• To Baiona

    31 августа, Испания ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    There was a soft rain all night that made sleeping with our windows open very calming and restful - we could hear the rain and the crashing waves on the beach just below us. Sweet sleep! We made breakfast in the little kitchen at Casa Maria Teresa and took off before 9. It’s hard to leave Oia because it’s such a quaint village. Marta from Casa Puertas waved at us as we left which made me even more sad to leave. We passed by the impressive Mosterio on the way out and again marveled at the grandeur it displays despite its age. Situated as it is directly on the ocean it stands sentinel over the village and invites you back. Until next time…
    We were immediately walking on soft sandy paths- easy on these tired feet! I’m not walking fast because of blisters and seeing a big snail in my path made me laugh- I’m not that slow! We saw lots of livestock in pastures located just above the sea which was so interesting because the “fences” were rock walls! It’s hard to imagine all of the time and energy it took to construct the endless rock walls we’ve seen on our journey. Anyways, the cows and horses seem to understand they need to stay put so the walls do work.
    Today was all about walking by the sea. The road took us high and low but always within eyesight of crashing waves on huge boulders and each time we saw a flume of water ascend from the impact of wave on rock it was another thrill. At times the beachy path became impossible for the builders to finish because of trees, tidal pools and boulders, so we’re moved up to the side of the actual road. Luckily there’s a lane painted yellow (a huge yellow arrow to follow!) for us pilgrims. The cyclists were out in force today. We saw several peloton whiz by and even a few pilgrims on bikes. They shout , “Buen Camino” as they blow by us and probably don’t hear when we respond. It’s interesting if another pilgrim greets you with “Buen Camino" you respond with "Buen Camino." If a local wishes you "Buen Camino", you’re supposed to respond “Gracias.” Trying to learn the etiquette here!
    We passed a pilgrims rock pile that had grown sizably since the last time I was here. Many pilgrims bring rocks from home and leave them in places that inspire them to leave their troubles (their rock is symbolic) here in Spain before “meeting” St. James in the church of Santiago de Compostella at the end of their Camino. Moving on- in Pedra Rubia it’s always a good idea to stop at the O Muiño campground. There’s a windmill to see and fresh orange juice and pain au chocolat- It never disappoints! Walking the path you get good views of the Silleiro lighthouse while hoping not to have to climb up there. You just never know where the path will lead- just follow those shell markers and yellow arrows! In As Mariñas usually we divert up to the right and climb significantly. I was dreading the climb a bit but once we reached the Portilla I stopped in my tracks- it was burned so badly! I had heard about the fires in the central areas but fire had reached down this low too. I took a picture of the gate and then looked back to last years pictures and was so sad to see the damage the fires had done- I’m praying the area can recover and grow back. There were men with chainsaws trying to clear and so we pivoted and hiked back to the road to finish getting down to our destination-Baiona.
    Baiona is so pretty- there’s lots of shopping and people-watching to do here. Our hostel is right across from a beautiful soccer complex and up the boulevard from two churches. We dropped our packs off and made our way to the churches. The first was the Capela de Santa Liberata. Renovations are being done to the main altarpiece that shows Saint Liberata crucified so there was scaffolding in place but it was still amazing to see the intricate carvings and gold leaf. The chapel of Santa Liberata was built in honour of this daughter of Baiona who was martyred by crucifixion. There is a carving of her in the niche up top above the massive front doors also. The next church we visited was an imposing church with a unique rose window of a boat at the entrance. The Igrexa de Santa Maria de Baiona was built in the same fashion as the Monastery in Oia and in the 13th century-very large, grey, somber but full of beautiful art and carving. The statue of Mary saving a drowning fisherman was one of my favorites. On the way out a priest stopped to bless us and we had him stamp our credentials.
    We strolled along the waterfront and tried some gelato and got dinner- we were both tired so went back to our bunks and crashed. More to see and do tomorrow!
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