Saint Francis Xavier

A Jesuit AND a Pilgrim on the Camino? As seen in the Museo do Pobo Galego. See he's walking stick and the Shells on his tunic.
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

I get the point but beg to differ

Let's turn off our cellphones in Church but to say God never calls you on the phone...I think its a bit much.
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

At the Old Market

This is so remarkable. This should be called the old supermarket, you can get everything in one place, fresh and locally produced!
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

What are your reasons to do the Camino?

At this point ill begin to write about what the Camino has meant to me and what I feel it means to modern Pilgrims.

Attached to this post are images of posters. The posters are for the Holy year 2010 (Xacobeo 2010). Holy years are those during which St James' birthday falls on a Sunday. The next Xacobeo will be in 2021. "¿Cuales son tus razones?" "We all have a reason to celebrate something that won't happen again in 11 years"
1st "Because everything turned out well"
2nd "Because there aren't adventures like this one left"

What were my reasons?
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Gallegan Roulette

¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

My albergue has pet birds

I think I'm like Lazaro or Xacobeo.
Pic 1 - Lazaro
Pic 2 - Xacobeo
Pic 3 - Santiago + Companion
Pic 4 - Felipe + Leticia

¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Arriving and the tower is covered!

¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

4.7 km to the Cathedral

¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Last morning on the camino

¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Today is the last morning I'm putting these one for 6 hours

In a long time.
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

All that's left.

¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Saw a PR flag

I had to draw my own ...
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Interesting milestones

¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Dogs on the camino

I miss my dog and I thought about bringing him. The problem with bringing dogs is that they can't come into albergues, public ones at least. That doesn't detter some owners. Ive met some dogs along the camino here is proof!
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

the most interesting peregrino

Everyone on the camino has their story. Today I met the most "interesting" person on the Camino. He's a Spaniard and his name is very Castillian, Ortensio. The easiest way to describe this man is "the most interesting man" from XX commercials.

He has completed the camino and is doing it a second time (all the way from St Jean) just to "live" the camino vs. completing it. I swear he knows EVERYONE in this albergue and they know him. Its remarkable, I noticed him when he passed me and speed off like bullet. Really nice person and a connoisseur of the camino.
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Life inside an albergue

There is a line to check in. The communal kitchen and a common area.
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

In an albergue...

18 kms from Santiago, everyone is happy and chipper. I went into the dining hall and accidentally pressed the light switch and people started singing "Happy Birthday to you..." as I quickly tried to turn the lights back on. I either ruined the surprise of someones birthday or gave false hope of cake!
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

The Camino continues

¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

I am less excited than I thought to see I have 20 kms left.

¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

30 km - its his birthday this saturday.

¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Internet and Coverage

Is bad where I am right now. Good night.
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Km 50!

Apparently its Robyn Quiver's birthday. She should do the camino some day, I think shed like it.
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Thought!

Where is Manu Chao from? I have the song stuck in my head that goes "once de la noche en La Habana, Cuba, once de la noche en San Salvador, El Salvador"
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

In re: name of blog

Memo in Spain means dumb or slow person.
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Yet another milestone+thought

Leaving Lugo province and entering A Coruña.

Thought: the weather is nice before 1 pm.
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

City slickers never seen two moomoo cows before

¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Seen on the camino

¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Its 8:30 am in Palas de Rei

And there is already someone waiting in line to get a bed.
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Thought!

The sun has risen and this is the view.
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Though 74.5

I really dislike this about Galicia: shoddy cellphone coverage.
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Thought 75.5

Lady Gaga has a song "dance in the dark". I personally have a love hate relationship with walking in the dark. Its great in that its not hot, you can't see so you don't have the psychological effect of vision and you are mostly alone on the road. I hate it because at least today its really cold, I can't see much and I am merely walking forward like my map says, and I am creeped out that I haven't been passed because I may be on the wrong path afterall.
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Day 5

I am in a hamlet called Vendas de Naroa. Today I took it "easy" tomorrow I'll pay the price. I had to stop here even though I could go longer because of the massive shortage of albergues. At this stage I don't know where ill sleep tomorrow nor the day after. This morning the woman who runs the albergue gave her 2 cents about the situation: "how can peregrinos compete with people who do the camino as a sport and arrive at the next major city at 9 am?" I am glad I'm not the only person asking myself this.

Apparently up until 6-7 years ago most albergues where FREE but the sheer number of people coming through changed that. I have spoken with various peregrinos (Colim and David from Ireland) who started at St Jean in France and the consensus is the 'real' camino is lived further back where you can walk without hurry and until you are tired without worrying about sleeping because you'll find a bed.

Picture-new massive albergue being built to meet demand.
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Goodnight

I am going to bed. Not sure if I'm ready for tomorrow.
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Kinds of Peregrinos Part 1

I got the idea for this post because there are definitely certain Kinds of pilgrims. Ill try to go an add descriptions of each. These come to mind:

The honest and true pilgrim
The Italian cyclist
The thrill seeker
The Euro-hipster
The Boys trek
The Girls trek
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Day 5

I am in a hamlet called Vendas de Naroa. Today I took it "easy" tomorrow I'll pay the price. I had to stop here even though I could go longer because of the massive shortage of albergues. At this stage I don't know where ill sleep tomorrow nor the day after. This morning the woman who runs the albergue gave her 2 cents about the situation: "how can peregrinos compete with people who do the camino as a sport and arrive at the next major city at 9 am?" I am glad I'm not the only person asking myself this.

Apparently up until 6-7 years ago most albergues where FREE but the sheer number of people coming through changed that. I have spoken with various peregrinos (Colim and David from Ireland) who started at St Jean in France and the consensus is the 'real' camino is lived further back where you can walk without hurry and until you are tired without worrying about sleeping because you'll find a bed.

Picture-new massive albergue being built to meet demand.
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Crazy ideas

I have an idea! A crazy idea! Since tomorrow I have to walk about 30 kms I will try to post a thought per kilometre!

I thought this after I snapped this photo and it came to me "has Edward Norton; the man, the legend and cult icon, ever considered walking the camino?" He seems like the Hollywood type who would most likely do it. Anyway.
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

A helper on the camino...

This man helps maintain a stretch of the camino, or so he told us. Really nice man.
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

80 km away

¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

2 views from the save road

1 uphill
1 downhill
¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011

Bridge crossing the Miño River

¡Buen Camino! Xacobeo 2011