Kategorie: 2021 Camino Primitivo

The cathedral in the morning and from the Alameda park.

We were in the pilgrim mass and got the Compostela.

Then there was the last lunch and dinner in the group.

Tomorrow I will go by bus to Oviedo and Bilbao and on Saturday I will fly home.

This was the last day of walking: about 19km. I started again in the dark.

That light is from the airport in Santiago, I think.

On the Camino Frances are now many pilgrims.

We got closer and are only a few streets away from the cathedral in Santiago.

Then we arrived.

We ate for the first time the big menu as lunch… Because we did not have to go on. Check-in, a little bit of sleep and then we walked in Santiago and visited some bars.

Today it was airline 31,6 km to go… So maybe 35 km in reality. I cannot really say it because the routes of my guide, my gpx and the marked arrows on the way differed.

Today there were many eucalyptus trees from small tree to big trees. The small trees have different formed leaves than the old ones.

I had luck with the rain, because the forecast predicted rain from about 15.00 o clock…. And I needed time till about 16.45… But the rain started really at about 20. O’clock.

Today there were 2 kinds of ‚Camino magic‘ for me. The first was that my group that I left 3 days ago were in the same village as I and it is on the Camino Frances not for sure at all. And the second: One couple from Belgium played guitar (he, S.) and sang (she, A-S.) several songs… And one of the group posted one video of only one song… of Halleluja, one of the songs of Beate’s and my wedding… What of course reminded me of my family.

I walked today about 25 km to Sobrado. I started in the dark and the light came slowly.

On this lonelier Camino the dogs are used to pilgrims much less and so the dogs normally bark at the pilgrims…. But nothing else happens.

Sometimes the ‚bridge‘ consists only of a few stones.

Here the Camino Verde joins the Camino del Norte.

The cows have to go somewhere else…. Even if there is a street in between.

So I arrive in Sobrado and have a very nice room. At the moment it is raining but according to the raining radar the rain should end soon.

Yesterday after the late check in I ate together with the pilgrims group I know.

Today I changed the route to the Camino Verde (green Camino) that leads to the Camino del Norte. So I will be longer on the lonelier caminos. There I went about 25km.

It is nice. And at the beginning it was a little adventure because the way was not maintained perfectly everywhere.

There were nice views.

I saw a little living snake.

At noon it was a little hot with almost 30 degrees but I found easily a room without a reservation.

Yesterday we ate together with the 60 year old E. from California, who is working in the it sector. Today I walked some time with him and we talked about work, family and so on. The weather was nice and the way rather long, about 30km. Near Gondar, about 11km before Lugo, was a Oasis pelegrino where you can get water and fresh fruits and can pay as much as you want (donativo).

I met V. who walked on his Camino from his home town in France without money. He sleeps mostly in churches and asks people for food. He has almost finished his studies in medicine and he thinks about the question whether he should get vaccinated and finish his studies or if he should stay unvaccinated because of his conviction that vaccination has to be a free decision without pressure from the state… In which case he could not finish his studies and wanted to get a writer. I tried to find arguments for the first case without sounding like his father, whom he does not listen to… He said thank you for the wise decision help but he wants to wait with his decision until Santiago and I do not know at all what he will decide.

As a group we sat in the first bar in Lugo and had something to drink and some tapas… Afterwards it was siesta in my hostel and so I will check in later after 19.00.

Today it rained a little bit and I walked about 24 km. It is good, that it rained only a little bit… Because with more rain it should be the most difficult part of the Camino Primitivo. Even so A. – S., the female pilgrim in our group, fell one time… But she was only full of mud, nothing else happened. And in my albergue there was a pilgrim who I did not know who treated his wounds with desinfectant.. He was bitten by a dog after he tried to run away and fell down… So probably running away from a dog is never a good idea. Until now I have only heard of biting dogs but never have seen bites.

The views today were with fog and many clouds.

The single room was booked out, so I am in a dormitory. But at the moment it is looking good… Only two other pilgrims in the room and I am next to the window.

Yesterday in the evening I got the news that I am not in the SAP project. That is a pity. But probably the project would have meant that I need to work more than I want to.

Today it was cloudy. I went to the top of a hill again and felt a little weak then. But afterwards it got better again.

The way markers in Galicia are huge.

So we are now in Galicia and at the end of the day the first half of the distance to Santiago de Compostela is finished.

I am glad that it rained only after I arrived in the albergue after about 26 km.

Sometimes the way is not so good… But normally it is okay.

Today it is the longest decline and I do not like the declines that much for my knees. From the top of the hill…

To the lake.

And then up again to Grandas de Salime after about 20km.

I started early in the dark and followed the gpx tracks on my phone. There were some houses and two dogs, that barked loudly and seemed more upset about me than the other dogs on the Camino. I went by and a few hundred meters later my way ended. OK, I thought… My gpx tracks are outdated and the dogs were not used to pilgrims. So I went back and followed the right way.

Then there was the longest rise until now. And there were cows as well.

And a nice scenery.

Then downwards again. So I arrived early in Berducedo. The village is in a valley and I had no internet or phone connection. The wifi of the pension did not work as well. That was bad, because I had an important phone call where I should apply for a longterm project directly with the company Sap… What is something special. OK… So I walk up the hill again and waited in the forest for the call… Call should be at 15.00 and weather forecast says no rain until 17.00… So that is OK. At 1450 the rain began… The phone call was OK, but I could not answer all technical question. They want to notify me on Friday.

At the end I was wet… And the funny detail was that the sun was shining again as I arrived in the albergue.