Early Start
The final stage, according to the Brierley guide, is walking from Padrón to Santiago. That wasn’t our plan, 25Km is a huge day for us, so we planned to stop short at O Milladoiro and have a shorter final day.
Our plan was to visit the first tomb of St. James, the Iglesia de Santiago, and get our first stamp of the day. However, the church was closed. We grabbed a croissant and coffee at Don Pepe II, on the plaza.
Who is this Nakor Shey?
One mystery of the Camino will remain a mystery to us. Who (or what) exactly is Nakor Shey? We saw the graffiti all along the trail.
We practiced “leave no trace“, by picking up litter and leaving the Camino a slightly better place. I wish Nakor Shey would have done the same.
Nipple Cheese & Iberian Ham
Eating was a joy on the Camino. One of the best meal starters is a plate of Tetilla cheese, a creamy cheese only made in Galicia.
We often had a Toast with Ham, with thinly sliced Iberian ham on top. I couldn’t get enough. This ham is a treat in the US, but an everyday ingredient here in Spain.
Another joy was to experience a slice of everyday Spanish culture by visiting the supermarket, Mercadona, where we could see the cheese & ham sections up close.
Fast Times at O Milladoiro
O Milladoiro is located on top of a hill, and the Camino path is a sidewalk on a busy road. On top of that, it was a hot day and we were running low on water.
The Capela da Magdalena is the first church that we walked past without stopping. Going up the hill, towards the end of a long, hot day, I pointed out to Laura, “hey, there’s a church”. She replied, “let’s just get to the albergue”.
After a rest and shower, we saw that the church had an 8 pm Mass, so we made our way back there. A gentleman in blue jeans and a checked shirt was futzing about the altar. 8 o’clock came and he grabbed a hanger and put on vestments, then started the Mass.
Fifteen minutes later, the Mass had ended and we were leaving in peace. That is when I learned that the homily is optional, especially for a daily Mass (it was a Friday).
We just had a couple of minutes to admire the interior, and snap a couple of pictures before a kind lady ushered us out to lock up.
The sculpture of Saint Mary Magdalene behind the altar was very interesting. We’ve never seen this depiction of her before.
Nice Albergue
Staying in albergues was not a large part of our Camino, opting mostly for hotels and private rooms. However, our final night before Santiago, we wanted to have the albergue dorm experience at least once.
The Albergue Milladoiro was a perfect choice. It was a newer building, with all the amenities like showers and laundry. The staff was very friendly, and our bunks had a thick curtain, giving some privacy. A nice touch, the assigned bunks were spread out, giving us a little more privacy. We highly recommend this albergue.
Laura's Log
-Penultimate day of Camino (walking part) today and 13.18 miles total walking. Last stretch was rough due to being alongside a highway, pulsating feet and general tiredness. We persevered! (John knew I was sapped when we could see a church in the distance, but off the Camino route, and I didn’t want to go explore it right at that moment.)
-First church here (Iglesia de Santiago) is in Padrón. It’s where St. James was first moved to and buried after his body was found in/at/under the “field of stars” (Compostela). As our hotel clerk explained last night, his remains were not taken to Santiago de Compostela Cathedral back then because of course the city of Santiago did not yet exist! The town of Padrón is super proud of its history. Alas, the church was not open until 10 am. A bit late for us to begin our walk.
(Convento del Carmen and Satuario da Virxe da Escravitude are below.)
-We had breakfast right in front of the church. (A lady ran down the street to the bakery for just-out-of-the oven croissants!) The café owner actually hugs his customers and kisses them on the head on departure wishing them a hearty “buen camino”! Different start to the day!
-Mostly country lanes, fields, cool woods and delightful little villages with twisty-curvy roads. Many stone walls, high and low. Quite enjoyable, though many, many ascents!
-Waiter at lunch at highway-side Novegil Café was extra hospitable. An egg tortilla and cheese toast never tasted so good. He explained we could go on a nature route off the highway for the next leg, which we did.
-At one point when we were feeling the heat we came upon coke machine at a closed albergue. Sat on a granite bench sharing it in the cool shady alcove. Bliss!
-A few adorable churches today. One was locked, yet so peaceful we sat out back — at one of the giant granite “Aslan tables” I’ve mentioned — to say part of the Rosary. Another one was overlooking the main road. Stunning inside. Prayed, took in the beauty, and rested a touch.
-In a municipal albergue (town-run hostel) tonight. So far so good. New and sparkly-clean.
-Revived ourselves and went out in search of 8 pm Mass at that church we had passed – Capilla de Santa Maria Magdelena. It was a most unusual Mass as John describes above.
-Tomorrow — SANTIAGO!!!!!!!!!!!! (Less than 5 miles away!) Deo gratias!
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