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Camino 2022 , Torres and Geira
  • Laurie Reynolds
Sep – Oct 2022

Camino 2022 , Torres and Geira

About 640 km, starting in Salamanca, heading over to Portugal, and north from Braga to Santiago. I am combining two different caminos, the Camino de Torres and the Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiros. Read more
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  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira
    1

    Castro Laboreiro to Cortegada (30 km)

    September 28, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    When I saw that there were 1300 m of descent on today’s stage I have to admit I groaned. That’s so hard on the knees. But off I went.

    It had been raining over night, so there were “water amenities“ every time the camino took me off road to those narrow rocky paths surrounded by rock walls. Sometimes it was deep mud, and sometimes it was standing water. Finding the best way over was not always easy. Even without pools of water or mud, going down on slippery rocks made for a very slow going. In fact this was probably my longest walking day yet. I just had to take my time.

    When I got to the Spanish border, I emerged onto a totally deserted but paved road. Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t have been so thrilled, but to have a large chunk of descent on a road with no rocks and no mud to navigate was really great.

    The highlight of the day for me was walking through pine forests, especially when I was close to the Deva River,

    I wouldn’t say it was a five star day, but it was pleasant enough. The only real downer for me was that one of my hiking poles collapsed. I am getting some advice on how to fix it but I guess I’ll be fine with just one. People on the Camino forum are tremendously helpful, and are sending me YouTube videos of how to fix the problem. One Spanish friend suggested I take it to a car repair shop, on the theory that they will certainly have some thing to fix it with. Since the solution seems to lie with some strong adhesive, that does sound like a good suggestion, and I will probably try it tomorrow.

    I am in the town of Cortegada, which is probably the saddest town I’ve been in so far. Nothing going on, 80% of the houses seem to be falling down, but there is a beautifully restored balneario down on the river. I was surprised that it was built in 1937, as the Civil War was in full swing.

    Thankfully, Cortegada has the Casa de Conde, a small guesthouse that gives pilgrims a good price. No restaurants, but I can use their kitchen, so I am fine. Onward tomorrow!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira
    11

    Cortegada - San Xes - Ribadavia (19 km)

    September 29, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    I woke up at about 6 am to a heavy rain. I decided to sleep a little more, but by 8:00, I had had breakfast and was putting on my rain gear. I kept repeating one of Joe’s favorite bits of advice — “A mal tiempo, buena cara.” Within about 10 minutes, the rain had turned into a little drizzle, and within 25 minutes it had stopped. No more rain except for a 20 minute downpour somewhere along the Minho River. Call me lucky.

    It was another walk with pleasant surprises. Wikiloc showed a steep descent down to the Minho, but it wasn’t steep at all. And, even with all the rain, the tracks were totally fine. No rocky paths turning into water channels. Once down at the river I had a really nice walk along the banks, and it lasted most of the way to Ribadavia, actually. A few petos de anima (alms box for the souls in purgatory), some pretty churches, and a lot of Minho River views.

    Ribadavia is well known for its preserved judería (Jewish quarter). But I had learned that there was also a pre-romanesque church, San Xes, just a few kilometers out of town. Since I got to the town early, I decided to walk out and visit the church before finding a place to stay. It wasn’t raining and I thought it made sense to take advantage. What a beautiful little church. Ninth century, some carvings on both sides of the door that look like the flight to Egypt (thanks AJ!!!), and a stone lattice window that was beautiful. I couldn’t get inside even after asking a couple of neighbors. But I was happy enough to sit outside and eat my snack and enjoy.

    I found a little Pension in the center of town, right in the plaza mayor actually. Turns out I was lucky to get the last room, which involves a three flight walk up.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira
    1

    Afternoon in Ribadavia

    September 29, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Though my favorite Ribadavia attraction was San Xes, the 9 C church I saw on my way in, the rest of the day was fun too.

    First a good lunch — scallops and a goat cheese salad. Kind of a foodie place but it didn’t break the bank.

