The Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage route to the Catholic holy city of Santiago de Compostela (hereinafter referred to as Santiago) in northern Spain. This ancient pilgrimage route originated more than 900 years ago and has now developed into a cultural travel route in Europe. It is also one of the world cultural heritage sites, attracting a large number of pilgrims every year.
There are three ways to complete the Camino de Santiago: on horseback, on foot, or by bike. According to regulations, hikers must complete at least 100 kilometers to receive an official certificate. As proof of completing the journey, you need to pick up the official booklet Credencial del Peregrino at the starting point and collect at least two stamps from restaurants or inns along the way every day. The symbol of the Camino de Santiago is a white scallop shell. There are different opinions about the origin of this symbol: some say that St. James once made a living by fishing, while others say that it represents the pilgrim roads leading to the same place. An end point.
What we planned to complete was the last 118 kilometers of the French Route, starting from Sarria and ending in Santiago. Take a train from Madrid all the way north to Saria. There are many passengers carrying hiking bags on the same train. They should also be pilgrims preparing to embark on the Camino de Santiago. Sarria is located in Lugo, a province in the mountains of northern Spain, and many people start their pilgrimage from here, as it is the closest starting point to Santiago to obtain an official certificate.
Winter in the northern hemisphere has short days and long nights, and the sun has already set when we arrive in Sarria at around 7pm. Winter is not the peak season for pilgrims, and most of the shops in the town are already closed. We groped our way to our accommodation for the night in the dark. The host warmly welcomed us and brought us a pamphlet about the pilgrimage route as agreed.
Pilgrims starting from Saria usually divide the distance evenly and cover 118 kilometers in 5 days. However, we only had four days, so we arranged the most difficult journey on the first day, and we needed to walk 48 kilometers. Go to Palas de Rei. Although the difficulty of the Camino de Santiago is very low and there are almost no dangers along the way, I have never walked more than 20 kilometers in a day, so before leaving, I was still a little worried about whether I could successfully complete the route. A day's journey.
In order to avoid walking at night after sunset, we set off before the sun rose. According to the signs given to us by the shop owner yesterday, we successfully started our pilgrimage.
After walking in the dark for an unknown amount of time, we finally saw the sunrise on the field path.
The morning light illuminates the forest path, and the shell shapes and yellow arrows on the stone pillars point the way forward.
The tractor is still sleeping in the woods. Of course, such a "big guy" cannot be seen in the city.
Both sides of the pilgrimage road are like pastoral scrolls. Where the sun shines, there is tender green grass, and there is still white frost on the grass in the shadows.
Along the way we passed one small village after another. Cats peeked out from under the wooden gates of farms. Alert guard dogs rushed to the iron fence and barked because they smelled our scent.
The first day's journey was very lonely, with only the two of us on the field roads.
Small churches in villages along the way.
The shoes left behind by the pilgrims have become a new home for moss and succulents.
The stone pier marked the number of kilometers from Santiago . Watching the number decrease little by little, my tired legs gained momentum to move forward.
The cattle on the pasture seem to never have enough to eat. When they are tired, they lie down in the sun and take a nap. The peaceful grazing of cattle brought a touch of life to our pilgrimage.
The cloud bands in the mountains are blowing in the wind, and the small town in the distance disappears and appears.
Near noon we saw the Portomarlin Portomarín floating on the water. After the construction of the Dam of Belesar, the original site of the town was flooded by the Miño River, forcing the town to move to higher ground. After the move, the layout of the town was adjusted, and the ancient church was rebuilt brick by brick on the highest point of the hillside. Interestingly, the bridge in the picture is not just the small part above the water. When the water level is low enough in summer, people can see the high bridge Fichier Bridge and the underwater old Roman bridge at the same time, the ruins of the town will also surface.
The straight road on the bridge leads to the town. We took a photo in the middle of the road when there were no cars in front or behind.
At the end of the road is the staircase leading up to the church on the top of the mountain. The town seemed like a ghost town at this time. We collected a stamp at a hotel and continued on the road. There were many hiking bags beside the hotel door. It seemed that we were not the only two pilgrims on this road. Hotels along the route transport guests' backpacks from one stop to the next, allowing pilgrims to focus on enjoying their journey.
