Back Home One Week

Preliminary Thoughts on Camino 2018

5 Days Back In Rocheter

The body is recovering. LOL. My sleep habits are getting better. The first few days, I was sleeping up to 10 - 12 hours a night. Now it is down to 9 hrs a night.

A couple of big differences in the time zone adjustment is no longer feeling completely wasted around 10:00 am, which would be 4:00 pm in Madrid. Sounds like it should not be a big deal, but that 6 hr difference takes adjustment.

The left leg is feeling better also. Checked in with my doctor. Already had an x-ray and an ultra-sound, the both of which rules out any bone anomalies, e.g. fracture, or blood clots. Just sort of further reinforcement that I over-worked a tendon, muscle or ligament.

Making an appointment with an orthopedist just to be thorough. That will probably take a month, tho, and I expect to be fully recovered by then. If I'm not, then an orthopedist makes sense.

The Normal Routine

Work is returning to the routine. Completed again the Bias training that the system did not log before, as well as the follow-on training. Completed General Radiation Worker training. Digging back into the code. Doesn't that just sound like a 'return to normalcy'.

Lost 9 lbs on this camino due to a change in eating habits. Whereas on past caminos, I ate lots of carbs for energy, this time I focused more on proteins. I did not really need to build muscle mass, but did want to see if I needed as much in carbs as I thought. It turns out that I did NOT need all those carbs. I hiked just fine on a more protein diet, and in the process, lost unneeded weight. I suppose the effort now will be to keep it off.

Doesn't this all sound like a typical week for a typical person living a typical life?

Spiritually, folks say that I look and act calmer. That is an interesting observation. Makes me wonder what I looked or acted like before I went on this amazing experience. I feel that I have come to peace with some major decisions that someone in my age bracket has to make.

I'm at a crossroads in many ways, and the Way of St James was the time that I needed to sort thru life's curveballs.

I may be back to the uniqueness and spirituality and nature of the Camino much sooner than anticipated.

Day 33 - 35 Madrid

Madrid

Thursday evening/night

Already got some chores done.

Used local train system to get from the national system to the hostel.

Went to subway station at Puerta del Sol to figure out how to navigate the system to the airport on Saturday.

Walked around Madrid Central, just enjoying the liveliness and ambiance. Got dinner at 11 p.m. like a Spaniard. Fried green peppers and calamari and churros con chocolate.

Friday

Another check of my understanding of the subway system. Have line numbers and stations figured out. Practiced purchasing my fare. System is automated.

Walked around Madrid. Took a free walking tour with Madride Travel. I did it also in 2016. It's always an interesting tour, especially when I have some prior experience. I took the Spanish tour just to practice one more time.

Went again to see Picasso's Guernica. and once again I'm simply amazed at the absolute simplicity of the painting and at the same time the absolute complexity of the painting, all wrapped up into one horrible depiction of war.

Perhaps because this is my second time to see the actual painting, and not just a representation, I was able to focus on details that I did not notice before. For example it seems to me there are two horses in the painting yet they share the same head. This time I also noticed door frames and everyday artifacts that are very deeply set into the painting with colors that almost match the background but are not exactly the same.

I read in the analysis that says the bull represents Fascism and that the horse represents the people of the town. I don't know enough about art to be a serious critic, but it seems to me that the ugly and gruesome way that the people of the town are drawn is enough to represent the people of Guernica.

On leaving the museum, rather than retrace my steps, I found a street thru a very quiet Madrid neighborhood. It made me remember and realize that the people of Madrid have their own personal lives, just like the people of Rochester. My perceptions of Madrid and their perceptions of Madrid, I'm sure are  very different. One more thing to make me realize how close to an end this trip is and how close to a new beginning I am back home.

The coffee shop and bakery that I'm in is so quiet and peaceful because it's a neighborhood place.

Saturday

All checked in at the airport, having a Cafe Con Leche and tostada in the terminal and just waiting to board the plane. It's finally over. So many great memories, so many great experiences, such a great adventure.

 I regret not being able to continue on this wonderful journey, but also at some point everyone must return home. It's that time to return home.

What is most amazing to me is all the wonderful people I met and all the great conversations I've had with folks from all over Europe. 

The Camino provides.