    Then a couple of hours wandering around. The judería (inhabited from 12C-16C) is nicely preserved. I assume the House of the Inquisition down the block had something to do with its demise, though. There are two Romanesque churches— both closed of course. The castle is only open in the morning, but it’s nice from the outside. Very fun time in the Plaza Mayor talking to one abuela whose 3 yo grandson was zooming around on a balance bike, and two dads helping their 10 yo daughters learn to roller skate. LOVE the plaza mayor in almost any Spanish place (except maybe Leon).

    One quick trip to a frutería— the first dried figs of the season arrived today so I got a few hundred grams. Batteries for my headlamp and chores are done.

    Early to bed for this peregrina.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira

    Ribadavia to Feas (29 km)

    September 30, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    There was fog till about noon! It made things kind of ethereal. Today was almost all off-road, filled with rivers, vineyards, forests, and a killer ascent at the end. My GPS stopped recording, so I am not totally sure about the ascent, but the person whose tracks I followed recorded 900 m up and 500 down. That’s a lot for these old bones. But I’m still so grateful that even though I am definitely slowing down, I can still enjoy every day and relish the sensation that I’ve really given it my all.

    So many of these villages are in the process of depopulation. Most have some really nice fixed up houses, but those houses do not seem to be inhabited. I’m assuming they are summer homes, homes that once belonged to the great grandparents and that no one wants to live in year round. Then there are the totally falling down houses, and then there are some in between where the year-round residents live. Even in these tiny hamlets, the bread truck comes, the frozen food guy comes, the produce guy comes. Yesterday I coincided for about two hours with the Repsol truck. He was bringing those gas canisters. His horn blaring as he came through, people put out their empty canisters and he made the exchange. He was on the same route as I was apparently, so I had a honking horn symphony to listen to through four or five villages.

    I’m in a very nice Casa Rural, O Forno do Curro. There’s an old stone Forno/oven that was the place where all the villagers came to bake their bread. The only establishment with food is about a km down the road. I came in this afternoon on my way to the Casa Rural, just to confirm I would be eating dinner here. At that time about 30 men were at different tables, all playing dominoes. The bar owner, a woman, told me that the men come to play dominoes after lunch, while the wives were cleaning up and doing housework. But that the women would be in to play cards this evening. And sure enough they are here.

    Dinner is tomato and cheese salad, delicious seeded brown bread, eggs from the coop, and real french fries. Thankfulness overflowing.

    But as I was leaving the Night Shift dominoes guys arrived.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira

    Feas to Soutelo de Montes (21 km)

    October 1, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Another pretty short day with a fair amount of elevation (750 m by my GPS). Just a few small villages with most of the kms in pine forests or those Galician green tunnels with stone walls on either side. I’ve walked in countryside like this many times on this camino and others, but there are always breath-catching moments —like looking back down over Feas as the sun rose, or being in a green tunnel as bright sun dappled through.

    The only town on this stage is Beariz, where many pilgrims stay. Since it was only nine or 10 km from my starting point, I wanted to keep going. As I passed by the municipal building, I saw that the door was open. That was unusual for a Saturday, but I stuck my head in and said —hola? Turns out the mayor was in, catching up on work and being available to citizens who couldn’t come during the week. He was very happy to stamp my credential and to explain how important the Camino could be for his town. He has been mayor for 39 years, which is probably a record of some sort. He insisted on giving me a cultural review from the town, which I have carried with me and will look at this afternoon. But I don’t think it will come any further, because it weighs at least a pound.

    I am in a well-positioned but not very inspiring town for the night. There is a small hostel which is clean and right on the route.

