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Spain 2026
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  • PW and JKW's trips
  • Phil Woodford

Spain 2026

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    🇪🇸 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
    Spain 2026
    Not too many just before the procession, but this super tall German was right in front of me
    During the procession the crowd became a real crush of folks.Paso of Christ in the early processionYou can see how crowded it was getting.Paso of Maria. People straining to catch a glimpseAppetizers ham croquettesPhil's pizzaMy saladThe paso or float of Jesus bound to the pillarNazareno or penitent carrying one of the heavy crosses barefoot with a chain on his ankleThe paso was carried by 16 members of the Confraternity.Many were barefoot for this several miles procession through the stone streets at night (47 degrees)Nazarenos carrying crosses in the late procession.Even band members often barefootThis cross was much heavier. Note the chains and bare feet.

    Maundy Thursday

    Today in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 43 °F

    We spent most of the day at home organizing our things for our upcoming walk on the Camino. This year because of our extra time in Santiago we elected to bring a small suitcase with things we thought we would use in Santiago. Ironically, most of the things we didnt use or need (an extra pair of shoes, umbrellas, etc). Today (Friday) we are taking the suitcase to be mailed to us when we reach the albergue where we will volunteer in May. @Ivar has a service that collects and holds luggage for pilgrims. Many people find they have packed too much so send it ahead to Santiago and Ivar keeps it until they arrive at the end of their pilgrimage This year he will hold our extra things and mail the suitcase to us while we are serving in Spain before we go home. That way we don't need to bother with the extra luggage while walking the Camino for 3 weeks before our service time. Among other things the suitcase holds all our study materials from language school.

    Thursday night we walked into town and saw the 7:30 pm procession commemorating the last supper. We arrived early and found a great place two steps up on one of the main plazas where I could see above the crowd better. Unfortunately everyone else who came at the last minute also thought it was a great place and we soon had the usual pushing and shoving as people jockeyed for the best view. Phil let several really short older ladies up onto the step with me and did his best to shield us all from the crush.

    Then we went for supper (Phil, pizza and me, salad) at a church near the beginning of the final late procession of the evening. I figured the crowd pushing baby strollers and noisy loud folks smoking their cigarettes would have headed home by 11:30, but there were still plenty of those folks around. We chose what I thought would be on a quiet corner, but it also turned out to be a popular choice. Seems I am great at picking the choice locations on a map. We were literally inches from the Nazarenos or members of the Confraternity walking the streets, often barefoot, and carrying crosses. This parade was the Procession of the Flagelado with a float or paso of Jesus chained to a post and waiting to be flogged. It was a very solumn procession.

    Afterwards we walked the 2 miles home up the hill to our apartment and went to sleep about 1:30 am. As a side note, the walking we've done while in Santiago has improved our overall stamina and we were able to march right up the hill that a month ago left us breathless.    Read more

  • Spain 2026
    A view of the cathedral from the plaza where people enter for mass.
    The Plaza Obradoiro where pilgrims arrive at the end of the CamimoMy mushroom tacos.Phil's pork carnitasThe beginning of the procession of HumilityAdults and also small children were involved.Youngest member in the stroller.The float called a paso is born by many people who carry it on their shoulders from underneath.The band involved young and old and provides a rhythm for the paso carriers to walk together.We joined the throng and followed the procession until we could make an exit on the street we needed

    Last day of class

    Yesterday in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 45 °F

    Wednesday was our last day of class. We've had 92 hours of instruction so I hope that helps us improve our spoken Spanish and our understanding. Phil is certainly using his Spanish with more confidence. We brought some fruit and pastries for the faculty and staff for our last day.

    We visited our friend, Sandy, and her husband, Alf, at the Dutch welcome room at the Pilgrim Office after class. Sandy had 4 weeks of 30 hours per week of Spanish alongside Phil (one extra hour each day). She is in charge of the Dutch hospitality center and organizes all the Dutch volunteers. She and her husband are attorneys and after her 2 weeks volunteering here, she will return to her home in Holland and walk from her doorstep to Santiago.

    We had lunch at a Mexican restaurant. It was good. Not like Mexican style in the US, but still good. We had some croquettes made of plantain and cheese and then I had mushroom tacos and Phil had pork carnita tacos.

    We went home and did some laundry followed by a short nap. After a light salad supper, we walked back to town and watched the Procession of Humility. Despite the crowded streets, the people were largely silent as the procession passed.

