Category: Life and Living

April 29th. Pontevedra. Peter Schloss, “Homeless Person”?

Posted on by Pete Schloss

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After a long and difficult walk we entered the old central district of Pontevedra. We bypassed all the Pilgrim Albergues and entered the first “upscale” hotel we encountered. Approaching the reception desk I asked the clerk if there were any rooms available. With an apologetic look she replied in heavily accented English, “Yes, but the cost is 85 euros.” The manner of her response struck both of us as strange, but I said yes and we registered for 2 nights.

When we got to our room I came to understand the reason for the hotel clerk’s reaction. Looking in the mirror I saw Peter Schloss, homeless person. After more than a week on the Camino, Perigrinos tend to have “a certain look”. The skin becomes tanned and weather-worn, clothing is a bit rumpled and has accumulated a variety of stains, shaving has become optional, the hair is a bit shaggy… perhaps the only thing distinguishing a pilgrim from some who are truly homeless is the scallop shell that most pilgrims wear.

It is Sunday and getting laundry done would be a good thing. Unfortunately, this hotel charges by the item… 3 euros for a shirt, 2.50 for trousers, 1 euro for socks. At that rate it would cost more than our clothing is worth. Typically, laundry can be done at a self-serve, or Albergue for between 5 and 10 euros for a large load. It looks like we will delay washing clothes for another day or two. Any longer and my clothes will begin walking on their own.

The Perigrina Church is just around the corner from us. It is a stunning and unusual design constructed in 1778 with a floor plan in the shape of a scallop shell. We plan on attending the Pilgrim’s Mass today.

(Update: We attended 1 pm Mass. Most Peregrinos are walking toward Santiago, but we are happy to sit out this cold, wet, dreary day. Mass was in Spanish and attended largely by locals. I may not understand the language but I am moved by the shared spirituality.)

We have exchanged messages with Irene and Manuela, our friends from Switzerland. We look forward to dinner with them this evening at a restaurant recommended by our good friend Kris who we met on the Camino in 2013. It is the gift of the Camino that it intertwines lives in beautiful and unexpected ways.

We are less than 100 km (60 miles) from Santiago. The significance is 2 fold: One must walk the last 100 km as a continuous journey in order to receive a Compostela (certificate of completion). Thus the second significance is that many Pilgrims who travel with arranged groups begin their Camino just beyond the 100 km point. The path becomes more populated and the risk of fully occupied Albergues and alternative accommodations increases.

Tomorrow is a 22+ km day. Given the concerns of the distance, Christine’s stamina, the predicted rain, and the risk of full accommodations, we have made a reservation at a pension in Caldas de Reis and arranged for transport of our packs. We estimate that we will arrive in Santiago on May 3rd or 4th.

Peace Everyone. Pete

April 28th. Humility.

Posted on by Pete Schloss

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Our day began in the same way the previous one had ended, with beauty and friends.

This was a difficult stage today, made so by constantly changing elevations and irregular paths underfoot. Segments were 2,000 year old Roman military transport routes. If you look closely you can see how use literally wore parallel tracks in the stone.

The Romans standardized the width of their chariots and wagon axles. This standardization was carried throughout the empire an carried forward out of habit and custom until the same width was ultimately incorporated into many of the train systems of Europe.

We arrived in Pontevedra and splurged on a nice room in a 3 star hotel. Rain is predicted for all day tomorrow, and since we are well ahead of our walking schedule we have decided to stay here a second night.

Quite by accident we encountered friends from the previous evening. We again shared dinner but with the inclusion of a new Camino friend, Grzergorz from Poland. He is walking his second Camino, a feat not so noteworthy except that he has done so both times with only one leg, and on crutches. By the way, he carries his pack. Any complaints I have about the journey are put into a humble perspective.

We hope to again join our friends from Switzerland for dinner tomorrow evening. In the meantime the sights of this Medieval city await our exploration tomorrow.