JFK

Because of the pre-clearance in Dublin Airport, I disembarked in the JFK domestic terminal and have plenty of time to make arrangements for an earlier flight to Rochester. so instead of sleeping in the terminal tonight, I'll be in my own bed by 1 AM.

Rochester

Notable memories

What can I say? Madrid on a Thursday night at Puerta del Sol.

 Roller bladers getting audience members to lay down so that they can be jumped over. Lol

What you eat in Madrid on a Thursday night at 11 p.m. I had churros, thick fried dough, in hot chocolate sauce before I walked in to eat.

Break dancers at Puerta del Sol

Puerta del Sol on Friday morning

Because I can. Churros y cafe con leche

Touching the bear iniPuerto del Sol is supposed to bring you good luck.

The Royal palace. It has somewhere around 3000 rooms.

A side street in Madrid

Day 33: Milladoiro to Santiago

Milladoiro to Santiago

Distance: 5 miles / 8 km

Total: 345 miles.

Notable memories

The final day

Cheated this a.m. to keep weight off of the leg. Took a cab for 3 km, but walked the rest from the Santiago City limits.

Reached Plaza do Obradoiro and the Cathedral of Santiago about 8:45 and had compostela by 9:15. Almost no lines at the Pilgrim Support Office.

Just came from the noon All Saints Day Mass. It was beautiful. There was a procession, followed by the swinging of the Butafumiero ( 200 lb, I believe, incense burner ), followed by the singing of the All Saints Day Mass.

Cathy and I got separated by the crowds in the cathedral, but we both found today's mass to be a moving experience, each in our own way.

I know it sounds strange to say we had a joyous goodbye, but when it was time for her to go to the bus station and for me to go to the train station, we had already reflected back on how wonderful this always life transforming experience on the Camino de Santiago is.

Sometimes a person grows out here, and sometimes a person changes out here. But one never returns the same as when you left. Such is the miracle of the way of Saint James.

 Camiga Cathy and I complete the Camino Portuguese.

Looking down Rua do Carretas from the Centro International de Acogido de Peregrinos. It is a holy day, All Saints, and the center is so quiet, it's unbelievable. We got our Compostelas in under 15 minutes. That's a miracle in itself.

Day 32: Herbon to Milladoiro

Herbon to Milladoiro

Distance: 10 miles / 16 km

Total: 340 miles

Notable memories

The hike

The hike was memorable mainly because it was the last day of a full schedule. 

It was about 10 miles long, and although the sky was grey and cloudy, it did not rain which was a blessing. 

Amazingly I seem to have picked up a stress fracture on the very last day. Otherwise I cannot account for what's going on with my left leg. 

Stuff happens.

Tomorrow will be the end of the most amazing journey that I have ever taken.

 Last day was cloudy and damp but at least there was no rain

Less than 10 miles to Santiago

A soliloquy

  I was musing on topics for a soliloquy and it seems to me that Shakespeare's most powerful soliloquies whether for love or hate, explore the rawest, basest, deepest depths of emotion.

With that, I wrote the following soliloquy.


A short time I was vassal to your lordship.
I grieve a woman not for your highness - mine - taken.
Grieve the wrongness of your pleasures purposelessness.
Bring forth your scurrilous, salamander newts;
They die as quickly as you won't.
The hell in my tormented soul fires me;
Sends you to Perdition's coals.
Draw rapier for honor to prick your heart;
Stroke the shave of sword to your guileful mask
To feast there for sustaining redness.
For each cut on your corpse marks your sin.
No quickness, no quarter, no peace, no mercy.
Today you pass from here more slowly than her.
Burn as slowly as quickly as you took her
Pray demons of Dante's Inferno ever leave nothing of you.
Pray the Serpents of Hades consume you eternally.
Pray today you die to live in Hell.

Day 31: Caldas de Rei to Herbon

Caldas de Rei to Herbón

Distance: 12 miles / 19 km

Total: 330 miles

Notable memories

Today's lunch

Spanish Tortilla and calamari with fries.

Albergue de San Antonio de Herbón

The guide says that this particular albergue is a not to miss place. With a community dinner and a community breakfast and Pilgrim's Mass, I'm hoping for a nice spiritual experience to wind up this Camino.

Later that night ...

