

At 9 we went out for a drink and met in the cafe next to the alberge Rosé, the Dutch woman from the monastery. We had a nice evening talking to her and drank arruco bianco and tea. 

Herbon to Milledoiro - 8km left

Our last full walking day, we were awoken in the convent with music, coffee and toast. We set off at 8am and walked down to Padron and then another 17km on the camino to the last town before Santiago. It was cool in the morning but got hot later and the last couple of km toiling up the hill to the town was hard work. We stopped for a beer and the waiter brought us a bag of ice too to cool us down. Wonderful! The albergue is very new and well designed but tonight is the Eve of St James' day and it is fiesta time so we are expecting a lot of noise from the youthful members of the community.

We had a nice pilgrim's menu in a modern cafe/restaurant (the whole town is new) and did some food shopping at a shopping centre. Now we are resting before going out to enjoy the evening. 

New friends from Slovenia and Germany

Mass and a Communal Meal

At the Convent

O Pino to Herbon

We walked just 10km up into the hills to the Hospital de San Antonio de Herbon where we will stay the night. We left our packs at the albergue which is part of the Convent de Herbon. Now we are nodding off at the local bar waiting till 2pm when we can get in the albergue. 

Hospital de Peregrinos San Antonio de Herbón

We got up at 5.30am in the albergue and set off for a 10km walk to the Herbon convent where we are staying at the Hospital de Peregrinos San Antonio de Herbón.

It is about 3km off the camino following red arrows to the convent in the hills surrounded by peppers. We dropped our packs off and we now have to wait till 2pm for the place to open. 

Evening in O Pino

We sweltered in the hot sun just walking 300m from the albergue to the local bar where they served cold beer in frosted glasses in an air-conditiomed room - heaven! In the evening we sat and sweated by the balcony until we got talking to a German woman Anne who is an older woman walking alone. She is planning to go on to Jerusalem! We went and sat outside on the picnic bench and compared experiences. We also had cats playing around us. 

Vablon to O Pino

At 6.30 our host had prepared us coffee and toast. He also gave us each a moving blessing as we set off. 

The well water of Vablon is a powerful restorative. We set off this morning at 7am and got to Chaldas de Reis by 9am which means we were motoring along at 5kph for over 10km. 

What a difference to yesterday.

We expected to do about 15-16km but did 21km in the hot sun to the Municipal albergue in O Pino. We stopped a few times for refreshments - beers then Aquarius as it was just baking in the shadeless fields.

Vablon in the evening

After recharging our batteries we went out in the evening to the restaurant where the family celebration was still going. We had some beers, cheese and jamon. Est human population in relation to dog population - 0.3%

Pontevedra to Vablon walk

Today was a lovely day and it was a nice walk out of the old city and through wetlands until we climbed into woods, but we were both tired and our feet hurt and there was a never-ending stream of pilgrims on the path. We stopped after 12km and found a nice casa and had lunch before we went there. 

Pontevedra to Valbon

Staying in La Casa de Xavier and relaxing by and in the pool. 

Dinner in Pontevedra

In the evening we followed the camino to the medieval town centre and ran into Estonian Chris so we had dinner with her in a restaurant in a nice medieval square. 

Feet of the camino

Redondela to Pontevedra

A good night's rest in the room in our appartment once the noisy Italians had been asked to keep the noise down.

We set off just after 7am in a stream of pilgrims. We could see them setting off in the dark as we drank our morning coffee.

It was a dramatic day's walking along the estuary and over two ponte fantasticos. We climbed three hills in between and stopped to picnic in a cool light rain and watch a little pilgrim TV. We didn't meet Kristiana but we did sit with Estonian Chris at our coffee break.

It was cool for most of the walk but when we entered Pontevedra the temperarures had climbed to 32°C. The beer and tortilla from the village pub sustained us as we searched for a bed in the city. We  are now in Albergue Aloxa which seems fine. Next to us are the two screechy Italians who did not look over-joyed to see us. 

Pigeon life

Redondela - looking good, feeling fine

A Brazilian cocktail - caipirrinha in a cafe with singing, card-playing grandmas. Then off to find wine and tapas - a nice woman guided us when we couldn't find what we wanted. We ended up at A Cova beneath the viaduct and had the best meal so far - sardines, padron peppers, chips, salad and a good bottle of white wine plus a great view of Redondela life. Then a walk to check on the way tomorrow, then time for bed. 

Porrino to Redondela

A lovely 16km walk up over a hill and into the city. It was a bit cooler and we weren't as tired when we arrived as yesterday. We met Kristiana as we sat on a wall eating first breakfast and we all walked together to Redondela.

Zlatica and I had the perfect pilgrim meal on Constitution Square - egg, bacon, chips and beer before going to our appartment room. We have a nice room with shared kitchen, living room and bathroom. We managed to shower and get our washing done before two Italians arrived - as brown as nuts who started from Lisbon.