WILLERTONS WORLD

Porrino to Arcade. Spain.

April 13th, 2017 

Last night I went back to the plaza in Tui, where I was staying another night and where I had met Maria & Yoda, and hung out watching kids as small as 2 play football on the wide footpath, while Mum & Dad and often friends & family would have tapas and drink and socialise. They would take turns looking after the little ones regardless of who they belonged to. Magic.

I spoke with a retired couple from California who asked if NZ was like this. When I answered ”No” he said “Yes. It’s sad isn’t it. This is the way I grew up but it’s not like that anymore.”

Having tapas at a restaurante,  I had a lovely video call with my daughter Bridget, who is now very keen to do the Camino. Dinner was salada, with more Galician Vino Tinto, cheese and Bullock ham. At least I think he said Bullock. If it was the alternative they breed them big in Spain. Was definitely quite salty so who knows.

Anyway, leaving Tui in the taxi to be taken to Porrino at 9AM, I hit ‘the way’ in the middle of town and started my walking day.

Thankfully it didn’t take long before I hit the country as Porrino is a horrible little place. It wasn’t a day full of landscapes and vistas and the tracks were pretty enough but the villages were quite new and there was nothing really different about most of the day.

There was a hill out of Porrino called Rua dos Cabaleiros or Road of the Knights which takes you up Monte Cornedo at 235m. This was a long slog followed by a very steep descent into Redondela. My knees, hips and calves started making their feelings known about halfway down the hill, and by the time I had got into Redondela my old friend the blister had puffed up again. Grrr…

After an excellent Spanish batata salada (potato salad) and a bit of doctoring, I set off again to climb another hill at 153m called alto da Lomba. With my body and mind starting to whinge, I turned on some Country Gold to make me focus on something else, which worked, as it took me into my stop for the night – Arcade.

The good news about this town is that it is by the sea, which is the first time I have seen it since leaving Porto. The accommodation standard has been steadily slipping since Porto and the hotel tonight is a way out of town and strictly one star. Fine if you are paying 20E a night but I’m not, I am paying on average a lot more than that. Still there is a nice view out the window.

I will have a look around later, but Arcade looks pleasant enough.

Unfortunately I am now a town or day behind the group I was travelling with, due to stopping in Tui for two nights, so I am sharing the road with a new group of people.

MLC THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: C’mon body don’t let me down we want to do this

STEPS: 33,860 or 27.5 kms

WEIGHT: Definitely looking good for that sculpture

BODY STATE: 4/10

Arcade to Pontevedra. Spain.

April 14th, 2017 

After a tough day yesterday which you probably picked up in the tone of the blog, I had what amounted to a rest day today.

This was ideal as the cumulative effects of walking 214 kms had taken their toll. None the less, Easter Friday dawned a little cloudy and a little cool for the easy 12km walk to the gorgeous regional capital of Galicia – Pontevedra.

With breakfast consisting of 2 Panadol & a cup of coffee down the road, because the hotel breakfast didn’t open until 9, I set off.

I met a couple of ladies also looking for The Way, who had joined the Camino after flying into Vigo, which is around 30 kms away.  One of them remarked at my lack of luggage, and when I told her I carried day weight only as I used a porter service, she said ”Oh. That’s not a real Camino is it?” I explained to her that I had a bad back and it was a choice of either walking without weight or not walking but she wasn’t impressed. ”Caminos are about suffering and pain. You must carry your own weight to feel the way the pilgrims did.” Mmm, I thought. ”Where did you say you joined the Camino? Was it Vigo? That’s not a real Camino is it? You are barely walking the 100kms.” Rude I know. In my defence, I have met a few zealous people on The Way. Some are zealous for religious reasons, some for fitness purposes and some are just plain weird. While they have every right to do the Camino for whatever reason they wish too, don’t pass judgment on me or others. Enjoy the journey. Relax. 

