I believe every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don’t intend to waste any of mine. – Neil Armstrong
June 4 – O Coto to Calle
Today’s miles – 17.8 Total miles 472.8
Bread is delivered early in the morning & hung on hotel & home’s doors 
E, C and C on our misty AM walk 
C & C lovin’ the eucalyptus trees in this area! 
C, C & E entering Melide. Perfect bridge reflection, & ancient steeple on rt 
Reeds are not reflections, they’re in the very deep water under the bridge 
E’s yummy breakfast. Sweet cream cheese fun and smoked salmon w/ avocado on toast. 
E talking with a local : ) 
The eucalyptus smells soooo sweet along The Way. 
Ribadiso’s cold Rio Iso was popular with pilgrims on this warm day! 
Seafood being cooked in Arzua
“…the greatest part of a road trip isn’t arriving at your destination. It’s all the wild stuff that happens along the way.” — Emma Chase
June 5 Calle to Vilamaior
Today’s miles – 14.1 Total miles 486.9
Elizabeth: Today is our penultimate walking day before arriving into Santiago!
All during the month of May we were able to count our days by knowing the day of the month. Since we started walking on May 1st, we always knew, if it was May 10th for example, it was our 10th day of walking. But since June 1st it’s a bit tougher. May had 31 days so we need to add 1, plus whatever day in June it is now. Silly, but it was noticeable. Today is June 5 so 36 days walking! Tomorrow we walk into Santiago which is the traditional end of the Camino Frances, and all other Caminos as well. No matter where you start in Spain, all paths lead to Santiago. We have walked for recreational / hiking purposes. But the Caminos, which began in the 900’s, all originated, and still are, made for those that are religious, traditionally Catholic, to make the pilgrimage to visit St James’ remains, an apostle of Jesus, who is believed to be buried in Santiago. We have found The Way to be spiritual at times. We love the ancient history and architecture. The community of like-minded pilgrims; the local’s open arms and our feeling of gratitude toward our own lives when we return home.
While in Galicia, we have been actually enjoying awakening to the rural farm animal noises each morning. The rooster’s crow, cow’s mooing and dogs barking.
Spain does not offer peanut butter as a general rule. Gary bought me some that he finally found in a grocery store and has been carrying it for me. Cooper, Chelsea and I have been putting it on bananas. The brand name is “Captain Mani”. Cooper will ask if I can bring Captain Mani for breakfast. It’s been a fun running joke.
Pablo, our lodging host and part owner with his wife and parents was quite the character yesterday. When I arrived, he told me my luggage (backpack I sent ahead to lighten my weight walking) would not be delivered. He had me going, as he continued to say that the luggage delivery guy doesn’t drop off at their place. He walked me to another room and there was my backpack. He laughed and I literally slapped his arm is jest. Then when Gary arrived, he asked Gary to stay downstairs, Pablo knocked on my room door and announced that Gary had called and was not coming…but his smirk gave him away. Casa de Horreo was a fun place. Cooper got a kick out of Pablo too. Pablo cooked my lasagna and delivered it to me, jokingly saying he would be right back to pull up a chair, since the food was so good. We have found Spaniards, mostly due to us not speaking the language very well, can be quite reserved with us. Pablo really lighted up last night by speaking English and being jovial and lightheartedly sarcastic. But just to be clear, I joke with many locals, or at least try to since that is my personality to do so, and most, once they know you are open to banter, will smile and are extremely helpful, warm and friendly. I also should mention we all feel very safe and welcome on the Camino.
By design, Gary’s planning of us stopping each day in a town in between the locations where most people stay, allows us to walk with very little pilgrims. We’ve encountered way less people than expected after Sarria. You can see in the pictures, we are often alone. We have not seen the bus loads of tourists, large groups of guided pilgrims, or school groups that we have encountered in the past.
Today I had my 1st ever Arnold Palmer, (lemonade and ice tea) on the Camino. Although it is very common in the States, we have not seen it offered here. Nor any lemonade or ice tea separately. Food in general has been much more diverse and pleasurable this year. Many restaurants offer hamburgers which were very uncommon even last year. The Pilgrim Menus are better in that they offer more selections and are prepared with a little more flare…salads with mixed baby greens, not just iceberg lettuce; chicken cooked in beer or with a flavorful spicy sauce; boiled potatoes vs always served as french fries; and more a la cart menu offerings that were not available in past years.
We saw a yard with a clever upcycling idea. Their children’s swings were made of old child car seats. We often see clever uses for many items that have been saved and upcycled, to serve another purpose.
Gary and I walked alone today as C & C were going to knock out 19 miles and arrive in Santiago a day ahead of us. They enjoy the cities and this allowed them to walk all day without us, on their last day of their first Camino Frances and arrive in the plaza at the Santiago Cathedral just the two of them. It can be quite emotional. It’s a major accomplishment to walk 500 miles across Spain and it can be a relief to be done this part of their journey. It can also be a letdown, that it is over, all in one. We have entered Santiago several times on previous Caminos and felt it to be important they experience this alone. They will thoroughly enjoy watching, greeting and joining others that we have all met along The Way, as these other pilgrims arrive for their first time as well. They have WhatsApp contacts for several people and many want to connect once in Santiago.
The kids plan to meet us tomorrow morning, June 6th, as we enter the Santiago Cathedral square. We only have 5 miles to go and plan to get an early start.
June 6 Vilamaior to Santiago
Today’s miles – 5.4 Total miles 492.3
Gary: This morning E and I were up at 5:15 and walking at 6:00. Sunrise was 6:56, so it was a dark start. We did not use our headlamps, so it was fun walking in a dark forest. It is amazing how well the eyes adjust. Being so close to a big city we were soon on streets and the daylight began to guide our way. We walked alone for the first hour, then a few other pilgrims started showing up on the trail. I walked a short distance with a young South Korean woman who was finishing her first Camino. She was confused with her feelings – excited to be done, sad to be done, how will this experience affect her “normal” life. I know when I finished my first big hike (The Appalachian Trail in 2014) I had very mixed emotions. To this day I am still hiking sections of the AT again and have done 6 Caminos – the Portuguese and the Frances for the fourth time this year. Obviously, I love the simplicity and comradery of trail life.
Cooper and Chelsea were waiting for us as we approached the cathedral. It was fun hearing about their experience yesterday. We stopped to take photos in the main plaza and chatted with several of our new friends. Then it was off to the Pilgrims Office to get our official completion certificates and get new passports for Cooper and I for the walk to Fisterra/Muxia. We went back to the main plaza to socialize a bit more, then off to get some lunch. Santiago has no shortage of bars/cafes in all the old alleyways.
“It doesn’t matter where you are going. It matters who is beside you.” – Anonymous
Elizabeth: My feelings today? My knee is quite painful and my heart is full of gratefulness. My body is exhausted but my desire for music, crowded cafes and rejoicing pilgrims is bursting at the seams with joy. Although I was unable/chose not to walk a few miles on this Camino, I know that I am part of a small group of retired age women, carrying their own backpack, that have walked across Spain (350-500 miles each time) on five different occasions! I have experienced some guilt for not walking every mile, but I feel proud, accomplished and fulfilled today. I have done the Camino, my way, yet again.
I treasure our ability to share the Camino feeling, first hand, with Cooper and Chelsea. We wish for them that these 5-6 weeks will remain in their hearts. This experience will continue to teach each of us something about ourselves and each other, as we carry the Camino back home in our souls.
We will post again after our days in Fisterra and then again after Muxia.
What we find in a soul mate is not something to tame, but something wild to run with.
Robert Brault
Gary and Elizabeth's Adventures 