The river is calm, and the underwater ruins retain the long-lasting memories of the town.
There is an ancient cemetery outside the village, and the chapel is also part of the cemetery.
The huts in the fields each have the vast sky above their heads, the dense woods behind the house, and the green grassland around them.
Watching the sunset on the Camino de Santiago is a unique experience. While we were intoxicated by the gorgeous sunset, we were worried about the coming darkness. Fortunately, we were close to our destination and we managed to find the B&B before the sun set. The owners of the B&B are an old couple. They only have two rooms and a tavern to receive passing pilgrims. We happened to be the only guests that night. The moment he took off his shoes, accumulated fatigue filled every corner of his body. At the time, I thought this day was enough to brag about, but the accomplishments we are proud of go beyond that.
The next day’s journey was less than 30 kilometers, which was a piece of cake compared to yesterday. We slept until we woke up naturally and continued to move forward with enough energy. The cat on the wall waved its tail to greet us.
We met other pilgrims that day. We chose not to travel together because of our different speeds, but we all had the same destination: Arzúa. Arzúa.
It was the rainy season in Lugo Province at this time. It had been rainy in the north for the past few days, and we were even prepared to travel in the rain. Fortunately, we were very lucky and the weather cleared up when we arrived in Sarria. Such good weather accompanied us throughout the Camino de Santiago.
Every time a densely built town comes into view, our fighting spirit is rekindled. The emergence of the town means that we are one step closer to our destination, and it also means that we have another option besides walking: eating.
In order to rush on the first day, we had to have lunch on the road. A few thin slices of Iberian ham provided us with enough calories to continue moving forward. The small towns along the Camino de Santiago are all "large rural areas in the northwest." The dishes in restaurants run by locals are simple and must taste good. Today's trip was relatively relaxed. We found a small restaurant in the town and ordered grilled octopus, beef burgers and fries, and fruit wine Sangria. This lunch had strong local characteristics. The taste of the food and the enthusiasm of the owner were well received by us. After thanking the owner for his hospitality, we continued on our way.
Signs along the route are covered with stickers left by other pilgrims.
Most of the Camino de Santiago is a dirt road in the fields, occasionally on the side of a highway with little traffic.
We had one of the best dinners in days at Arzua. The restaurant's set menu is very affordable, including appetizers, main courses, drinks and desserts for less than 20 euros. Although the taste of this meal was average, the variety of dishes and affordable prices were enough to keep us full and satisfied.
Thinking that we only had about 20 kilometers to go on the third day, we stayed in bed until the sun was shining on us before getting up and packing up. After we had a hearty meal at the accommodation Casa Nené and were ready to hit the road, the host politely asked us if we would like to let him take a photo of our backs. According to the store’s tradition, they will post a photo of the back of the last customer of the year on social media to thank all customers for their support and praise in the past year. We happily agreed after hearing this.
Before leaving, the shop owner told us that people from nearby towns would go to Santiago to celebrate the New Year today, and suggested that we join the carnival crowd. Only then did we realize that today is already December 31st Day. He vividly described the celebration scenes for us, and his pride in the New Year traditions was clearly evident on his face. I was a little tempted by the shop owner's suggestion. However, the temporary change of the itinerary faced many problems. After efficient communication, the two reached a consensus: combine the two days' journey into one day and go directlyCelebrate New Year in San Diego.
The closer we get to San Diego, the denser the small houses in the fields become, and the faint sound of cars driving on the highway can be heard from behind the woods.
Continuing forward, the only thing that remains unchanged along the way is the pastoral scenery along the way. Although the scenery is similar, there is always something relaxing about being surrounded by different shades of green.
We are getting closer to Santiago , and the number of kilometers on the stone pillars has finally dropped into single digits. We could already see Santiago not far away, and the sun was beginning to turn westward. However, we missed a yellow arrow and took the wrong road. This oversight caused us to walk along the driveway for a long distance. Fortunately, we met a local who spoke a little English and pointed us to the right path.