    Tonight we will attend the procession of the Last Supper and then around midnight, the procession of Jesus being beaten where the Confraternity members bear the cross through the streets and beat themselves with whips. Very somber.    Read more

  • Spain 2026
    The beginning of the procession info the plaza.
    A children's choirLots of people getting their palms and greenery blessed.The band's banner1Jesus being pushed along by his float bearers.Everyone getting palms blessed.The band with players of all ages.

    Palm Sunday

    March 29 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    Daylight savings time went into effect last night so it felt like we were getting up earlier (and we were!)

    We walked down to the old town just in time to catch Jesus riding into the plaza accompanied by a marching band. Although the celebration was still not as big as the ones we attended last year, people were still enthusiastic. Young and old were ready and waiting to have palms, bay branches, and olive branches blessed in a ceremony by the Bishop. We watched from up high on the steps of the plaza and then looked around and met Jesus and his entourage on their way back to the Church of San Francisco in the main cathedral square. Very special.

    Not so special was that our bus was about an hour late due to traffic delays, but we got to meet an Irish pilgrim named Dedrie waiting for a bus to the airport after her pilgrimage.

    Tomorrow we have tickets after school for the Cathedral museum and some special exhibits.    Read more

  • Spain 2026
    1Phil with even less hair than usual and a trimmed beard.
    1My hair is pretty short, too!Here comes the procession.And there it goes by. Not much to it today.

    Saturday haircuts and first procession

    March 28 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    We had 11 am appointments for haircuts. Then went for a coffee and and ran into some friends (Alex and Jacque). Hung around after waiting for the procession.

    Phil got a beard/mustache /wild eyebrow trim and a haircut. Looks good. The stylist gave me a really short haircut so I shouldn't need another until we get home!

    Today's procession was short with no band. The Our Lady of Humility was carried by a determined but small group. Nothing at all like last year's elaborate processions in Leon and Zamora. No one on the streets to watch, but Phil and I.

    I hope tomorrow's procession for Palm Sunday will be a bit more of an event.    Read more

  • Spain 2026
    Ham Croquettes
    A rice dish (similar to paella) with pork ribs, chorizo, bacon, and blood sausage.Phil had a crem brulet with homemade cherry sherbetLots of gulls here as we are near the sea.

    End of week 4 in Santiago

    March 27 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    This week has literally flown by for me. I am still getting 2 1/2 hours 1:1 with my Spanish teacher 5 days a week. By the end of the morning, my brain is really tired, but I am understanding more, speaking more, writing short stories, and reading more all the time.

    Next week we will rotate teachers again. I will have the same teacher I had for 2 weeks in 2019. Phil has been studying with her the last two weeks and he will have the teacher I've had for 2 weeks. I will continue to study 1:1 next week and Phil's class will have only him and one other student. We'll be getting out of class at the same time for the first time again in two weeks! Thursday and Friday will be a holiday so we only have 3 more days of class. I think Phil's feeling more confident as well.

    We have appointments for haircuts tomorrow and the Easter week parades (called processions) are starting tonight. We hope to watch the one tomorrow afternoon and another on Palm Sunday.

    Today we had a really nice lunch out on the town. We ate near the city market. We are looking forward to all the Easter activities.    Read more

  • Spain 2026
    Here we are next to the bus.
    Here's a sign with all the forbidden activites.A little waterfall trickling down to the beach.The tide is going out, but the current is very strong.Glad we had our crocs!1There is the musician.A Crack that looks like a cathedral window.A cave where an arch is forming.Seaweed clinging to the rocks.Phil enjoying the surf.Large tidal pools, but we did not see any sealife.You can see a tiny arch window. More dramatic from further out.This is pastel do cabracho. A cake made from scorpionfish. Not bad!More flowers in Lugo than two weeks ago.He's playing as the tide receeds.

    Trip to the north coast

    March 23 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 45 °F

    Sunday, despite my cold, we took a bus tour to playa de las cathedrals or the Beach of Cathedrals. This is a protected natural monument in Spain and the citizens of the State of Galicia are very proud of it. It is on the north Atlantic coast in the Sea of Cantabria. It is narrow and due to the wave action can be dangerous so can only be visited during a low tide. The rock formations are very striking and look somewhat like churches, hence the name.