As I walked out of Arcade, I reconnected with a German guy called Marco who I had met briefly a few days earlier at a cafe. Sometimes you just end up walking with people and so it proved with Marco, who at 54 was undergoing his own midlife crisis. In fact his was quite severe in that he was on stress leave from his work as a electrical software engineer who built flight simulators.

We crossed the Ponte Sampaio (Ponte is bridge remember) which was the site of a famous battle in the war of independence between the French Marshal Ney and the Galician Militia which lasted 3 days and ended in defeat for the frogs, ending their time in Galicia.

Marco and I tackled the hill out of Arcade through lovely forestry with cobble stoned tracks and quickly struck up a conversation about in his words, ‘accepting middle age’.

He had been to university recently and had been dying his hair to fit in and then realised that the other students were addressing him in the formal sense in German, reserved for elder and superior people. This was a MLC moment of realisation for him.

Together we explored all aspects of growing older including the need to do things now.

One thing he had done was to work out how many weekends he has left between now and 65. As he said – it was a lot less than he would have thought. A bit dark and I’m not sure why it was 65 but hey he is German.

We discussed the effects of getting older and the impact it had on your body, and how hard it was to accept that even now we were not capable of some things that we took for granted in our 30s.

This moved on to how to manage this and then how some cultures live longer and do not suffer the same impacts of aging as people in western cities.

What we came up with was this: If you imagine a 6 point star – genetics on one point, life choices on another, workplace stress and the nutrition /soil minerals of your country making up 3 & 4, leaving happiness/relationships and wealth making up the last two, the unanswered question was;  Where do we sit?

As time wore on and we grew more comfortable with one another, he shared with me some of his regrets and the circumstances leading to his current stress leave. Turns out MLC come in all shapes and sizes, and we discussed some of the things middle aged men do to ‘rage against the fading light’.

By now we had hit some beautiful countryside and the going was easy. Following a wee stream for a km and a half we entered Pontevedra at 1215. 12 kms in 2 hours 30 minutes. Easy when you are talking.

Saying Adeus I found my hotel which, proving you have to eat **** sometimes to get to the bread on the other side, is very much more 4 star. It even has a softer bed!

Heading out immediately I came across the Casa da Oliva which served the Galician tapas speciality of Polpo, which is Octopus in spices and olive oil and Pimientos del Pimientos- peppers in olive oil and spices. Foodie heaven.

Washing it down with a cafe com leite then a cerzaza while writing this blog, I enjoyed seeing families out walking together in that very Spanish way.

The rest of the evening will be heading out to explore some more & check on any Easter Friday events.

MLC THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Time to hit the gym and make some subtle changes before I end up where Marco is. (Crikey 226 kms to make a decision I could have made at home!)

STEPS: 21,581 or 17.5 kms. Easy.

BODY STATE: 7/10

WEIGHT: Octopus has no calories right?

Pontevedra to Caldas de Rais. Spain.

April 15th 2017 

Easter Friday in Pontevedra was something special. Spain is a Catholic country as we know, but you don’t really appreciate it until you experience Easter here.

Last night I had a wee siesta and then ventured out at 7 to find thousands of people waiting for something to happen. That something was the Easter Friday parade which started from the cathedral and consisted of every possible division of Catholicism and the associated brass band, possible.

At a guess, 7 bands and the same number of groups complete with floats. In true Spanish style there was more brocade than a Queen reunion concert. Lots of pointy hats too.

The drums and drama were fantastic and clearly meant a lot to the people ranging from kids of 6 to elders of 70+. The parade started at 815 and kept going until 10.

By this time I was eating beef tataki and enjoying another Galician vino Tinto, only to find the bands came back and went around a second time! Crawling into my nice soft bed in a triple glazed room I slept until 630.

Hitting the road at 845 I was asked to join a great bunch of Brazilians who were staying at the hotel but opted to go alone.

Leaving the city in a colder morning I followed the way through the outskirts of the city until I got to farmland for the 21.5 km walk to Caldas de Rais. You know you have been walking a while when you think 21.5 kms is nothing.