    Three more days walking to Santiago. If the stars at home align right, I will continue to the ocean. But I am nothing if not flexible, and I may be home sooner.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira
    111

    Soutelo de Montes to A Estrada (33 km)

    October 2, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Yesterday when I went into the grocery store I asked the woman at the fruit counter about the bagpiper statue. That was like turning on a switch. It turns out that Soutelo de Montes is home to many of Spain’s finest bagpipers, and their band world renowned — in fact, they had been invited to play in NYC’s Saint Patrick’s Day parade in 2020. You can guess what happened to that invitation. I learned that the woman herself really had never been very attracted to the traditional music, but she told me that when her adopted son (born in Siberia) was six or seven, he just got the bug. He is now 18 and a member of the band. She is now a huge fan and showed me lots of videos. And she said something like — it’s funny how it took someone born thousands of kilometers from here to make me feel connected to the place that is my home.

    When I got back to my hotel room I thought I should send a WhatsApp to confirm my reservation for today. I got a response from the owner of the Casa Rural saying that he was flying home tomorrow and would not be arriving until at least 5 PM, so that I would have to sit outside and wait for him. Well that was kind of a dealbreaker, so I decided to turn what was supposed to be a short 20 km day into a 33 km day. Since I arrived at my destination well before five, I figure it was time well spent.

    Whoever put this walk together today had an amazing ability to string little bits and pieces together. The Camino went from village to village on dirt paths, through little rocky green tunnels, through forested land and through wide-open fields. With a few short stretches on paved but on traveled roads. It was really very enjoyable.

    Not sure where tomorrow will take me, but I am getting close to Santiago.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira
    122

    A Estrada to Santiago (33 km)

    October 3, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    The walk was good, I felt good, and so I pushed on to Santiago.

    It’s been years since I felt this good walking into Santiago. Last year, injury; year before, COVID; and several years before that it was just a flat feeling. But today, even though it was a long hot day, and even though I got really messed up coming into the city, when I walked into Obradoiro, I felt like things were soaring—gratitude, happiness to be alive, realizing how lucky I am to be physically able to walk the camino. I sat and watched as hundreds of other pilgrims came into the square, just sat and watched. I didn’t know any of them, yet I think we shared a bond.

    For some crazy reason, I went to the Pilgrim’s office to get my compostela. One more to put in the closet. There’s a new, much more automated system in the office, and I couldn’t help but compare back to my first compostela in 2000. No familiar faces there for the first time in years. Things change.

    This afternoon and evening were for spending time with good friends. And now I’m going to bed. Rest day in Santiago tomorrow.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira

    Rest day in Santiago

    October 4, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    The city is filled to the brim. So many pilgrims— you see the ones arriving, the ones who have arrived and are spending some time here, and the ones all packed up and on their way to train , bus, or plane. Occupancy rates are the highest they’ve been all year.

    This morning, I had to pack up my stuff and move from one hotel to another. It wasn’t a big deal, but it is amazing that I was unable to get two nights in a row in the same place, unless I wanted to spend €333 for a room in the Parador.

    I went through the holy door, which is only open during holy years and provides a plenary indulgence. A holy year is a year in which Saint James day falls on a Sunday, though the pope extended last year’s I also attended the Pilgrim Mass. and saw the botafumeiro swing. Though I got to the cathedral an hour before the mass, there were no seats left; I found a very comfortable perch at the base of an old stone column. It was a high mass, officiated by one Archbishop, two or three bishops, and about seven other priests. It felt a little weird that the celebration was in honor of international policing day. Some high-ranking officials from the national police made a few statements. And then one of the priests talked to us about how necessary police are and how we should be prepared to give up liberty to ensure tranquility. It was a bit jarring to someone used to the idea of separation of church and state. But then I have often been surprised by how many solemn Spanish religious celebrations include participation by the military, so I guess this is no different. After the mass I lit a bunch of candles and sat in the now almost empty cathedral. I remembered the day about 15 years ago when Dana and I walked into Santiago from the Camino del Norte and ran into my parents in the cathedral. We had known we were close but in those pre-iPhone days we were not in close contact. How I miss them.

