• To Padrón

    6 de septiembre, España ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    Vilanova de Arousa was a sweet little seaside town with amazing sunsets! Our little hostel was near the harbor and this was a place where we really got to chat with more friends- we are seeing many of the same people now and recognizing them on the trails. We ran into the little family again and yes they were wearing different but matching shirts! It’s nice to sit around the tables in the evenings and chat- I’m using my French and Luke his Spanish but we’ve met Russians, Moldavians, Portuguese, Slovinians, Germans and Africans and more too- lots of languages and motivations but all of us headed to the same place- Santiago de Compostela. 🙏⭐️
    This morning we lined up early at the docks for La Barca del Peregrino (pilgrims boat) to experience La Tranlatio (the way St. James body was transported by sea) which would take us to Pontecesures and then Padrón and the end of our Variente Espiritual. Along the way we saw local fisherman working on huge pallets suspended just above the water on piers draping their nets and hauling up big baskets of mussels. This industry is very crucial for this area. More importantly though, we were able to see ten maritime crosses that make up the Via Crucis Maritimo, the only maritime Way of the Cross in the world. It was drizzling and damp in the boat and somber floating by these ancient crosses. Also on the boat trip we were able to see the ruins of the historic Torrede Oeste which was a Roman stronghold and defensive fortress protecting the towns up river. We landed and immediately went to a typical fruit market for oranges, apples and pears and of course a little pastry to sustain our walking.
    From here it was only a few kilometers until we arrived in Padrón and the site where St James’s remains were brought following his martyrdom in Jerusalem (they were subsequently transported to Santiago and now lie in the Cathedral there). We were able to get a Certificado in town by visiting the sites around town and getting stamped. We visited the Romanesque church, Igrexa de Santiago which houses a Jacobean treasure below the main altar, the original stone, O Pedrón, that gives the town its name. Legend says this is where the boat carrying St James was moored. There were also oil paintings and statues in the church that were so beautiful. Throughout this pilgrimage we have been following Santiago Peregrino (the pilgrim) but here today we also got to see a statue of Santiago Matamoros (the soldier who slayed the Moors). They are one and the same! There’s a medieval bridge across from the church where we saw the impressive stone fountain, Fuente del Carmen which has a carving displaying the arrival of the body of St James with his disciples Theodore and Anthanaius and we also looked up to see the imposing Convento do Carmen- so much all around us! There were loads of cyclists and we watched them as we sat and snacked at a café on the square but then it was time to get going again. We didn’t know it yet but this would be our longest day at 18+ miles. It’s becoming easier to walk and powering up hills feels good. At this point we needed to make a determination- it was still a ways away but we both felt strong (although I still pray my way up hills) and so we decided to try and make it to Santiago today!
    Stay tuned!!
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