Camino Reflections

I've been home for a month since my delightful second Camino de Santiago. It was a difficult journey in many ways, mostly because I was inundated with heavy rain and the accompanying mud.  But how I miss it and wish every day that I could transport myself back there, somewhere along the peaceful trails, rain and all.

Since I walked completely alone most of the way from Lisbon to Santiago, it was a time of deep contemplation.  Most of the time there were no distractions, no one telling me when I needed to stop or what I should eat or how someone my age shouldn't be doing this, and a woman alone, heaven forbid!  It was just me and my thoughts and the spirit of all of the pilgrims who had passed this way over the centuries.

As I walked, I often thought of my departed family.  I imagined my mother and brother with me most often.  I thought of how much my mother wanted to visit Spain, and in my mind I was pointing out things that I knew she would have liked to see.  Of course, I carried some of her ashes with me and scattered them in several special places along the way. Special places like from this gorgeous bridge at Ponte de Lima.

Ponte de Lima

On several occasions I encountered mother and daughter teams walking together. What an incredible bonding experience it must have been for them.  My mother would never have been one to walk long distances.  She was more the guided tour 5 star hotel type.  But if she could have had the experience of a walk along the Camino I think she would have changed her mind. I'm not so sure she would have enjoyed the mud and rain so much though!

Once I reached Santiago de Compostela, I never wanted to leave.  What an enchanting place that is!  Since I returned, I have not been able to get the Hymn of the Apostle out of my head.  It seems to play there constantly.  I would love to have a good clear recording of that lovely song.  But I do have several videos from the swinging of the Botafumerio and the three pilgrim masses I attended.  The pilgrim mass is the grand climax to the pilgrim's arrival in Santiago.  I wish I could be transported back there every day just to relive that experience.  I know I will be back one day soon.  This was my second Camino.  Last year I walked from Lourdes, France to St Jean Pied de Port then along the Camino Frances all the way to Finisterre and Muxia.  Next year I'm looking into another route, likely the Via de la Plata.  I would like to walk them all!

But for now I have my photos and videos of the Botafumerio in the cathedral as reminders of the Camino Portugues. But the Camino de Santiago is now a permanent part of who I am and has changed my life in many beautiful ways.

Botafumeiro

This is a short clip from a video I took with my phone of the swinging of the Botafumeiro at the Cathedral Santiago de Compostela.

A Walk Through The Cathedral

Three more pictures from my walk through the Cathedral Santiago de Compostela

A Walk Through The Cathedral

A Walk Through The Cathedral

A Walk Through The Cathedral

A Walk Through The Cathedral

The Cathedral

One could take a million photos inside and around the cathedral but would still never begin to capture the beauty of this ancient holy place.

Much of the building is under renovation right now so the most beautiful parts of the exterior are hidden beneath a web of scaffolding. But here are a few from within the cathedral.

I have attended the pilgrim mass three days in a row and each time I find it more moving. I am in awe of the number of pilgrims who arrive here every day from all parts of the world. At each mass they read the number, country, and route traveled at the beginning of the mass. I feel proud to have been one of the arrivals on Friday October 24th along the Camino Portuguese.

I will be leaving tomorrow morning but I know I will have to come back again, along another of the many Camino routes through Europe and Spain.

Franciscan Monastery

I love this beautiful enchanting Franciscan Monastery where I received my special Franciscan Compostela, which commemorates the 800th anniversary of when St Francis walked the Camino. The inside of the church is delightful and peaceful.

Each day as I make my way from my hotel back to the cathedral area I pass by the monastery. Such a lovely reminder of my favorite saint.

Compostelas

This year is special because it is the 800th anniversary of when St Francis walked the Camino. Every 100 years the Franciscan monastery gives pilgrims a special Compostela commemorating that event.

So here I have my Compostela from the cathedral and also the special St Francis one.

This trip will be long remembered!

Santiago de Compostela

I did find one area of the cathedral that was free of scaffolding. I got one nice picture here of the back side of the building.

I walked through the little walkway to embrace the statue of St James and also passed by the casket to give my respects.

Then I spent some time in line waiting to receive my Compostela, the certificate given to walking pilgrims.

After I found my hotel I went back to the cathedral area and ate a sandwich and did a little shopping. I went to the pilgrim mass at 7:30 and enjoyed once again watching the six big men pulling the ropes to swing the giant Botafumeiro incense burner that soars over our heads back and forth at astonishing speeds. It was a perfect ending for a wonderful Camino.

Padrón to Santiago

Today I wanted to get an early start. Last night I scouted out the route so I would have a better chance of not getting lost in the dark. I stayed about a mile out of town so didn't have to go through the usual confusion of searching for Camino markers in between parked cars and thousands of other distractions that go along with cities.

I left about an hour before dawn using my phone as a flashlight. It was fairly easy to find the markers even though the route was down tiny alleys and dirt tracks that seemed to wind in all directions. I like the early morning too because it is always nice and cool.

With the first light I reached the lovely Marian shrine in Escravitude. Soon after that I left the busy highway and was back on the quiet back roads.

At one point I turned to follow the usual yellow arrow when a woman walking a couple of little dogs insisted that there was a much shorter way. I was reluctant to ignore the yellow arrow that I'd depended upon for the last three weeks. But I decided to follow her advice. Within about two blocks I found another Camino sign. I'm not sure why that first arrow pointed in that direction. But she was right. Her route seemed to be much shorter.

Somewhere past the halfway point I ran into a young woman from Montreal, Canada. We walked together for about an hour. We stopped at a cafe and got something to drink. Soon after that we parted ways because she was a little faster walker and I could tell she wanted some alone time. I found that most people who are walking alone prefer to be alone. Walking alone gives you a chance to examine your life without distractions. I like walking with other people for a while but I also really enjoy my alone time.

Once I got close to the city, the yellow arrows became extremely scarce. Last year when I came into the city on the Camino Frances, there were scallop shells embedded in the sidewalks, clearly marking the way. But the Portuguese Way is not nearly as popular and I depended on the street names in my guidebook more than the Camino markers. Once I reached Rua Franco I knew exactly where I was and walked straight to the cathedral from memory.

It was a little disappointing to see the cathedral though. They are doing so much renovation work on it that both of the main towers and the entire front entry are covered with scaffolding which in turn is covered with a blue netting material. There were certainly no photo opportunities of the front of the cathedral!

But inside it is still quite lovely, although large sections inside are also covered with scaffolding. I suppose such an old building needs frequent attention for it to remain standing and safe.

I am quite thrilled to have finally arrived.

Monte Santiaguiño, Padrón

Monte Santiaguiño is a special place that few pilgrims take the time to visit. It's not really very far from the town center, but it is a bit of a climb up a very long set of stairs that are also the Stations of the Cross. But it didn't seem very difficult after so many days of walking.

There is a monument up there commemorating the spot where legend says that St James first preached the gospel in the area. It's a beautiful place surrounded by a peaceful park, overlooking the city of Padrón down below.

I felt like I was standing on holy ground while I was up there.