    I got a ticket to visit the Portico de la Gloria, the original doorway to the cathedral before they added the current baroque facade. Thankfully, they left the Romanesque in tact. After about a decade of restoration (and 11 million euros), it’s once again open to the public. No pictures are allowed, so you’ll have to Google it if you want to see. I (and many who know a lot more than I do) think it’s one of the most beautiful examples of Romanesque in Spain. My favorites are the 24 elders in a circle around Christ, each one playing a different medieval instrument. And the smiling Prophet Daniel.

    The stars at home have aligned to allow me to enjoy the icing on the cake —walking to Muxia and then Finisterre. I haven’t been out to the ocean in years, and I am so grateful that I got the greenlight. I’ll be doing longer than usual days so as not to abuse their graciousness. This means four more days of walking and then a few days to get home.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira
    1

    Santiago to Vilaserio (34.5 km)

    October 5, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Harder day than I remembered. I have decided to walk the same stages as I did the last time I walked to the ocean, which must be at least 6 years ago. I think if I ever go this way again, I’ll add at least a day, but I really have to get going and get home!

    I started a little after 7 am. Sunrise in Santiago today was a little before 8:30. But I had my headlamp, and I knew there would be other people out there walking. I started walking with a group of nine, very lively and friendly. Four from the Canaries, two Basques, two from Alicante, and 1 Italian. They suggested that I join them and extend my walk by a few days so that I could go all the way back to Santiago, but I explained that I would not be welcome in Champaign if I kept walking any longer.

    It’s a very pretty day, goes through one of the most beautiful little villages in Spain, Ponte Maceira, and the medium sized town of Negreira. I always stop at the town’s statue of the emigrant. Galicia lost a huge portion of its male population to emigration after the Civil War, and the statue displays the sad reality in a very poignant way.

    The little hamlet where I am tonight has two albergues and one restaurant. I have stayed in both of the the Albergues. Two months ago one of them opened a little building with private rooms, so I took one of those. The albergue is full and I admit that albergue living has lost some of its glow for me. All of us will have dinner together in the restaurant, so really all I’m missing out on is the snoring and the shared bathrooms.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira
    1

    Vilaserio to Dumbria (31km)

    October 6, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Just yesterday I was thinking that this has been the first Camino I can remember with no falls. You guessed it. This morning, walking on asphalt, I somehow got my foot tangled up with one of my poles and down I went. It tore a good size hole in my pants and scraped my knee, but luckily I was able to stand up and keep walking. I think I will not reflect today on how I’ve been lucky to have avoided bed bugs this year.

    The walk was pleasant, nothing spectacular. It’s really the destinations that make this so special, so apologies to those who say “ It’s the journey and not the destination.”

    I took a long shoes-off break at 20 km in the town of Olveiroa. This is where one of my favorite little stone house Casa rural/restaurant combination is. They have wonderful food, but unfortunately the timing for a meal was bad. But with my Fanta de Limon, I got several little plates of homemade tapas, which was all I needed to get me through the last 11 km. The split in the camino, left for Finisterre, right for Muxia, meant I had about 4 left.

    I am in an albergue, the one funded by the man who owns the Zara empire. I was told I could have the handicapped room (a single) because of my advanced age. 😀That’s very nice because there is a large group of Portuguese teens who are nothing if not exuberant.

    There will not be much of a dinner tonight. No restaurant, no functioning kitchen in the albergue, but at least there’s a small supermarket where I can buy something.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira
    111

    Dumbria to Muxia (23km)

    October 7, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Short day, not too much elevation and the destination is 5*****. Another day of going through small hamlets, usually connected by dirt paths up and down and around the monte. I met an elderly señora waiting for the grocery store truck. She told me she would not be able to stay in the village if it weren’t for these wandering, honking trucks. And I talked for a while with a man cutting the “maleza” with a scythe. He gave me a few basic pointers, but I declined the chance to whack with it, especially when I saw how sharp it was.