Cathy and I were the first to check in. So I was concerned that we'd be the only ones here tonight. It is the end of the season. But by the end of the night we had two men from the Czech Republic, one Hungarian woman, three German women and one German man, a Canadian and me. Plus our two Spanish hosts.

Had most amazing communal experience on Camino tonight. during the wishing of peace to fellow Mass attendees, I turned around to extend the greeting and there behind me were Anna and Eva, the young ladies that I originally met at the start of this Camino in Porto, Portugal. That was an amazing moment because I enjoyed their company at the start of this Camino in Portugal, and now they would be there for the end of it, or at least one of the last stages.

The pilgrim mass and blessing afterwards so choked me up that I could not deliver a final prayer and had to ask somebody else to do it for me. We had a truly outstanding community dinner and I can't wait for our community breakfast tomorrow morning before we all go our way.

Grounds of the Albergue de Petegrinos de San Antonio in Herbón.

Teresa giving us a tour

The chapel

Celebrated our Pilgrim's Mass and received the Pilgrim's blessing

Brother Jose gave us a tour of the chapel which was started in the XVI century

Pilgrim Blessing

Two days left

As I start this entry, it is so hard to even remember much of the first two parts of this journey.

It was about 10 days thru south central Galicia, followed by about a week in Ireland, followed by another two weeks and some in Portugal and south west Galicia.

Sometimes it seems like I remember all the travel between countries better than the travel in the countries.

There were times when I  wished it was all over, but it would be nice if the Camino could continue.

Where would I go if I could continue?

So many choices.

Portugal would be on the list. I came to like my time there. I realized that I was limiting myself to Spain.

Certainly back to Spain.

Ireland is a definite. Wales and Scotland for a Celtic Camino.

And now it is time to consider hiking in Latin America. Argentina and Chile seem to be calling me.

Day 30: Pontevedra to Caldas de Rei

Pontevedra to Caldas de Rei

Distance: 14 miles / 23 km

Total: 318 miles

Notable memories

The distance

Today I realized that I had hiked over 1000 miles in Europe. Adding up my last four Caminos, I hit the 785 mile mark. About 4 days ago I reached 225 miles on this Camino. So that was the day when I broke the 1000-mile barrier of hiking in Europe.  Pretty proud of myself. So right now I'm just short of 1100 miles with only 25 miles to Santiago and the end of this year.

Today's hike

The wrapup

The plan for the next two days: tomorrow to go to Padron and spend the night at the monastery in a traditional Pilgrim support albergue; next day stop 6 km short of Santiago and the following day to head in to Santiago at sunrise.

Spend Thursday in Santiago and catch the train to Madrid in the afternoon.

Friday in Madrid. Saturday board the plane. And Sunday I will be back home.

That will mark the end of  Camino 2018.

Just one of those many pretty little churches that I passed by

Someone was enjoying the day

Following the Camino through the vineyards of Galicia

Church of Santo Tomas. Went to mass here tonight for some redemption. B-)

Day 29: Pozo de Mos to Pontevedra

Pozo de Mos to Pontevedra

Distance: 19 miles / 31 km

Total: 304 miles

Notable memories

The day

In order to have a rest day and allow for bad weather and allow for a day in Madrid, today started out as a 19 mile day. Camiga Cathy and I did it, but by the time we reached Pontevedra, we were both sore, quite sure.

The only agenda item really became something to eat and to bed. Tomorrow will be an easier day, only 12 miles but that's because I couldn't figure out how to squeeze in some extra miles.

At the halfway point, lots of pilgrims begin dropping out to spend the night in Arcade, a seaport town at the end of a fjord.  Arcade was the halfway point on today's hike for making any decisions. Cathy has been having issues but today she decided to go for it. I had been feeling pretty good and was ready for a challenge. So we went for it. Glad we did, but there was a price to pay.

The weather has been in our favor, but Tuesday, two days from today, the weather forecast says 90% chance of rain all day long. Not sure what I'll do then on Tuesday, whether to hunker down wherever I am or to press on.

That is the train bridge way high overhead, passing right through the center of town.



Train tracks thru and over Redondela

Camino shell display

Walking laundry. Shoes, pants, socks, shirt, Etc.

The fjiord at Arcade