El Camino de Santiago: Beers On The Way

Loved your blog today Dad. Made me laugh and cry. Walking five hundred miles across Spain certainly provided lots to laugh about but Day twenty seven brought a few tears as well.

The only good thing that came out of the first Covid19-related lockdown, as far as Graeme Cook was concerned, was his discovering the existence of El Camino de Santiago, known as The Way, an ancient pilgrimage route from the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in the north west of Spain. Only recently unshackled from the world of working and for reasons he still doesn’t fully understand, he determined that this was a quest he must undertake and in the Spring of 2022 he and Mrs C set forth with rucksacks on their backs to see if they really could walk five hundred miles to the tomb of Saint James. 

Spoiler alert: They made it. And not least because they had their guiding principles to, err, guide them along the way. Beer is good for you being the main one. Graeme wrote a daily blog to keep friends and family up to date with their progress. The blog also began to attract interest from further afield. Encouraged by positive feedback such as that from Susan (USA) below, Graeme decided to try his hand at writing a book about the whole adventure.

Thanks for sharing your journey. I’m now on a quest to convince my husband that we can indeed do this. All your references to beer stops is helping! 

From having a near bust-up with Ernest Hemingway to meeting the invisible man, naked Germans, sophisticated Frenchmen, hunch-backed laboratory assistants, soppy knights, pizza-worshipping monks, the Camino family, the accommodation, the tears on Day twenty seven, the thrill of gazing up at Santiago Cathedral and of course a few beers along the way, it was the experience of a lifetime. 

Whether you have walked The Way yourself, are planning to walk it or simply interested to learn a little more about it, this book will provide an insight like no other. It will make you laugh. It might also make you cry. Amazon link

Day 36 - 28 May - O’Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela

As The Proclaimers famously sang:

And I would walk 500 miles                                

But I’m not sure I’d walk 500 more                      

It’s a bloody long way and my boots are knacked 

And the little pinky on my left foot is quite sore

Regular readers of this blog will, by now, be able to anticipate the next sentence. Alarm at six, on the road at half six, stopped for coffee yada yada. Sooooo predictable. Such is life on the road.

From O’Pedrouzo we had an initial four miles of (yada, yada) lovely woodland paths and countryside and a long, long uphill until we reached the perimeter of Santiago airport. Previously the walk past Burgos airport was tediously boring but apart from hearing a couple of planes, we never saw a thing of the airport and skirted around it via, initially, more woodland paths which eventually morphed into leafy villages until we peaked at Monte del Gozo from where we got our first view of the cathedral spires, still three miles away. Even the walk through the city outskirts was pleasant enough as we neared the historic part of the city housing the cathedral. The official Camino route brings you around the side of the cathedral, through an archway where you are bagpiped through and then into the huge square in front of the cathedral main entrance.

We had made it. Half past eleven in the morning. It was already very hot but as easy a twelve miles as we have had over the last five weeks. Our friend Michael from Switzerland was there to meet us and then we bumped into Lars and Inger - the three people with whom we have become closest over the course of our Camino. 

Then it was off to the Pilgrim’s office to collect our Compostelas, something of a two hour fanny about but we spent most of the waiting time sat in the shaded garden. To be honest it was nice to spend time doing nothing in the knowledge that we didn’t have any more miles in front of us, just a modest few hundred yards to our hotel where we have the next two nights booked. And it is lovely.

Next stop Zara. Yes, one of us was in need of some retail therapy. One of us waited in a nearby bar. 

We returned to the hotel via another bar and a tortilla bocadillo and enjoyed a rest before venturing out for the evening. We had an hour to kill before meeting up with Michael and a Michelin starred restaurant so we sat outside a bar close to our hotel where Peggy (USA) joined us for a drink. 

The fayre at our Michelin treat Casa Marcelo was described as “fusion cuisine in a moody setting” which sounds both pretentious and expensive but it proved to be a lovely way to end our Camino. In all likelihood we may never see Michael again but we have enjoyed his friendship immensely.

Tomorrow, we hope to meet up with other Camino friends who should be arriving in Santiago during the day but our Camino is over. We have loved it. Until the next one. Buen Camino!