    Phil and I took our crocs so we could wade without wearing wet shoes and socks the rest of the day. While we were there a man dressed in traditional costume was playing the gaieta or Galician bagpipes on the beach. We waded a bit and walked among the stacks of stone. It was difficult to see the arches which look like buttresses because you need to be further out from the shore. In any case, it was still beautiful.

    After some wading, our group drove into Ribadeo, a nearby town on the coast to eat lunch. This town had a lot of influences from Galician people who were forced to immigrate to the Americas and other parts of Europe due to policitical and economic concerns. Many made their fortunes and then returned to reinvest their money in the economy. They helped pay for schools, and infrastructure like waterworks, sewer treatment, and electricity. Many built lavish homes. These returning Galicians were referred to as Indianas. Ribadeo is full of these lavish old buildings.

    After a late lunch, we traveled to the walled city of Lugo. Phil and I had been there a few weeks ago and since I didn't feel well, we just went to get a quiet cup of coffee while the rest of the group walked around. It was really a lovely, sunny day, but the wind was chilly.

    I learned a few things on the trip. Most of the bus group were Spaniards from other parts of Spain and they seemed really clueless about Galicia overall. We befriended one couple from Malaga who were from the far southern coast of Spain. There was a group of 4 Asian women who spoke English, but the rest of the group was Spanish. The tour guide spoke rapidly switching quickly and easily back and forth from Spanish to English. The bus was completely full and there were a few people who were late back to the bus every single time we stopped (which annoyed Phil and I since we are always early.) The bus driver was amazing, however, I had to really fight not to get carsick. I think if I had felt better, I would have enjoyed the trip more. Overall although it was efficient and rather inexpensive (60 euros each for a 10 hour trip), I think bus tours really are just not my thing. It would have been difficult for us to visit the special beach though without renting a car so I am glad we did it.

    This week we both have morning classes. I stop at 11:30 and Phil goes until 1:30. There are three afternoon activities this week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Easter processions begin on Thursday night. We will definitely go to the daytime processions on Saturday and Sunday next weekend. I expect Santiago will fill up with tourists and maybe more pilgrims by next weekend.    Read more

  • Spain 2026
    A little open air market was going on in the parking lot Wednesday.
    I thought these were places to leave laundry at the laundromat, but they are package delivery boxesFlowers just keep on coming this week!The special meal for the pigs feet festival!Two drummers and two gaita players roaming the streets for the festival.Later today, there's a vermouth tasting and live music. A live band and dance tonight.This is the shopping mall somewhat near our apartment.Here comes the band!

    Festa da Uñas

    March 21 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    Its been a busy week. On Thursday Phil had an interesting experience on the way to school. It was a holiday (Father's Day for St. Joseph's Day) and very few people on the streets as Phil was walking to school. Across the street about halfway along the route, he saw a young couple with a baby. Suddenly the woman just fainted and collapsed and the young man holding the toddler was also trying to keep his wife's head from hitting the ground.

    He looked up at Phil who was by now running across the street to their aid and just said in English "Help"! Phil took the baby while the man tended to his wife. He was able to get her to her feet. The man secured the baby in a stroller and asked Phil if he would walk with them pushing the baby until they reached their apartment nearby.

    Phil stayed with the baby while the man helped his wife up the stairs, then he returned, thanked Phil and got the child. He told Phil that she had a miscarriage and had been discharged from the hospital after the bleeding had abated. Perhaps she was just anemic from blood loss or perhaps she was bleeding again. We will never know because after he got them home, Phil went on to school. It appeared that at least the man was an American as Phil saw somehow that he had a Texas driver's license.

    I've somehow developed my usual cold and sore throat that I always seem to get for a week or two when we are here. I've been battling that while trying to have 2/ 1/2 hours of 1:1 Spanish lessons each day. Last night, Phil said I woke him with my wheezing. He said he first thought it was a cat outside yowling to come in, but when he nudged me it stopped and he realized it was me!

    Today after some laundry and shopping, Phil and I walked to the nearby festival. (My phone says I walked 6 miles although Phil's says it was only 4.5) The festival is celebrating Pigs Feet. uñas means toenails in Spanish.

    Several restaurants are having a special meal of Pigs feet and all the fixins. I just didn't think I could do it with my cold so after walking around a little, enjoying some local music, and exploring a nearby shopping center, Phil and I headed home. I had to lie down for a nap after coughing my head off before we got home!

