Aotearoa, New Zealand, The Return

After a fabulous adventure New Zealand called us home.  We landed to snow on the mountains, a drop of 30 degrees in temperature, the opening of the whitebait season and lots of lovely catchups with family as we spend time with our respective parents for a short time and help out whanau. After that................the next steps in our ongoing adventures...who knows where we will end up!

Otaki river mouth looking towards Tararua ranges

Waikanae river mouth and Kapiti island, brrrr early morning white baiters

The return of the Spoonbills

Stunning mural, Westshore, Hawkes Bay

Santiago de Compostela.....we made it!

We set out thinking we would split the last  24 k's into two days but as the walking was going well and we had a great breeze to keep us cool, we just  kept  going. The cool water fonts along the way were refreshing, an opportunity to wash your face or dunk your hot and tired feet.

This hombre had the perfect spot for his coffee cart, on a woodland trail, miles from any competition and just up a small rise... bliss to sit down and rest a while.... blister check time for many peregrinos. 

A group of young students had left a heart shaped message for a following group.. I loved the go, go, go sentiment.

 Lots of peregrinos today heading to the cathedral, young and not so young, resting in the shade of the trail at times, changing blister dressings, bathing feet and some with very bad limps or odd walking styles due to the many miles completed, but all determined to make Santiago today.

Just when our spirits were flagging and it was super hot coming out of a woodland area into a road walking area, the sign in the pic below said it all!

We made it to the cathedral plaza around 2pm and if felt good to complete the journey we started back in May, just a minor detour of 13,000k's and 14 odd countires later. It was great to see others we had passed along the way making it to the end today too.  The plaza was busy with fiesta week and the town is full of visitors for the big celebrations this weekend. There is a much greater security presence in the plaza and in Santiago itself, the fiesta ends at the weekend with concerts and fireworks so security is high.

No sculpture  of the day today...just our chuffed smiles in front of the cathedral and now a deep bath is calling .

Padron, a stroll through the town

Padron, on the River Sar,  is a town of sculpture and camino history, it is here where St James started his ministry in Spain and where his remains were brought back onto land after his martyrdom in Jerusalem. The Camino trail from Padron leads dirctly to Santiago de Compostela Cathedral and allegedly follows the journey of St James to his resting place. 

On the opposite side of the river is the very impressive Convento  do Carme XVIII.

In the Igrexa de Santiago, the Romanesque church in the town, you can see the original stone of O'Padron which dates back to Jacobean times.

Legend goes this is the mooring post to which the boat carrying St James tied up to on the River Sar.

The town is full of amazing scuptures in the little plaza's.

Padron  is also famous for its little green peppers, Padron Peppers, they are delicious. They are not too spicey and are char grilled and served everwhere.  The town has a sculpture to the Padron Pepper Pickers.... now say that 10 times fast.

Padron, Galicia

Caldas de Reis to Padron

Distance: 18.5ks

Other peregrinos seen: 30-40

Weather: sunshine and breeze, perfect walking weather (20-25 degrees)

It felt good getting back on the trail again today. We left early morning before the sun became too hot. This week is a special week in Galicia, it is an entire week dedicated to the The Feast of The Apostle and there are a range of local fiesta's in each town, when we reach Santiago de Compostela there will be a big concert and fiesta in the plaza. 

 We walked  alongside streams and through small woodlands. Not too much road walking today but as we get closer to Santiago this will change.

Alongside the trail are small alottments, water fonts and plenty of grapevines.  It is intersting  to see so many peregrinos today,  groups of school and uni students on summer hols. We met a lovely Austrian couple in the late 70's walking along hand in hand and we chatted   to a '20-something' chap from Germany, its so interesting hearing a range of  views and concerns  on the state European and world politics! Naturally there is very real concern about all the terrible terrorist acts and Spanish police have today announced a further step up in security at all tourist hot spots.

We crossed the River Sar and mid stream we saw the two biggest schools of fish ever seen in a river.

 The pics on our little snappy cam don't show the fish very well but there would have been  approx 500 fish in each school. They looked like trout but they could be a Euorpean Perch? There were some really big beauties there but nobody was fishing.

It is said Padron is where St James came up river by boat and preached in the beautiful countryside  long before he was killed and his body brought back to Santiago and then Santiago de Compostela Cathedral becoming the pilgrimage site for so many.  There is a small hike up to a hill with some fantastic ruins....I feel a sculpture of the day coming on, just need to get up that hill. 

Caldas de Reis

What an intriguing little village, a little scraggy around the edges but it has some great history.

It felt lovely to see the camino symbols and signs and to have to keep our eyes peeled for them again.

The town has the  only church dedicated to Saint Thomas Becket in Galicia, a shame it was locked...one of the few locked churches we have come across but given the horrific tragedy in France at the little church I suspect more of the little churches will be locked.  

The church was built in the 1800's and is surrounded by the remains of an old palm plantation. The church is built out of old stones from the castle  of Queen Urica, Alphonso VII where the King of Castile and Leon was born. 

The town has a secret pulling power, natural hot springs! They have been bathing the feet of pilgrims for hundreds of years.

The  water  comes out of the ground at a constant 40 degrees, fantastic on sore , tired feet.

Opposite the lovely hot water font was another font that wasnt working, it could be cold water for rinsing hair maybe?

Don't fancy hot water? Well  there is a beautiful water font on Ponte Roma with spring chilled, natural  water to restock your water bottles on a hot day.

Sculpture of the day comes from Ponte Roma, a recycling sculpture !

Road trip to Caldas de Reis

Mon/Tue 25/26 July 2016

We are saddling up our back packs tomorrow. We farewelled our black beauty Captur, a trusty nifty car that got us safely around Euope, over 13,000k's and over a dozen countries.  So before we hit the hostels again we had a night of luxury, well modest luxury👍.

The scallops were delicious, almost as good as NZ scallops and a very generous entree size👍

The prawn risotto was perfect.....cant complain....hostel kai,  bread and water for the next few days. Just kidding the hostels are great and menu del dia at the end of a days walking is scrumptious.

Villa Franca and O'Incino

Sat/Sun 24/25 July 2016

A slow relaxing drive back toward Pontevedra to finish the walk off, our Camino Portuguese. We  love the images on the highway signs.

After doing the hard  yard's at the start of our Portuguese Camino,  11 days of walking in the rain, we think a few days of walking in the sunshine will be a good way to complete the distance.

On our back road meanaderings we passed through gorgeous Vllia Franca on the Camino Frances and we stopped for lunch and admired the village.  It was full of peregrinos on the home straight for Santiago and  the gardens in the town were in full  blossom.

We even spotted a cabbage tree.

Onwards to O'Incino for the night, lucky we didnt follw the  GPS advice....the road ended......a long time ago!

We are staying at a place we stayed on our original journey south, Hermida Rural near O'Incino. The hotel is beside a lake and off the beaten track. Its quiet and peaceful and the view from our balcony is super.    Highly recommnded if anyone is looking for a break in this neck of tbe woods.

We nipped into Sarria for lunch and the town centre was roped off for a Red  Bull extreme bike circuit. It was such a contrast to see bikes zooming through the old town lanes, flying in the air beside the Cathedral at the same time as families all dressed up in their Sunday best attending a christening.

Sculptures of the day come from the mountain pass beyond Villa Franca, lots of pilgrim encouragemnt needed to get over the ranges!