Day 35 - 27 May - Arzua to O’Pedrouzo

As Andy Williams famously sang:

Almost there, we’re almost there
And soon we'll find
Our paradise, paradise so rare
Have a beer, a Camino beer
And close your eyes, for we're almost there

There was a sense of euphoria in the air today. Santiago tomorrow and a relatively easy walking day ahead of us today. And the sun was promising to be our companion all day long today.

We set off at six thirty five this morning, almost immediately bumping into Lars and Inger (Sweden) with whom we walked, on and off, throughout the morning. We like walking with them and we like walking just the two of us so the on and off worked well for all concerned. 

Our first coffee break at half past seven in the village of Pregontoño, sat in the garden of a bar as the early morning sun made its appearance from over the hill behind us. We walked on in the company of Lorraine (UK) with whom we have been seeing on the road over the last few days. All that chatting made me thirsty so, having linked up with Lars and Inger again, we stopped at a bar between Boavista and Salceda and I treated myself to a little beer. It was nearly ten o’clock after all.

After that it was heads down and beat the heat. The walking conditions underfoot continued to be kind and the anticipated ups and downs were nowhere near as hard as yesterday. And of course the Galician countryside continued to wow as it has done all week. We arrived in O’Pedrouzo at half past twelve and checked in to our very nice room at the weirdly named NOJA Rooms.

We were in no rush. After showering and washing sweaty socks and shirts, it was hunger that encouraged us out of the room. We found a nice looking place with huge gardens and huge tables. I went to the bar. No service at the bar. Garden service only. We sat at the end of an eight person bench where two guys were sat at the other end. Waiter runs over. “No sit there”. Why not? “Only one ticket per table”. Eh? So if one person, on their own, sits on an eight person bench, no one else can sit there. Even if that one person fancies a bit of company. Sounds pretty stupid to me. We moved to an empty eight person bench. We left five minutes later. I want a beer when I want a beer, not when some waiter decides he can be arsed to serve us.

We found a less attractive bar on the Pedrouzo main road. We had two beers in front of us in two minutes and we ordered food with the second round of beers. Delicious. Up yours trendy garden bar.

We then took a stroll and found another main road bar with seats in the shade. All this wanting to sit in the sun and after two minutes it had proven too hot to handle. Lars and Inger joined us. 

At the end of the day, we are of course on a pilgrimage so I especially wanted to see the local church. That’s just the kind of bloke I am. And where you find a church? Correct. You usually find a pub or (in Spain) a bar. And we found a little gem. The albergue Santaia en Casal de Calma had a garden as wonderful as the albergue name suggests. The four of us celebrated with a bottle each of the Estrella Camino de Santiago cerveza. And then we did it again. 

Eventually our Swedish friends decided that they needed to go find some food but we stayed put, preferring to remain on the Camino de Santiago because we’re diligent like that, even if Mrs C did eventually move on to the vino tinto.

And that’s how we spent our last night proper on the Camino. Tomorrow, with temperatures forecast to hit thirty two degrees by mid afternoon in Santiago, we will go with the early morning start again which should see us arrive at the Cathedral at or shortly after noon. For now, it’s bedtime. And we’re nearly there.

Day 34 - 26 May - Os Valos to Arzua

As Blood, Sweat and Tears famously sang:

What goes up must come down
Unless you’re in Galicia it’s the other way around
Your feet are having troubles
It's a cryin' sin
Ride a painted pony                                                     

Let the spinning wheel spin

Our early starts are becoming second nature to us by now. Six o’clock alarm. Up. Wash. Pack. Out. We hit the path at six forty five. It was misty and cold. I wasn’t expecting that. Anyway, by seven thirty we were enjoying a coffee and tostada in the town of Palas de Rei. Through the bar window, we saw Fran (UK) and Rosa (Canada) pass by on their way out of town and we were soon on our way too as we had a total near twenty mile day ahead of us.

As has been the case through Galicia, the pathways and roads made for comfortable walking conditions, aided by an initial freshness in the air once the sun broke through the mist. But, the whole eighteen miles between Palas de Rei and Arzua was all up and down. I think they must have re-written the rules of gravity here to read what comes down must go up again. 