    Tomorrow we are going on a group bus tour to see the Cathedrals National Park which is actually a beach so I'll post again after that.    Read more

  • Spain 2026
    Its springtime in Galicia. Lots of rain means lots of flowers.
    Here is a fountain made from repurposed materials.This wall is all different tiles.This mural of the cathedral is made of broken tiles.Here the artist posted a poem.This wall is repurposed dinnerware.Apple blossoms

    Midweek checkin

    March 18 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 57 °F

    This week Phil has class in the morning with 2 other students for 4 hours from 9 to 1:30. I have class from 1:15 to 3:45 and it is just me and the teacher in my class. So basically, I am speaking Spanish for that whole time 1:1 with my teacher. I am learning a lot and I think Phil is, too.

    We have had 3 activities this week. One was a walking tour with a meet and greet at a local bar (bars are places to get a light meal and coffee, beer, wine, or soft drinks). This week we have a young man from Russia, a young woman from China, a middle aged woman from Holland, a young woman from the US, a retired woman from the US, a retired woman from France, Phil and I. There's one other man from the US, but he didnt participate in the walking tour.

    Tuesday, we all gathered after class to play some board games. It was really fun and with all different levels of Spanish we were all learning from each other.

    Today we had a walk to a neighborhood in Santiago which was decorated by a retiree with murals using discarded building materials. He continues to live there and continues to work on the art and beautification process.

    There is a fiesta in a nearby neighborhood this weekend and Phil and I have booked a Sunday day trip to one of the national parks (Las Cathedrals) on the northern coast. I will take photos and post afterwards.    Read more

  • Spain 2026
    1It was dreary in the morning at Noia and a little wet and chilly!
    This is the church which displayed the tombstones.This one was a pilgrimThis one was a butcher. See the ax and knife?This one was a sailor with an anchorMandarin orange trees line the streets.Fresh octopus in the city marketplaceThe "House of Salt" was likely a preservation place for the shellfish.A lemon tree, very pretty. Phil sang me a song about it from his youth.This will be the new albergue. It's not quite done yet.A Camino marker showing it is about 2 day's walk to Santiago.1Another church. This one is actively having services.These little scallops are called Zamburinas.My cod entre.Phil's lamb chops.Two desserts half eaten. Tiramisu and Mango Mousse.Spring flowersThis is the city hall, we believe.Its close enough to the sea to support palm trees.1The estuary later in the day without the fog and drizzle.

    Noia and end of the week

    March 14 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    We've had a good week, but it has rained most days at least part of the day. We are still walking a lot (several miles each day), and it is getting easier.

    School is going well. I am going to be moved to a slightly higher level next week so our class days will be split up. Phil will go in the morning with a woman from Holland and another from China. I will be in class with a woman from Australia in the afternoon.

    We picked up a schedule for the Easter week processions and learned that there will be a festival next week in a nearby village (The Pigs' Feet Festival), so we may hang around next weekend instead of a day trip. Music, parades, and of course a pigsfeet banquet is promised!

    Today we took a bus to Noia. It is only about an hour away and it's right on the coast with a large estuary that supports a shellfish industry. Specifically cockles are harvested here. They are kind of a small clam and there are several kinds. The work is done mostly by women who wade out in the water in wetsuits with a special rake with a basket attached. The also have a little inner tube to float a basket along to hold their catch.

    Phil and I went to a maritime museum and a lot of this fishing process was explained. It was a nice, rather new, museum. The volunteers were very nice and everything was posted in three languages so we could understand.

    We also went to a church that displayed tombstones that show a person's livelihood. There were cobblers, butchers, sailors, and even a pilgrim!

    We visited an albergue that will be open this summer. It is managed by one of the organizations that we volunteer for. There's a Camino route through this town so we might walk it next year. Maybe we can volunteer here one day, too.

    Finally we ate at a highly rated seafood restaurant. We arrived just in time as the tables filled up fast. We both had a plate of Zamburinas (little scallops) for the first course. Phil had lamb chops and I had cod for the second course. Then we shared a Mango Mousse and a Tiramisu. After a coffee, we waddled along the sea shore fully stuffed a bit before we caught the bus back home.