The other indicator is that I am struggling to get my heart rate up over 100 and into the fat burn zone, despite walking at 5 km an hour. You know also that if your average pace is .82 that you can get a speed advantage by simply lengthening your stride to closer to 1 metre.

Going through some pretty country on tracks through forests and then open farmland, I was getting frustrated at the number of people on the road – seemingly one group every 100 metres.

Perhaps inspired by the Spanish military band music last night, I queued up great movie sound tracks once again to avoid the sound of people chattering, and made my way through the groups to find my space on the road.

The going was pretty simple and I felt strong from the outset. Might have been the aspirin or the bacon and eggs..who knows.

Along the way I spotted a kid going past me on a mountain bike with a Pontevedra Rugby jacket on. Intrigued and coming up on them later on I stopped to talk to his Dad about Rugby in Spain, which you can imagine is about as popular as maypole dancing in England. (Or is that where you go on the weekends Graham & Aly?)

The farmland continued through to a small village or two before quite quickly, Caldas de Reis loomed. 21.5kms in 4.5 hours.

Caldas means hot in Spanish and it proved to be based on a hot spring that bubbles up.

Having stopped for a lunch of salad and grilled peppers (small addiction there), I bumped into Marco and then after eventually finding my hotel, some Americans from Arizona who I had met before.

Dale is a retired state trooper and they were sitting outside the hotel celebrating an Irish girls 19th birthday. Interesting in that the Arizonan lady knew everyone and everything about people on the Camino and was trying to match make the Irish girl with one of the Brazilian lads.

A couple of Cervazas ensued sitting in what was now the hot sun with a bit of **** flowing backwards and forwards. Apparently the hotel has let itself go and two Australians are staying here tonight.

For me tonight will consist of finding dinner in what is a tiny little town, and an early night in what is my second to last night before hitting Santiago on Easter Monday.

STEPS: 30,248 or 24.5km

MLC THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Not sure I am ready for this to end

WEIGHT: think washboard with a thick coating and big handles and that will explain it

BODY STATE: 8/10

SPANISH: 3/10

Caldas de Reis to Padron. Spain.

April 16th, 2017

Well I am sitting here in Padron just 21km from my target of Santiago de Compestela.

Who would have believed that it has come up this fast? Admittedly I am sitting in a bloody nice hotel, one of the nicest I have actually ever been in, complete with circular fountain and turning area, a large stone wall outside and granite walls inside to set off the antique furniture.  I think the name gives it away, ‘Hotel Monumento Pazo de Lestrove’. Pazo is a Galician traditional house at a standard similar to a manor house. 

Just so they know a bogan is now is in the house (if arriving sweaty and carrying a pack isn’t enough) I am drinking Cervaza straight from the can.

The walk here was really pretty. Forest / bush with a mixture of eucalyptus they use in the paper mills & old oak trees to provide that lovely lime green colour and canopy.

The way took me through a bit of farmland, up some asphalt roads and then into the bush before emerging alongside a motorway (queue headphones and yet more country music) before stopping for an omelette and a cafe com leite.

I was in a spot of trouble there, as the Americans from Arizona were there and I had some explaining to do as I was supposed to go to dinner with a group of them but opted out, not wanting to see drunk Irish girls – not a pretty sight.

Anyway Real Madrid were playing and then Barcelona. Instead I went to a pub I had seen on my way in and ate chorizo sausage and some sort of tasty dog food washed down by Vino Tinto de Casa which was still bubbling some time after he had poured it.

Surviving that I tried to head back to the hotel. Now normally I am like a homing pigeon finding my way back to the hotel. Not in this town. For the second time that day I got quite disoriented which was annoying as I missed the first 15 minutes!

Entering Padron I was following the way markers until I reached what was the Easter show. It seems the entire town was heading towards me and / or stopping to have a chat in that unique Spanish way, in the middle of the path. The music was SO LOUD from each attraction. I circumvented the crowds as soon as I could, but then lost the way so tapped into my homing pigeon brain again (no jokes please) and found my way back.