The villages we pass through seem to get more quaint, more beautifully restored with less dereliction the nearer we get to Santiago. This has been quite marked since Sarria and you suspect that this busiest part of the Camino has allowed the local economies to flourish.

We passed through the villages of Carballal, San Xulian and Casanova before stopping at Bar Campanilla for another coffee and some cake, the ambience slightly tainted by the waft of the muck-spreading taking place a quarter of a mile down the road. Then on through Cornixa, Lobreiro and Desicabo before we passed through the town of Melide, By now it was beginning to get hot and the ups and downs were making me thirsty. We decided to stop at the first bar out of Melide which was a good decision in that Taberna de Parabispo was lovely. But it was another two miles of thirstyness. I could barely muster a smile by the time we found Harriet in the same bar.

From there we had another four and a half miles to go. Ninety minutes in theory but what with continued ups (far more ups than downs), water stops, navigation stops and fatigue, it took us nearly sixty minutes longer. La Puerta de Arzua, our accommodation for the night, was indeed a welcome sight.

Accommodation has been somewhat hit and miss over these last four and a bit weeks and we weren’t expecting a great deal from tonight’s choice but, as it transpired, it is all fairly new and our room was comfortable and spotlessly clean. However, with no food offering, we thought we should venture into the town of Arzua and explore. The kindly owner insisted on driving us into town and, as the miles passed, we were wondering how we could (eventually) walk back without picking up any blisters, now that we were sporting flip flops and crocs between us. All we really wanted to do was sit in the sunshine but he took us into a bar, introduced us to the bar staff, then left. All well and good but they had no outside seating. Anyway we consoled ourselves with a bottle each of Estrella’s Camino del Santiago beer which is the tastiest beer we have had these last few weeks. Thereafter we determined that we should undertake a slow bar crawl home - to protect our feet obviously.

Bar no. 1 we saw Fran and Angela and sat with them discussing how tough today’s ups and downs had been. Bar no. 2 - we were back at base! The three mile drive into town hadn’t even been a mile. That’s what four and a bit weeks walking does for you. We were clueless.

Base actually meant the bar next door to our accommodation. We ate, drank beer and wine whilst sat in the sun. Okay, it was pretty much roadside and the nice views were behind us but we sat in the sun. At nine o’clock we called it a night and retired to our nice, comfortable, clean room. 

In my mind, tomorrow is our last proper day walking before Santiago and, having checked the guide, we have another day of ups and downs then more ups. Ahh sod it, let that spinning wheel spin.

Day 33 - 25 May - Portomarin to Os Valos

As John Denver famously sang:

You fill up my senses
Like a walk in a forest
Like the mountains in springtime
But leave out the rain
Just a little more sun please
On a walk in Galicia
You fill up my senses
Come fill me again

Galicia is very green. Very green doesn’t actually do it justice. It is green like England’s green and pleasant land. Like the green, green grass of home. Like little green apples. Like green onions. Greensleeves. Shakey’s green door. You get the picture.

We were up and at ‘em early today. With our accommodation being a mile and a half off route, we opted to set off at six thirty to get back on track, at Portomarin, by seven. Having done so we had a quick coffee before setting off on the route proper. Not having checked the guide book in any detail, the steep ascent out of town caught us a bit by surprise. The rate of ascent lessened but basically the first nine miles was uphill, climbing nearly four hundred metres. 

We stopped for coffee at an albergue in Gonzar, about half way up, then a refreshing beer at the wonderfully named Casa Molar at Ventos de Naron near the top. 

For the third day running, we are on easy paths with amazing views. The one welcome difference today though being that the sun was shining for much of the way through our fifteen miles but with a cooling breeze. Just perfect.

The Way is noticeably busier now, with lots more Spanish having joined from Sarria, particularly young people which is great to see and has brought about a welcome increase in the number of perfectly shaped bottoms in front of me. The greater numbers have added to a general air of excitement as we get closer to Santiago. In fact I was so excited that I had another beer in the garden at Casa Mariluz in Lagonde.

