Day 25: Hospital to Corcubión

Date	Jun 16th ( Friday )
Today's Distance:	11 miles / 18  km
Hospital to Corcubión Stats	Route Video
Total This Camino:	246 miles
Total 2023 Caminos:	246 miles
Total All Caminos:	1969 miles
Lodging:	$ 35 @ Hotel As Hortensias
Total Lodging:	$ 1130
Planes:	$ 1350
Total Planes:	$ 1350
Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$
Total Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$ 0 / 163 / 279 = 442
Food:	$ 35
Total Food:	$ 565

Meaningful Moment

After making it to the hotel, felt like I went into a complete physical shutdown. 

Deb and I did made it downstairs to eat something and take a walk on the beach, but as soon as we returned to the hotel, I grabbed a shower and went right to bed to lay down. 

Didn't sleep, but didn't feel like I could move. Perhaps physical exhaustion?

Random Thought of the Day

Mostly flat at the beginning, but steep descent at the end. Started sunny, but turned cloudy to ease the day.

The long descent was kind of hard on the feet, but came out okay.

Deb and I walked around Corcubión and found a really nice place for dinner along the shore.

Scallops for me and hake for Deb.

The atmosphere was relaxing as we talked a bit about how much hiking we had done.

After dinner, Deb and I went back to the hotel restaurant and sat along the beach again in order to have a pastry and a decaf before calling it a night.

On the Road / Notable memories

Made it to the water finally. But it's not the Atlantic Ocean quite yet. It is the Ría Corcubión, although technically to me, it seems more like a bay.

	Beautiful vistas leaving the pueblo of Hospital
	Shortly after sunrise
	The Vakner is a mythical beast reported by the bishop of Armenia on the Camino de Santiago in this area as he approached the end of the world. The bishop stated that this beast was there to deter pilgrims from completing their pilgramage.
	The land has finally flattened out.
	Village of Cee. Our first town on the coast.
	Ría Corcubión from the pueblo of Cee.
	On the beach at Corcubión
	Beach of Corcubión at sunset

Day 24: Santa Mariña to Hospital

Date	Jun 15th ( Thursday )
Today's Distance:	12 miles / 19 km
Santa Mariña to Hospital Stats	Route Video
Total This Camino:	235 miles
Total 2023 Caminos:	235 miles
Total All Caminos:	1958 miles
Lodging:	$  45 @ Albergue O Casteliño
Total Lodging:	$ 1095
Planes:	$ 1350
Total Planes:	$ 1350
Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$
Total Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$ 0 / 163 / 279 = 442
Food:	$ 30
Total Food:	$ 530

Meaningful Moment

Had a wonderful Camino experience at the albergue tonight.

The hospitalera is very gracious and warm and outgoing. 

On check in, we got a ride from the bar, where we had to register, to the actual albergue and likewise before and after the menu of the day meal at 7:00 p.m.

It was nice to sit with pilgrims from various trails over a meal and share conversation.

I ended up sitting next to a German couple and had an opportunity to practice some very limited German. But what is important is that I had the chance to practice .

Also met a nice woman from Estonia. 

And in the surroundings, I was able to overhear stories and anecdotes about experiences from many different caminos from many different peregrinos.

Random Thought of the Day

Alarm went off at 7:00 but we decided to sleep in. Finally rolled out of bed at 8:30. Got started hiking at 9:30.

A lot of climbing today, but also much more shade than we saw on earlier portions of the Camino. Made it obviously much more pleasant to be out in me afternoon sun.

Much nicer day for hiking. Although we had lots of sun, there was also lots of shade provided by trees. Nice balance. Fair amount of road walking but also lots of paths.

On the Road / Notable memories

Start of the day was a climb up, that seemed to go on for miles, because it did. But things eventually leveled off.

Because we have a shorter distance, 10 mi, and even though we had a later start by an hour and a half, we've taken three breaks along the way.

Three different coffee shops/bars along the way.

There stops to relax. 

Best one was the middle stop where we had the salad, see picture below, and we took extra time to relax. 

Mainly because the bartender told us he didn't have salad. We were going to move on. 

Then he said if we could just wait 2 minutes he would have a salad for us.

We agreed.

Then I saw him getting his car and drive away. 

Then, about 20 minutes later, he came back from his house with salad mixings.

And he made salads for Deb and I.

	It's beautiful great Saint Bernard followed us and other pilgrims for 2 miles.
	One of many small towns along today's trails
	The bartender at the campgrounds went home in order to get the ingredients to make this beautiful salad for Deb and I.
	Where we had that delicious salad
	Río Xalles
	Some incredible landscapes
	Getting close to the end of the day
	Albergue O Casteliño

Day 23:  Negeira to Santa Mariña

Date	Jun 14th ( Wednesday )
Today's Distance:	14 miles / 22 km
Negeira to Santa Mariña Stats	Route Video
Total This Camino:	223 miles
Total 2023 Caminos:	223 miles
Total All Caminos:	1946 miles
Lodging:	$ 45 @ Albergue Casa Pepa
Total Lodging:	$ 1050
Planes:	$ 1350
Total Planes:	$ 1350
Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$
Total Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$ 0 / 163 / 279 = 442
Food:	$ 35
Total Food:	$ 500

Meaningful Moment

I'm reviewing my own sense of judgmentalism .