After some twists and turns, we successfully walked to San Diego before sunset. The waitress at the hotel's front desk was very enthusiastic and invited us to use the free massage chairs in the store to relax.
After dropping off our luggage, we headed to the Pilgrim Reception Office, which was closed on New Year's Eve and a note on the door directed us to the Convento de San Francisco de Santiago. We met the priest in a robe in a small room at the back of the church. He asked us to write down our place of departure and birth in a notebook. What’s interesting is that all the people in the book set out from Sarria, and many of them were pilgrims from China. At the same time, he stamped a seal on the last page of the booklet, symbolizing that we had completed the Camino de Santiago, and prepared our official Certificate of Distance. At the end, he shook our hands, smiled and congratulated us on completing the journey.
These are these two booklets, the seals on them record our journey.
Day 1 (2019.12.29): Sarria → Palas de Rei <48km>
The next day (2019.12.30): Palas de Rei → Arzúa Arzúa <29km>
The third day (2019.12.31): Arzúa Arzúa → Santiago Camino de Santiago <39km>
After the small ceremony, we sat down on a bench in the church and took photos of the brochure and certificate under the light of the church. Looking back on the past few days, I am very glad that we chose to embark on this journey.
After a sumptuous dinner, we joined the crowd celebrating the New Year. People wore colorful pointed hats, and some families wore uniform decorations. The DJ on the stage turned the square in front of the church into a "large disco scene". Both adults and children danced to the deafening music .
When we checked in in the evening, the hotel clerk told us about the New Year traditions here. The excitement in his words was exactly the same as that of the male shopkeeper in Arzua. People will eat 12 grapes in the square in front of the cathedral to the sound of 12 bells. Each grape represents good luck for each month of the coming year. Hearing about such a unique ceremony, I couldn’t help but look forward to midnight.
Sure enough, we saw grapes on people's hands, and some people used chocolate beans instead. There were many people in the crowd who brought their own wine and glasses, ready for their families to open bottles to celebrate. We couldn't find a fruit stand in the city and didn't have any grapes on hand for New Year's Eve. Just when we were feeling sorry for this, two locals wearing colorful pointed hats bypassed the crowd and gave each of us a small bag of green grapes.
The church bell started the countdown to the New Year, and people around started stuffing grapes or chocolate beans into their mouths skillfully. However, we can’t eat grapes at the same speed as the New Year. The remaining grapes can only be saved for 2020. .
The children sat on their father's shoulders and watched the fireworks. Some of them were looking at the empty cups in their hands with disappointment, probably because they could not forget the sweetness of the chocolate beans.
Small stone piers like this are sold in every souvenir shop in the city, and we bought one to take home.
This mini stone pier is the most unique souvenir of this trip.
Santiago de Compostela The square in front of the Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela is very lively. A group of pilgrims who have just completed the Camino de Santiago celebrate in the square. They are the first wave to arrive in 2020 San Diego The Pilgrim At the foot of the church wall sat people who had just completed their pilgrimage. Some were staring at the crowd in the square in a daze, some were reading, and some were chatting with friends over yerba mate.
The interior of the cathedral is magnificent, but unfortunately it is under renovation and we can only see a small part of it.
The entire cathedral can be seen from the small park outside the city. Before night fell, we came to the hillside of the small park again. After taking one last look at the cathedral in the night, we set off for the bus station. On the first day of the new year, we took the overnight train to Lisbon and started our trip in Portugal.
The scenery along the Camino de Santiago is monotonous and not as good as other famous hiking routes. Its beauty lies in the simplicity of the countryside, the fate of meeting other pilgrims, and the unforgettable phrase "Buen Camino!" (along the way) Smoothly) . The Camino de Santiago was my first hiking experience. Thanks to Shanshan’s companionship along the way, I not only didn’t have to worry about making mistakes in my itinerary, but there were also people laughing and relaxing along the way.
We completed the last 118 kilometers of the Camino de Santiago in only three days, which most people would take five days to complete. This achievement undoubtedly makes us very proud. Some people may say that such an urgent arrangement reduces the understanding of the history and culture along the way. However, I feel that there are different ways to complete this road at different times in life. Maybe one day in the future, I will embark on this pilgrimage again.
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