Further on it was lovely to catch up with Harriet (UK) who we haven’t seen in the last three weeks.

After last night’s disappointing choice of accommodation, we were keeping fingers crossed that we had chosen more wisely today, particularly with the prospect of some afternoon sunshine. This time we were not disappointed. Praise the lord. Let’s have a beer.

A little frustratingly though, the sunshine kept losing out to the clouds for most of the afternoon and early evening but we persevered, practicing for the next three days when the forecast is for wall-to-wall sunshine and decent temperatures. And by the end of Day three, good fortune permitting, that should be it; walk over. But in the meantime, we have another forty five miles to go in the wonderful green land that is Galicia. I can’t wait.

Day 32 - 24 May - Sarria to Portomarin

As John Denver famously sang:

Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, home of Marsha
Take me home, country roads

The six o’clock alarm awoke me from my slumbers. The four-bedroom, nine-bed apartment in Sarria had proven very comfortable and my first challenge was to ascertain in which of the beds Mrs C had elected to go for. I am of course joking. She was on the sofa. 

We departed our accommodation a fraction before seven and tracked back into town to pick up the official Camino route out of town. It appears I may owe Sarria an apology. The old town of Sarria, with its bars, cafes and albergues looked both quaint and atmospheric but had we stumbled upon it last night, my imaginary duet with Marsha Osmond would never have happened so I’m not unhappy.

The walk out of Sarria was lovely. It was like being at home and, for those of you who don’t know Burnley, no I’m not joking. This was the English countryside at its best, with English temperatures and cloudy skies but thankfully no rain. In Spain.

A short, steep bit gave way to a more gentle incline as we passed through the tiny villages of Vilei, Barbadelo and Rente before we reached Baxan where we stopped for a coffee and napolitana. And there was soon-to-be junior doctor Fran with her friend Beth and Beth’s mum Angela. Neither we nor Fran have seen our German friend Gerhard for a few days. We hope his bad foot hasn’t dropped off yet.

The walking conditions were perfect. Comfortable underfoot path and road surfaces, beautiful scenery and cool temperatures. And friends to walk with! We caught up with Lars and Inger from Sweden and ended up walking with them all the way in to Portomarin. Together, we passed through the villages of A Pena, Cortiñas, Baxan (another one) and Ferreiros before we stopped for a beer at a great little albergue at Mercadoiro. 

I let Lars and Inger in on our find from yesterday, namely dancing down steep bits. The theory is proven! Lars couldn’t even dance before today but he sure can dance downhill. I have no idea how to post the video proof on here but I can put it on Twatter if anyone wants to see it. If you do want to see it then leave a message to this effect at the bottom of this post.

To be fair, that may be easier said than done because I still have no idea how to post a message on my own blog but Nellie from West Virginia, USA knows how to do it. Hey Nellie. Thanks for your message. And by the way, the Camino is full of your fellow countrymen and women and every one of them that we have met is lovely, especially Marsha.

By now we only had a couple of miles to Portomarin but in the village of Vilacha, we met Xulian (think Julian with an X) who was putting up beer mats on his recently purchased donativo. Previously known as Casa Susana, the site was featured on the BBC’s Pilgrimage programme where “celebrities” ponced about pretending that they were walking the full five hundred miles. Anyway, as much as I dislike the concept of “celebrity”, Xulian isn’t a celebrity and I did like him because he’s a member of CAMRA and he likes his real ales so I hope he can make a success (or whatever it is he wants to make) out of Casa Xulian.

Thereafter, we walked to the entrance of Portomarin from where we phoned our hotel, Hostal Meson do Loyo who being two miles out of town had promised to pick us up. It wasn’t a limo but nonetheless we were on our way to the hotel within ten minutes of the call. Today’s fourteen miles had been the easiest day’s walking thus far and we were at our hotel before two o’clock which meant we had the whole afternoon to sit in the sun and relax. Except there was no sun. And it was a bit chilly. We spent the whole afternoon in the bar.