Plans for tonight are to have a wee siesta and then venture out into the crowds celebrating Easter Sunday to find some dinner and have a look around.

STEPS: 27,773 or 22.7 kms – pathetic. Might have to walk a lot around town to make up for it

MLC THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Happy. Content. Life is great and I am a lucky man to have had the chance to do this with the support of my wonderful wife and family

WEIGHT: think that it is weight watchers Cervaza here

BODY STATE: 8/10 feeling good. Looking great naked.

Padron to Santiago de Compestela. Spain.

April 17th, 2017

After a late night watching a Spanish music group at the Easter show in Padron, where I was surrounded by people young and old dancing, including 2 & 3 year olds, I got back to the hotel I never want to leave, at around midnight.

Dinner was also at the show and consisted of half a cow and a complete pig barbecued over an open flame with a few fries. Accepting this as a personal challenge I worked my way through meat mountain.

Sleeping in, I didn’t get going on what had dawned to be a cool crisp and clear morning until 9 for the 27km trip to Santiago. I wasn’t bothered by that as I was confident that I could chop it in around 5 hours.

Walking out of Padron, I took a while to hit the rural landscape that has become so familiar, walking on some dusty tracks which then gave way to asphalt and cobbles. I unfortunately came across a bus load of pensioners complete with dork poles clattering away like some sort of Zimmer frame orchestra so had to head off and get coffee to find my space on the road.

The scenery was a mixture of forestry and bush, villages and rural subsistence farming. Stunning in places and always interesting.

Hitting a few wee hills I finally got my heart rate into the fat burning zone, so I could justify having a lolly or two at the top.

Santiago was of course on my mind but so too was reflecting on the time I had, what that had meant to me and the subtle changes I was going to make when I return to reality.

Thoughts of young Jack Bissett a lad in our neighbourhood who dropped dead at 18 years old were with me too, as I thought about the importance of living each day as if it were my last.

Moving along nicely, I stopped for a drink and to get my boots off in what was becoming a very hot day. I ended up helping a trio of gorgeous young French girls who were struggling, by sharing some anti flam rub and panadol and lollies. The lollies were the biggest hit! (Dodgy a middle aged man handing out sweeties and drugs but hey they loved it).

The guy at the stall told me that I was the only Kiwi he could remember on the Camino!

From there on in it was all urban walking into Santiago so I got my head down and chopped 7.5 kms in 1:20 so arrived at the Cathedral pretty spent.

There was a bit of moisture in the eyelids when I arrived. I felt a great sense of relief that I had made it, my body had held up and my usual penchant of attracting (welcoming?) trouble had not eventuated. There was also a sense of achievement and fulfillment at what the journey had meant to me.

Having a look around the Cathedral was great. It’s as beautiful as you might imagine it would be, after hundreds of years of the Catholics fleecing millions of pilgrims.

Heading to what turned out to be a picnic bar of a hotel (ugly on the outside but sweet on the inside) I headed back to Pilgrims mass at 730. The service was entirely in Spanish and they didn’t do the swinging fumero which was disappointing. I did see all of the people I met on my stretch of the way, together in one place, which was fantastic and we all headed out for a drink and then most of us went for dinner. At midnight I eventually found my way back to the hotel after a rather circular route.

STEPS: 40,510

MLC THOUGHT OF THE DAY: I did it and loved it. I will be back.

WEIGHT: It better be a lot less otherwise the pain has not been worth it

SPANISH: Even more fluent after a cupa vino tinto de casa

A day in Santiago de Compestela. Spain.

April 18th 2017 

The morning dawned fine and clear which was ironic as my body decided not to do either. The 451 kms walked since leaving home has started to take its toll & my middle aged body had decided that enough was enough having got me here.