Peace Everyone! Pete.

April 27th. A Day Like No Other. A Day To Remember.

Posted on by Pete Schloss

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It is 4 am local time on the 28th as I am typing this. I typically wake up at 4, check email, Facebook, the news, and then go back to bed. However, yesterday ended at midnight without me having written my “Thoughts”, and as extraordinary a day as it was I felt compelled to record it now before any details were lost from my memory.

The day began overcast and rainy. As if to carry that image inside, we had an unpleasant disagreement with the hotel at checkout. We had been quoted one price when we checked in, but were charged a different price by a different person at checkout. This was a first in our experience and could have just as easily have happened in the States as here in Spain. Language played a part as the morning clerk spoke no English, but we struck a satisfactory compromise, paid, and put the unpleasantness (and the hotel) behind us.

The following images are of a Camino waypost that indicates that it is now less than 100 km to Santiago. The large stone post is a 2,000 year old Roman military waypost!

As if to declare a metaphor for the day, the rain ended as we began our walk. It was pleasant and cool, great weather for a hike! We even ran into our friends from Finland, Kirsti and Sirkka.

Our intention was to make it a short day as we had a steep climb ahead of us and Christine was carrying her pack. We felt that 12 km was a reasonable goal. However, we accomplished that by early afternoon and with “gas still in the tank” we continued on another 5 km to the town of Redondela.

Redondela was a dreary and soulless industrial town. There was only one hotel and it was full… “completo” as they say in Spain. The Municipal Albergue was also full so we investigated a couple of the private ones. They mirrored the town and were totally unappealing except perhaps to the bedbugs.

Our “tanks” were now nearly empty, but a call to a seaside resort another 5 km down the road secured a reservation and we pressed onward. Christine was amazing! She had carried her pack the entire day up a steep mountain, back down an even steeper decent, onward over 20 km, and yet retained her good spirits. We arrived at Hotel Antolin and were amply rewarded for the day’s effort. Our room, the view, fresh sea-breeze, pleasant shore, terrace… every detail was exceptional. And then…

… the Camino friends!!! As if we were the focus of a grand surprise party, Perigrinos we had previously met began arriving. There were 9 in all, Irene and her sister Manuela from Switzerland and the rest from Germany. Eight of us, including Christine and I joined on the veranda for drinks, snacks, and a celebration of our reunion. The “party” carried over to dinner where we consumed huge servings of seafood and vegetarian Paella. The wine flowed freely and everyone, Christine included, became surprised at how my tongue loosened… in German! It had become the language of the table and it was as if the floodgates of a prior life had opened for me. It was wonderfully fun as I freed myself from the constraints of “grammatical correctness” and just joined in. Christine was not left out. She began to acquire a vocabulary at a remarkable rate. By the way, Farris from Germany bought dinner and drinks for all of us!

We have all agreed to meet for breakfast at 8 am, only 3 hours from now. I had best return to bed to catch a little more sleep. So of course,…

Peace Everyone! Pete

April 26. Danger on the Camino, Then and Now.

Posted on by Pete Schloss

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Today we left Valenca, crossed the River Minho and thus left Portugal and entered Spain. Shortly afterward we exchanged greetings with a Portuguese Perigrina who remarked with a smile, “Remember, Spain is NOT Portugal!”

The Camino enters Spain in Tui, medieval rival to Valenca on the other side of the river. The ancient friction between these rival cities gave impetus to the investment of incredible amounts of time and money into the erection of massive fortifications necessary to insure survival.

The path took us to the Cathedral in Tui where over 14,000 Perigrinos began their walk to Santiago. We obtained stamps in our credentials at the Cathedral and then walked onward until we encountered the Convent of the Clarissa Nuns that dates to 1508. Once a thriving community, the cloister is residence for a fraction of the Sisters that its block long structure can accommodate. Both on the street and within the church one can see the design elements that are in place to separate the Sisters within from the temptations and corruption of civil life. Whatever once drew young women to the monastic life has long passed and this convent community, like so many others, may be destined for extinction. Within the church are prison like bars that define the confines of the community. Similarly, the windows without are barred. The convent “entrance” is an imposing door that is flanked by small carousel portals that allow for the passage of messages and supplies without personal contact. Think of a drive up bank teller drawer.