    There’s a beautiful Romanesque church in Moraime, about 5 km before town. My favorite piece is the Last Supper depicted over a side doorway. I have never been able to get inside, but if I had been willing to stick around for about three hours, I could’ve gotten in today with the women coming to set up for a wedding tomorrow. Maybe next time.

    The entrance into Muxia is nice. Truth be told, it’s not a very picturesque place, except for the sanctuary at the tip on the rocks. Very good seafood restaurants, and a pretty lively atmosphere. Since my room in the hospital wasn’t ready when I arrived, I just dropped off my backpack and went out to the sanctuary. Sitting on those rocks and watching the waves crash is a really nice place to reflect on things. Even on a windy cloudy day.

    I will go back for sunset but it might be a washout.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira
    23

    Muxia to Finisterre (31km)

    October 8, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    I have finished my last day walking. So many times during the day I thought “this is my last…” I of course know I that there is always a last day, but this year I was more keenly aware I think. Not sure why.

    I left at around 7:30 and ran into the only other two people I knew in Muxia. It was nice having company till the sun rose an hour later. When I got to approximately the halfway mark, the town of Lires, I took a detour out to the beach. Very little of this day’s walk is actually on the coast, even though we are walking from one coastal town to another. But this little detour, which swings back up to the Camino, was very nice, even though the café/ bar there was closed.

    When I got to Finisterre, I had a text from a good friend in Santiago that he, his girlfriend, and son were driving out to Finisterre for lunch. I was very surprised but happy to see them again. Then after lunch, they said they’d meet me up at the lighthouse. That struck me as very strange but off I went by myself. When I got up there, I saw that my friend had set up his camino pop-up photography studio. He has done this off and on for years. He sets up his “studio” on the Portugues and takes pilgrim pictures. I’ve seen a lot of the results and he’s very good. So let’s see what he can do with me! He took about 60 or 70 shots, so there must be at least one that’s not awful.

    I was up at the lighthouse for sunset and, truth be told, it was not a terrific sunset. Oh well, but the silver lining was that walking down back to Finisterre the moon came out. And it was a full moon and it was glorious.

    Now begins the journey home. Tomorrow I will get back to Santiago. Lots to sort out.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira

    Back to Santiago

    October 9, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    It seems that even if I’m not getting up to walk, I am incapable of sleeping in. The earliest bus back to Santiago on Sunday isn’t till 9:45, so I had plenty of time to take one last walk around the port and the old town.

    The bus, surprise surprise, went directly to Santiago. What a welcome development! No more 2 1/2 hours of meandering all along the coast.

    After all these years of coming to Santiago, I decided today was the day to visit the Museo do Pobo Galego, located inside an 18th century monastery. Really well worth a long visit. I loved seeing all the exhibits about the traditional professions. A completely in tact bagpipe-maker’s shop, a forge, a basket maker’s shop, etc. Lots about fishing, weaving, lace-making. And the spiral staircase that is actually three separate staircases twirling around each other was awesome.

    Since it was getting close to meal time, I went to two of my old favorites that were nearby. The Bodeguilla de San Roque and O Dezaseis. Both closed!!! Thankfully, Casa Felisa, with its pretty outside garden eating area, is still going strong.

    I had a 5 pm reservation to do the Cathedral roof tour, which seemed like a good finale to the whole trip. It was a bit precarious up there, but I didn’t fall off. In the museum, don’t miss the absolutely beautiful stone choir stalls that have been put back together after they were ripped out in the early 17th century.

    Back in my room for a zoom meeting of my homeowners’ association board to discuss an upcoming assessment for updates to the fire suppression system. Most people probably think being on an HOA board is something to be avoided, but I love it!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsLaurie ReynoldsCamino 2022 , Torres and Geira

    The end.

    October 12, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    I have spent two wonderful days with my dearest Spanish friends. They live just steps from trails that take us up into the Guadarrama mountains. It is always a wonderful way for me to transition from Camino mode to home mode. I am now on the flight to Chicago. All good things must end.Read more

    Trip end
    October 12, 2022
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