Nigrán

Leaving Baiona was hard today- what a lovely coastal town with its harbor and churches. We bid the Virxe da Rocha (a 15 meter tall Madonna outdoor sculpture) and our sweet little hostel goodbye for now with the hope to come back one day. We’ve gotten into a routine of getting out the door and searching for the nearest café to grab a coffee and a pastry before hiking away but this morning the rain was so intense that we lingered a little longer hoping for some respite. We were even approached by a young guy who tried to coax us into his car so that he could drive us to Vigo since, as he told us, he worked there. No chance but thankyou kindly we responded- we are committed to this pilgrimage! And off we went sloshing along through the streets with our faithful ponchos (who were never removed today!) I felt my guardian angel working hard keeping me safe several times during our hike so I hope I’m keeping her wings dry with my poncho too. (Ah- the thoughts that come to mind when you walk and walk!) The rain was intense and never ending but we did manage 18 miles. We walked through quiet country lanes, high forest paths, along rivers and across bridges. Between Baiona and Nigrán there is a quaint medieval bridge with 10 arches and in the center of the bridge is a cross (cruceiro) with a statue of San Telmo (Saint Elmo), who is the patron saint of sailors- like Richard! Some of the rivers we passed were the Guillade, the DaGrobe and the Miño-
We are seeing so many of the ancient crosses along the way- some attached to churches or merely on the side of the road. We noticed today that many of them have carvings front and back so we check each one and try to discern the meaning of each one. The saddest ones, I believe, are the ones who have Our Blessed Mother Mary holding baby Jesus on one side and then we see the crucified Christ on the other side- the combination of these two events on one cross is powerful and painfully sad. We also have visited and prayed at some cemeteries and today were struck that some more recent graves are crowned with ancient carved crosses probably repurposed from previous older graves?
Some of the churches we have tried to enter have been locked - it’s a sad commentary on our world that one cannot just enter our churches!! But these are precious treasures to be protected and so when they are open we rejoice at an entry granted.
A little aside about the daily life we see here in Spain- I’m intrigued by the little bakeries we pass. Some are named « Pandelarias » and some are « Pastelarias » Not sure of the difference! Also as we’ve passed through towns we’re been entertained by the baguette delivery here- they just hook a bagged baguette (sorry couldn’t resist) on the front door handle of the homes - what a good system!
Our afternoon was spent tramping in the mud mostly through forests that were fairylike in appearance- full of ferns and mossy rocks and waterfalls- the birds sang us along and the smell which was a combination of fresh rain and eucalyptus trees was intoxicating. And we spied a rainbow even through the rain. We also saw the Fonte de Medõna which was used as a water stop for thirsty pilgrims. Once we got back down closer to Vigo there was more farmland and now we have sheep! Arriving in Vigo we took advantage of a Menú del Diá and wolfed down some cauliflower soup, fried fresh fish, some flan and a glass of vino (for me!) all for 12Euro. Exhaustion had overpowered us now so no sightseeing but we’ll try in the morning. Hoping our hiking boots and clothes dry tonight. Tomorrow we are beginning the last 100 K of our pilgrimage- apparently we will see more pilgrims and we are just so inspired to continue heading towards Santiago de Compostela. As we get closer our
anticipation is heightening- Please keep us in your prayers- you are all in ours!! XoxoxoLes mer