The albergue that we are staying at is truly in the middle of cattle country. They is a very strong odor of cows.

When I first arrived at the albergue, my thought was how am I going to put up with this.

But after some reflection, I came to see this as  elitism on my part. 

What is going out here is real work with real people who are living a real life. 

And I was basically not taking account of how other people live their lives.

Perhaps more importantly, I was applying how my brakes to how others lived there lives.

Random Thought of the Day

Don't got one.

On the Road / Notable memories

Once again just overwhelmed by how lush and green Galicia is as opposed to the desert of Aragon's Los Monegros.

 

Santa Marina is literally a five house town. Deb and I took a walk around and we were all done in 10 minutes, so we just really hanging out at the Albergue. We will go to bed relatively early at 10:00, and get up for an early start tomorrow morning

	Some beautiful trailing to start the day
	As close to a rainforest as I can imagine
	Cattle country
	Some incredible panoramas
	This cat apparently owns the restaurant where Deb and I were having lunch
	And some beautiful scenery towards the end of the hiking day
	Igrexa de Santa Mariña

Day 22: Santiago to Negeira

Date	Jun 13th ( Tuesday )
Today's Distance:	14 miles / 23 km
Santiago to Negeira Stats	Route Video
Total This Camino:	209 miles
Total 2023 Caminos:	209 miles
Total All Caminos:	1932 miles
Lodging:	$ 50 @ private apartment
Total Lodging:	$ 995
Planes:	$ 1350
Total Planes:	$ 1350
Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$
Total Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$ 0 / 163 / 279 = 442
Food:	$ 40
Total Food:	$ 465

Meaningful Moment

The terrain of Galicia is absolutely beautiful. It is lush and green and almost borders on a rainforest.

It is much more hilly and mountainous than Aragon. It is in such stuck contrast to the Los Monegros desert.

Random Thought of the Day 

Tuesday morning: ( see "on the road" for Tuesday afternoon lol )

Well, by messing up the train ticket date, we seem to have dodged the rain issues in Galicia. 

Current weather reports for today are that the rain has stopped. Over the next several days, the weather should be quite nice. 

Deb's quick thinking was on point: take advantage of the errant train tickets and spend an additional day in Zaragoza.

For the first time on a camino, since I'm repeating the Camino Finisterra / Muxia, I really have no desire to collect stamps, or as they are called "sellos" for my Pilgrim's credential. 

I am along for the walk this time ... With Deb.

On the Road / Notable memories

Dodged a 15 minute downpour with a lucky stop at a bar for lunch in Augapesada.

The weather radar says absolutely no issues, but on the ground it's a completely different story.

Although we avoided the first cloudburst, a bad weather forecast caught us in a1/2 hour downpour while climbing 750 feet up Alto do Mar de Ovellas.

The rivulettes of water streaming down the mountain were actually worse than the rainfall. 

Walking in the rain today

	Starting the Camino Finisterre in front of the Cathedral of Santiago.
	Only one mile out of Santiago
	Last look at the cathedral
	Near Roxos
	Where are the Camino markers?
	Dodged the first rainstorm by hanging out in a bar
	Slugging it out in the rain because we got nailed during the second downpour during a 750 foot climb.
	Eucalyptus forest
	Text
	Maceira, a pretty little village

Day 21: Zaragoza to Santiago de Campostella

 

Date	Jun 12th ( Monday )
Total This Camino:	195 miles
Total 2023 Caminos:	195 miles
Total All Caminos:	1918 miles
Lodging:	$ 40 @ Aires Nunes
Total Lodging:	$ 945
Planes:	$ 1350
Total Planes:	$ 1350
Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$ 140 train from Zaragoza to Santiago; $3 for metro to train station
Total Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$ 0 / 163 / 279 = 442
Food:	$ 30
Total Food:	$ 425

Meaningful Moment

Sunset is 10:15 p.m. here. Deb and I were out walking the streets in Santiago until sunset. 

• walked around the Plaza de Obrodoiero, the main cathedral square
• visited the cathedral
• had a super dinner at a recommended local restaurant
• walked among the people out for nightlife
• got ice cream, and 
• took a little walk in Parque da Alameda

Random Thought of the Day

Uneventful travel today. Everything went pretty smoothly from Zaragoza to Santiago de Compostela.

Since I've already been to Santiago four times by my last count, it was a nice to walk around the cathedral but the magic and all have been superceded by becoming slightly routine.

On the Road / Notable memories

8:30 a.m. Rise and shine

9:30 Walk about 10 minutes to taxi stand

10:00 taxi pick up

10:15 Arrive train station

11:15 Depart Zaragoza. Iryo trains have wi-fi.

12:35 p.m. Arrive Madrid Atocha station

1:45 p.m. Arrive Madrid Chamartín train station by Metro

2:30 p.m. Depart train station for Santiago. RENFE trains do not have Wi-Fi.

5:45 p.m. Arrive Santiago; start walking to hotel

6:15 p.m. In the hotel room.

	Our lodging
	Obligatory selfie in front of the cathedral of Santiago
	Cafe Paradiso
	Sharing Galician soup, shrimp oil fried with garlic, chorizo and pimientos padrones
	Parque da Alameda. Evening walk.
	Sunset nightlife on the streets of Santiago at 10:15 p.m.