The hostal accommodation was no more than adequate, there was a bit of a smell of drains from time to time and it nearly had a great view but not quite. The staff were nice and friendly though and the entrecot steak I had was the size of a brick and cooked to perfection.

Also, we had time to sort out our journey-home logistics and all hotel requirements in-between. And of course we had a few beers. We also made some new friends, Louis and  Corine from Holland who are cycling to Santiago.

We are due to arrive in Santiago on Saturday. We will have a couple of nights there and then it’s a train and bus to Porto in Portugal from where we will fly home on the 1st of June. Suddenly this five hundred mile adventure is nearing its end and whilst I have loved every minute of it so far, I am missing my girlies so I’m looking forward to getting home. In the meantime though, we still have around sixty miles left to get to Santiago. Country roads, take me home.

Day 31 - 23 May - Biduedo to Sarria

As Barry White famously sang:

Let the music play
I just wanna dance Camino paths away
Here, right here, in Sarria is where I'm gonna stay
All night long

Another six o’clock alarm day. Casa Quiroga proved a comfortable and warm home for the night, so much so that yesterday’s wet stuff was now all dry. But for how long?

We ventured outside at quarter to seven, all poncho’d up. The weather forecast was for rain, rain and more rain. But it wasn’t raining. Instead, it was overcast and misty as we set off on a steady path down, passing through the villages/hamlets of Filloval, Villoval, Pasantes and Ramil, all of which being tiny little farming communities with the occasional albergue thrown in for good measure. In such cases, the albergue is a bit like a mini all-inclusive accommodation as they represent the only place to eat, drink, relax and sleep in their immediate location. On a warm, sunny afternoon after several hours of walking, I can think of nothing better than taking advantage of their facilities. A lot less cow splats all over the paths/ roads might lend a sweeter ambience though.

After four miles we were in the town of Triacastela where we stopped for coffee and a cake, the latter which resembled a yorkshire pud with custard. Sounds horrible. Tasted delicious. 

Onwards. We were making good time and with a total near sixteen miles on the cards we were keen to continue the momentum. We passed through two more small villages in the early part of the three hundred metre climb to Alto Riocabo. The reward was stunning views to the south, enhanced by the sunshine now making an appearance. We were de-poncho’d, un-jacketed and de-leggings’d by now. 

We began to descend again and discovered that coming down steep(ish) bits hurts less and is much quicker if you boogie on down. I’m not sure about Mrs C but I came down to Keep it Comin’ Love by KC and the Sunshine Band. Hey girlfriend, I owned that floor. 

The path eventually plateaued as the landscape turned English with rolling hills and fields. Unfortunately the weather also turned English as a mizzy rain began to fall, necessitating all the wet gear back on again. 

Some of you may recall that Mrs C recently picked a fight with a tree. Her penchant for mixing it with trees is complemented by a similar disdain for brambles, bushes and any kind of hanging creeper. As a consequence, Mrs C’s poncho was shredded very early on in our Camino and the pristine poncho that she now sports is, in fact, mine. The things you do for love.

The coolish weather meant that we continued our momentum so, after a quick re-fuelling stop in Pintin, we pushed on. As we approached the town of Sarria, our destination for the night, the rain stopped and the sun even tried to come out. By ten to two, we were in our apartment.

Sarria is the starting point of the Camino for many peregrinos, it being the minimum distance from Santiago from which you can walk and obtain your Compostela certificate for completing the pilgrimage. As a consequence, the Camino usually gets much busier from this point which isn’t to everyone’s liking. Indeed, we received a message from a friend one day ahead of us saying “half of Spain is on the Camino - this is the week of Ascension - huge crowds- hordes of young people with boom boxes”.

Anyway, Sarria isn’t attractive. Not one bit. However we got a recommendation for a good restaurant which turned out to be spot on and there were a few familiar faces there as well. These included Marsha from the US who has now been joined on the Camino by her husband and two children. She is so nice and attractive that I think she must be related to the Osmonds. She says “y’all” a lot and I just want to break out into a duet of Paper Roses with her.

I think my boogying down, earlier today, has brought out the artist in me. Boom boxes? Bring ‘em on. Another bottle of Estrella Galicia please.