Editor’s note: Rick McKay, Joe Masonick, and Jack Karolewski, have been travel companions for more than 50 years to a variety of sites with many goals. This week’s adventure is the 27th in the series, a 14-day hike in 2005 across northern Spain’s intriguing Camino de Santiago, known as the Way of Santiago, for a religious retreat and pilgrimage. Visiting various villages on the journey requires continual hiking and climbing. Previously the trio’s exploits were focused on an 11-week trans-Asia trip in 1977. This week’s journal is Day 12 on the journey through Spain’s, Palas de Rei to Melide Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2005 and close to the destination, Santiago.
The previous part is at thevoice.us/crowded-path-to-santiago-spain-includes-health-issue
By Rick McKay
Day 12: Palas de Rei to Melide—Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Slept 10 hours last night! Guess we needed it. Today’s jaunt was the shortest leg of the Camino for us—8.7 miles. I think that most of the group we have been traveling with pushed on for another nine miles to Arzua, or somewhere between Melide and there. Perhaps we will see them again in Santiago.
The early part of the day was spent strolling through idyllic countryside. Part of the way was shaded by oak trees growing on top of steep embankments on both sides of the path through which we passed. At one point I turned and looked back to see myriad shafts of light penetrating the canopy and dancing off the floating motes of dust kicked up by our passing. It was a beautiful, almost ethereal, display.
At the halfway point Jack and I caught up with Joe at a wayside cafe and joined him for coffee and an airing of the feet. While we were sitting there a young man, probably in his 20s, sat down at a table next to us. He was somewhat dirty and rough around the edges, a beard, curly hair, and a blue bandana around his forehead. He had two dogs with him who lay circled about his feet underneath the table at which he sat. He disturbed their repose momentarily to go into the café, and returned with a can of beer and a shot of whiskey in a small glass.
Soon one of the proprietors came out and walked up to his table, apparently to examine his collection of handmade Camino jewelry which he kept folded in a dark green rag. Each one was similar to the next—a small stone bound by a thin silver wire with a yellow arrow painted upon it (symbolically pointing the way to Santiago). After perusing his inventory, she picked one out. He gave her a leather lace to string it about her neck, and she thanked him before returning to work.
When she left, he casually turned to us and asked where we were from. We struggled to communicate for a few minutes. Then he saw Joe’s recorder which was attached to his pack and he pulled out his own, indicating for us to play. I retrieved mine from my pack and Joe and I began a piece called ‘The Dance Song from Silesia,’ and he attempted to join us. He was much better at the recorder than either of us and was able to follow our playing with relative ease, especially as the melody became more and more familiar. It was great fun.
He indicated that he was from Barcelona, already had visited Santiago, and was on his way home. We wished him well and continued on our way.
The last several kilometers today were less than inspiring. Most of the trees along the Camino had been cleared and various factories had been erected along the path, including a huge vitamin production facility. To make matters a little worse, it began to drizzle.
We stopped at a park in downtown Melide while Jack searched for a bank, then followed the yellow arrows to the albergue. It will do for the night, but the numerous flies detract mightily from its appeal.
All for now. Three days to Santiago.
Continued at thevoice.us/leny-grandmama-of-camino-recalls-world-war-ii-fright