Pilgrims on the Way

After a leisurely morning, by eleven o’clock we’d reached the village of Gonzar (population 50). We popped into this outdoor café-bar for an early lunch. I note in my journal that we had been fighting gusting winds most of the day – perhaps accounting for our slower-than-usual pace – so this was a welcome respite. Date: 29 April 2013 Place: […]

After wending through the Galician forests for a bit, the Camino returned to roadside travel, with a gravel path paralleling the highway. As on the now-distant Meseta on days passed, there’s always that one tree that sticks its head above the rest. Date: 29 April 2013 Place: between Portomarín and Gonzar (Province of Lugo, Galicia, Spain) Today started: Portomarín (Province […]

From yesterday’s sublime to today’s silly. This photo was taken less than ten minutes after the previous, so it’s less than a kilometer away. What does it mean? Is this where you find chickens? Is this where the chickens cross the road? Is it something to do with Santo Domingo de la Calzada? Is this the chicken Camino route? Who […]

This is the coat of arms of Galicia. It depicts the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, surrounded by seven crosses representing the seven historical provinces of the Kingdom of Galicia. You see this everywhere – on government buildings, on road signs, even on trash bins. Just one more reminder that Galicia is a Catholic nation. Date: 29 […]

The next morning, we set out from Portomarín, and we were soon walking in the Galician forests once more. The weather was cool and sunny – perfect hiking weather. Our goal today was Palas de Rey, about 24km away. Date: 29 April 2013 Place: Portomarín (Province of Lugo, Galicia, Spain) Today started: Portomarín (Province of Lugo, Galicia, Spain)

The parish church of the town of Portomarín is this imposing structure, built in the thirteenth century. This is the Irexo de San Nicolao, otherwise known in Castilian Spanish as the Iglesia de San Nicolás. It was built as a fortress, as this area was at the time subject to raids by organized bandits, as well as the usual Reconquista […]

I am constantly amazed at the amount of public art on the Camino. There are, of course, many statues, paintings, and murals of Santiago himself. This one, in the town of Portomarín seems to have a cloak filled with stars, perhaps a nod towards the “compostela” (field of stars) in the city of Santiago de Compostela. Date: 28 April 2013 […]

Put this in the “adding insult to injury” file. Once you cross the long, scary bridge, there’s a final obstacle to get into the town of Portomarín – the stairs! After a long day’s walk, they’re absolutely brutal. Oh, you could follow the road to the right with the cars and trucks and eventually loop around into town, but that’s […]

After you cross the Rio Miño, there’s a climb into the town of Portomarín – more on that tomorrow. Partway up the stairs, I turned around and took a photo of the bridge we had to cross. This long bridge is primarily used by automobiles and has the narrowest walkway for pilgrims. It was nerve-wracking to cross with the cars […]

Eventually, we made it to the river – and not just the one pouring out of the sky on us. No, this was the Rio Miño. All we had to do now was cross over a long bridge primarily used by automobiles with the narrowest walkway for pilgrims. The wind as we crossed the bridge was fierce enough that our […]