A quick couple of cafe com leites & my now standard breakfast of panadol helped to get me out the door for a 10AM rendezvous with Phelipe, his lovely wife Sandra and Michel his brother. I had first met these guys halfway up the mountain & had stopped to say Hi. We then stayed at the same hotels a couple of times.

Heading into the cathedral museum we learnt about the angel visitation to a Shepherd in 995 AD which told him of the existence of the tomb of St James buried underneath a woodland in a roman crypt. From there the ensuing and original basilica was burnt to the ground by the Moors but then rebuilt with the first phase finished in around 1235 AD.

As we left the museum we were told that the pilgrims mass at midday would feature the Fumero so we rushed across and got to see it, which is lucky because it hardly ever happens. Quite a spectacle and a fantastic smell. But more than that, this was like the bringing to life of my visualisation of Santiago started all of those years ago by watching the movie ‘The Way’. 

Seeing the Fumero wasn’t the reason I did the Camino. But it was the embodiment of the journey. The symbolic, cathartic cleansing of my soul. 

Heading off to get my Compestela (certificate) I waited for an hour with some pretty smelly pilgrims who needed a Rexona Fumero, before getting to the front of the queue and again feeling a tad emotional at reaching this stage of the journey. (Middle aged hormones? Maybe it’s the start of the change).

Heading for a late lunch of soup, lamb and frites washed down with Vino Tinto, the lovely Brazilians and I talked for ages about life in Brazil, life on the road and what the way has meant to each of us.

My next blog will be my last as I gather my thoughts on what this adventure has meant to me and what I can take from it back to reality.

For now though, this has been one of the best times in my life. I have spent most of my life giving to others and I would not change that for anything. But it takes its toll. You get tired giving of yourself over many, many years. Strength is not an unlimited reservoir for others to drink from. 

This trip has meant time to myself. To re-calibrate. Refocus. Reenergise. To find peace. To let go of the times I have been wronged. To let go of the pain of disappointment. To find joy in the small act of putting one foot in front of another, clearing my mind and soaking up the noise of nature and my inner voice. It has been hard at times. But always, always an adventure. 

MLC THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Must stop drinking at lunchtime

STEPS: 7,244 in a restful day

WEIGHT: somewhere in the vicinity of 10 years ago

SPANISH: mouy bien (very good) as long as I am with Spanish speaking people who order everything for me

Farringdon, United Kingdom and Auckland, New Zealand.

May 10th, 2017

It has been 24 days since I arrived in Santiago. In that time I have spent some wonderful time with Graham and Aly (who was the person who suggested I wrote this blog, so thank you!) and I have started my new job which is very full on and full of surprises. Obviously I am back leading the football club I love, with all that entails.

So why the delay in writing the last blog? I wanted to check my new found reality was just that…real. 

We have all been on holidays and made promises to ourselves. The failed new year resolutions & the promises to honour ourselves and be that person we used to be.

The older I got, the longer my list of excuses got and my humdrum, busy day to day grind exerted it’s influence.

So I wanted to be sure that before I talked about how I could be a new version of myself, that I could and would be; True. Changed. Dedicated.

I think I am. There will be tests to come. But when that happens I will rely on what the Camino gave me:

1. Walk the way you want to walk. Set your own rhythm and pace and like minded people will join you.

2. Getting older is natural. Work hard at staying young.

3. Every day can be an adventure.

4. Make quiet time and space for yourself. Peace is the epicenter of happiness.

5. Lighten your baggage. Life is short and the weight of it will age you.

6. Sometimes the way is cluttered, full of other people’s distractions and hard to find. Be kind to others, but know your way.

7. Sometimes you cannot find a way marker but it is right there in front of you and you were looking too far ahead.

8. When the way is hard, you are in pain and you start thinking you won’t make it, take a break. Refresh. Restore. Then start again.

9. People are awesome. Trust them. Love them. Listen to them.

10. Life is full of magic. Let it happen.

That’s it people. Thank you for sharing this journey with me.

This is a collection of my favourite photos during this trip.