We covered 22km today, but temperatures were in the mid 60’s and the terrain was relatively flat. Most of the time we wandered pleasantly through woods and along streams.

At one point we encountered a monument erected hundreds of years ago to the memory of San Telmo, a Perigrino on the Camino who died of a fever at that spot in 1251. It is remarkable that he is remembered and venerated over 750 years later.

About an hour after passing the San Telmo monument we heard a cry of distress behind us. Turning, we saw a Perigrina lying face down on the path. We hurried to her aid. She was cut and badly shaken. Her sunglasses had shattered and there were immediate signs of bruising and swelling around her right eye. She was German and about 60 years old. An excessively long loop on one of her bootlaces had hooked on the other boot and caused her to fall face down on the pavement. Two Spanish women who lived nearby also rushed to her assistance. They called an ambulance which arrived shortly thereafter to take the Pilgrim to hospital. Hopefully her injuries are not serious, but it will take X-rays to determine that. Walking the Camino is not without risk.

We arrived in Porrino, showered, found beer and tapas, and by luck found our two Perigrina friends from Finland, Sirkka and Kirsti. The four of us shared dinner together and embraced at the end as if our paths would never cross again. Indeed, they may not. That is the way of the Camino.

Peace Everyone. Pete

April 24th. Alone With My Thoughts. Solo to Ponte de Lima.

Posted on by Pete Schloss

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In prudent deference to the sunny and unseasonably hot weather (mid-80’s) I saw Christine off on a local bus to Ponte de Lima and walked the 18 km solo. It is a different experience for me, walking with her and solo… not better not worse, just different.

When we walk together, I talk, a lot. It’s stream of consciousness stuff, but having been married over 40 years means we often share the same “stream”. While it does qualify as a dialogue, I do most of the talking and she patiently listens, adding her valuable “2 cents” whenever she cares to.

As a solo walker I tend to turn inward and let the rhythm of my footfalls lull me into meditative contemplation. My feet have a destination, but my thoughts seem aimless. At times they are directed to the silly:

…Portugal like Spain is an eco conscious nation where the men’s toilet lights are frequently on motion timers… set for 30 year old bladders. Invariably I end up waving frantically with my “free hand” to re-trigger the lights back on! (Image thankfully omitted)

Then there are the more serious musings:

…What great nation in history has ever remained on the pinnacle of the world stage after surrendering to the siren song of xenophobia and isolationism?

We walk ever looking for the yellow arrows that give direction to the Camino. For the first couple of days this is intentional, but it becomes subconscious with the passage of time and distance. The active consideration of the markers returns to my attention when some inner voice says, “Hey, it’s been a while since you saw the last one.”

6 hours after Christine and I parted I near Ponte de Lima. We have communicated by text so I know that she has secured an upper room in an old Pensione that overlooks a town square that dates back to the time of the Romans. I see later that the room is timeworn but clean and comfortable. (I’m just timeworn, but a shower might put me on par with the room) S. Joan charges 35 euros (no breakfast) for the two of us.

I arrive in town, the mercury having gone north of 85 degrees F. Christine waits for me riverside at an outdoor cafe. Along with her smile she has bread, cheese, and a cold beer with my name on it.

Peace Everyone! Pete

PS. Christine has a well founded concern that our timetable to arrive in Santiago does not allow enough time to assure that she can walk the last 120 km. Therefore, we have transported ahead to Valenca at the northernmost point of the Camino before it enters Spain. This puts a day “in the bank” and gives us a safe margin of 9 days to cover the last 120 km.