Padrón (again) to Santiago de Compostela

After a good night’s sleep on another top bunk, I was up and away from the albergue in the dark to retrace my steps back to the main road and the southbound bus stop.

The bus arrived eventually, a little behind schedule but I was back at Padrón’s estación de autobús after the 10 minute ride. I had a quick coffee and croissant in the bus station cafe.

By now it was properly light and so I picked up the Camino as it led out of Padrón.

A couple of km out of Padrón, the road passes through Iria Flavia, now just a parish and suburb of Padrón. But this was the original settlement at least in Roman times and which later became Padrón. This is also supposed to be where St James first preached when he came to Spain.

There’s been a church on the site of what is now the Iglesia de Santa María a Maior since the 5th or 6th century, and was said to be the earliest church dedicated to Mary and one of the oldest churches in Galicia. The present building was built in the early 12th century after its predecessor was destroyed by the Moors. Before the episcopal see was translated to Santiago on 1095, this church was the local cathedral. Unfortunately the church wasn’t open to visit when I walked past.

After running alongside the main road towards Santiago, and then winding back and forth through some countryside, the Camino returned to the main road into the village of O Escravitude.

The main sight here is the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Esclavitud, which houses a sculpture of Mary and child Jesus, commissioned by a local man who accredited Mary with saving him from being crushed by a tree. A later miraculous healing after drinking from the fountain under the sculpture was said to be the release of a second man’s slavery to an illness, hence the name of the sanctuary built to house the sculpture.

The path left the road and led back into countryside and several hamlets. After another brief spell on the main road, there was a left turn away from the main road and into some woods. After a km or so, the Camino climbed back towards the main road just before O Faramello, where I stayed last night.

I stopped for another coffee at a cafe at the start of the hamlet, before heading back past the albergue along what is now a minor road (but which was presumably the main road before the hamlet was bypassed).

The next tiny village was Rúa de Francos, where the Camino passes a 14th century granite wayside cross, marking the route for pilgrims like the present day marker posts and arrows.

The path continued through pretty countryside, mostly climbing steadily towards Santiago. First through we came to O Milladoiro, at the top of a hill overlooking Santiago. I stopped here for lunch after visitin a small chapel dedicated to Mary Magdalene.

The Camino left O Milladoiro and immediately started to descend. A view towards the centre of Santiago then appeared, offering pilgrims on the Camino Português our first aight of the cathedral spires, which were still some 7km away.

As we neared the outskirts of Santiago, the path went both under and over a railway line and several motorways or similar.

At last, the road began to climb once more as it entered the fringes of the city. Finally the modern buildings gave way to the historic and mostly pedestrian centre. At this point the yellow arrows and markers were replaced with metal scallop shells set into the pavement. I also recognised roughly where I was from my last time in Santiago.

Suddenly, the Praza do Obradoiro was in front of me, with the huge western facade of the Catedral de Santiago to my right. I had arrived once more, having completed this part of the journey!

I spotted some of my Italian friends first, and went to celebrate with them. One of the Canadians and one of the South African family was also there, and we celebrated together. The rest of his family arrived shortly after. I’d seen the family several times on the road during the day, and so thought we’d arrive at a similar time.

As I enjoyed the moment, and watched out for others arriving, I saw one of my Israeli friends and so went to celebrate with her.

After a while, I went to check into my accommodation for the next 2 nights here in Santiago. I’m staying in the same place as 2 years ago, a pension with some hostel style rooms with bunk beds. One last time, I accepted the challenge of a top bunk!Read more