    Tomorrow is a laundry and study day.    Read more

  • Spain 2026
    Here's the menu from the meat place. It was packed with families on a Sunday afternoon.
    BTW, shout out to our kids in Alabama. We go by this Cafe twice a day!My coffee, very pretty!Liam Brunch, Santiago. Excellent place to eat!A view of the cathedral from a hidden back corner.The St Francis church, also big. Lots of beautiful old churches and buildings here.

    Typical week

    March 11 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    Weather wise, it's been rainy, foggy or both daily. We even bought some new coats on sale this week, because it was just too chilly even with a couple of merino wool tops and our gortex raincoats. The coats were on sale due to the end of the season, but we were glad for them today!

    On Sunday, we studied our notes and had a stylishly late Spainish lunch at the grilled meat place near our house. It is kind of like an Argentina steak house, but the meat choices were local chicken, beef, and pork ribs. Phil had ribs. I had chicken (a roasted half chicken!) And you could get seconds if you wanted so we had 4 sauces, potatoes, salad, lots of meat, and a grilled chorizo. I brought half my chicken home for chicken and noodles. Phil even had some ice cream!

    Monday after class our school activity was in the classroom and involved imagination. We had fun with students from the other levels.

    Tuesday, Phil and I stayed in town and ate lunch at a brunch place. The school activity later that day was a tour of places where two famous women authors had lived and worked in Santiago.

    We've been walking to school (rain or shine) and taking the bus home after class. We're getting in between 4 and 10 miles per day walking. We hope to make another day trip this weekend although we are not sure where just yet.    Read more

  • Spain 2026
    This is the oldest church in Santiago from the 9th century.
    A fire at the police department has pressed these two vans into service for office work.1A view of the cathedral from the park on our walking tour.Tulips tree in bloomA monument to a poet Rosalia de Castro who is from this area.A statue of Lorca, a famous poet killed by Franco for being gay.This is a kindergarten. Pretty building.This is a famous statue in the park of the two Marias.Our bus card.

    Friday, March 6

    March 6 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 43 °F

    We're having a good first week although some issues have arisen. School is going well. Yesterday we had coffee with our classmate, Jackie. Her husband, Alex, is a big Camino fan so he and Phil sat and talked about Caminos, while Jackie and I discussed a wide range of other topics. They were able to get a 6 month long-stay visa. Alex is working from home 3 days a week. Jackie goes to Spanish class, but they travel every weekend so she is often absent on Friday or Monday. She has okayed this with the school so periodically she is shifted to other class groups because she's missing a large amount of material each week.

    Right now there are just the 3 of us in class. Today and Monday with Jackie gone, it will be just Phil and I unless another student joins.

    We did learn to ride the bus this week as well. Jackie explained that you ask the driver for a multiple ride card. For about 11 or 12 dollars each, Phil and I got bus cards with 20 rides loaded so it is very economical. We can add rides if we want or need later.

    We had a little trouble figuring out where to catch the bus home again. In fact one day we walked about 10 miles total to school, back again, then around town on a tour with the school and then wandering around looking for our stop to go home. We did find it, but we were pretty tired. Now we walk to school (2.4 miles, but downhill) and then ride the bus home uphill.

    This weekend we plan to take a day trip to the nearby town of Lugo. It is a walled city and also has some museums with Roman ruins. We go by bus in the morning and return in the early evening so more on that in the next post.    Read more

  • Spain 2026
    Traveling is tiring!
    Spring flowers1Side view of cathedral

    Arrived in Santiago

    March 2 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    Phil and I have finally arrived in Santiago de Compostela and have finished our first day of Spanish class! We flew into Madrid on Friday and traveled to Santiago by train Saturday.

    We have a little apartment in a suburb up the hill and about 2 miles from our school. Sunday we walked to the school and back to check our timing. It takes about 45 minutes to walk to school (all downhill) and about 55 minutes to walk back (all uphill). Tomorrow we are going to check out the bus to and from school as Tuesdays and Wednesday we have two early evening walking tours here in town. The school sponsors a couple of these free activities each week. We dont want to walk back and forth twice a day.

    The weather is cool and damp, but it has not rained on us here yet. This part of Spain receives a lot of rain. We brought umbrellas and rain coats and will probably take the bus on rainy days.

    Flowers are starting to bloom. We'll be here until after Easter so I am sure we'll see more greenery and flowers soon.

    I will post once a week ago to let you know how things are going.    Read more

  • Trip start
    March 2, 2026
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