Muxia to Oliveiroa ...

Rose from Albergue Delfin predicts a rain free day, though after 20 minutes a few drops bring her forecasting skills into question ... the afternoon persistent rain confirms she should stick to running the excellent albergue ... she also tells of a new route being developed, the Via Mariana, from Braga to Muxia, with blue and green arrows ... maybe another time ... meanwhile, following the Camino Santiago route towards Santiago proves tricky, since the official markers are pointing the wrong way ... or maybe  .... anyway, there is a relaxed approach, with options at 20, 25 and 30 ... and plenty of pilgrims walking the wrong way, or the right way if you're following the markers ... a chance to engage folks with a little conversation ... pilgrims and bar owners ... and the Italian couple last seen in Berducedo ... a very warm and unexpected brief reunion ...

On the Mariana theme, news comes through about a fire at Notre Dame, a big church in Paris, named after Our Lady, though a cause of dissension, since the other Mary in the Jesus story was his wife and written out of history in that role, since sex was shrouded in shame and celibacy elevated to a point of principle ... with all the ensuing problems of suppressed sexual energy which we don't need to go into here ... well, it's a pity about the fire, but nobody died and in the end all these redundant forms decay, their purpose long since lost ...

Recent observation and reflection suggests a relationship between the weight of the rucksack and the weight of the thoughts in the head, or wherever they hang around ... not so strange really, since the relationship between possessions and peace of mind has long been accepted ... more is less, less is more ... everything is nothing, nothing everything ...

Semana Santa is well underway, lots of Spanish pilgrims on the road, though at Casa Loncho, there is space in the albergue and private rooms too ... the decision still in the balance whilst waiting patiently at the bar, with passports ready ... a tired and assertive peregrina arrives to jump the queue ... checks in to the albergue and makes the decision to choose a private room for a little peace ... and radiators to dry the clothes soaked during the walk as well as socks washed in the shower .... playing a stereotypical role, the peregrina turns out to be from the Benighted States of America, and later manages to miss the late arriving tired and wet peregrina and jump in front of her too ...

Feet feeling fine after morning dressing with lip balm and pads from Nil ... stomach griping a little last night after supper of beer, banana and a bar of chocolate ... complaint confirmed by this morning's evacuation ... needs of the temple, which is whole organism, demanding more attention ... oats for breakfast, soup for lunch, lentil soup and salad with boiled potatoes fits the bill ...  feedback tomorrow, though feeling rather full .... still, it's early enough yet, time to digest before bedtime ... tomorrow Negreira, maybe more ...

Fisterra to Muxia ...

After a few day's rest and yesterday's wander up to the lighthouse, along to the sacred stones and back home, the feet are fit for some more work and the weather looks fair for a walk along to Muxia ... the cast at the Espiral changes as the Italian folks take the bus to Santiago, Nil prepares supper, Mark arrives from Santiago via Cee  and Northern Ireland .... Hans Christian from Santa Marina via Denmark, having done the Santiago walk in two days, hence his rather knackered state ...

This morning porridge is made, Pietro prepares for Muxia with a plateful and we set off late enough, just before 9 ... his plan is to follow the lighthouse way, considerably more strenuous and scenic than the marked Way ... and since philosophy is on the agenda it's upping and downing, sometimes almost vertically along the cliffs to Lirres, the halfway point and parting of the ways ... menu del dia and rest ... he heads on to lie in nature, eat a picnic, maybe sleep outside later ... a beautiful soul ...

Afternoon 15 is inland, off road, through woodland ... feet and legs happy enough ... Albergue Delfin calls, run by Rose, a pilgrim from Hungary ... only two tonight,  Dieter on the early bus to Santiago ... an option, though a wander back via Dumbria more likely ... the morning will decide, but the energy is moving towards a Santander crossing next Monday and a few days at Brockwood Park, before returning to the neglected house on Railway Terrace and the bookshelves required to release the library from its boxes ...

A quick trip to the restaurant at the end of the universe ...

Late night supper leads to latest morning for quite a while ... and rain ... never mind, the organism is settled and feet ready for first reunion with their walking shoes since Santiago ... and laced in without complaint for the post-breakfast wander the few kilometres to the lighthouse ... and the restaurant at the end of the universe ... or bar at the end of the westward Ways anyway ... North  lies Muxia, with its own energy and a decent day's walk for tomorrow perhaps. .. meanwhile more philosophy at breakfast with the very deep duo hospitalero, Pietro and Simone ... plus Nil and new peregrina Nina, from Germany ... temptation to discover nationality persisting, though the dangers of identification with such arbitrary boundaries acknowledged ...

French duo, Antoine and Nathan, prepare for Santiago and debriefing on results of first month of amazing programme to reprogramme young people away from a life of crime ...  seems to be working for 16 year old Nathan, already planning his next Camino, though more work at a centre in Andalusia is required next ... these projects run by a voluntary sector association an inspiration for other nations and their justice departments, too often driven by outdated notions of punishment ... troubled youngsters so often demonised as a problem for society, rather than the more enlightened view ... a young person produced by a dysfunctional society ... so, dear readers, here's our choice, shall we punish the child for failing to fit in to a world of violence, coercion, fear, greed .... batter them into shape to become a broken, obedient slave for the decaying system? Or ... open their hearts to love and the More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know is Possible ... which, if you wonder about the capitalisation, is also the title of a book by Charles Eisenstein, available via Hive, your ethical alternative to the tax avoiding, people exploiting, high street destroying behemoth whose name need not be mentioned ... attention being energy and without judgement of good or bad ... which is why this traveller through the parallel universe(s) of the Camino(s) de Santiago chooses to clear out decades, maybe lifetimes, of conditioning and coercion to old stories, keep all the illusions, including persistent parables of consensus reality, in awareness, while focusing on the new world we create with our energies of love ... the immortal role models of Lao Tse, Buddha, Jesus, J.Krishnamurti, Ramana Maharshi, Martin Luther King, John Lennon and others, joined by new inspirations ... like Greta Thunberg ... Nathan ... 

If any of these ramblings offend sensibilities, especially in Semana Santa when the myth of suffering, crucifixion and resurrection is so strong, then ... sorry! As seen and described before on these pages, the separation is the fundamental problem, or error, or original sin (sin actually only being an error covered with layers of judgement) ... and once the numinous is experienced and seen as not separate we fall into the ancient heresy, for which many were burned, crucified, shot or otherwise martyred ... ah, well ... truth is truth and better spoken than suppressed ... blocking our divine nature never turns out well in the end ... the end being only a phrase of limited use in a cosmos of beginingless and endless universes ... as suggested by contemporary scientist Jude Currivan, prophets through the ages, systems in Buddhist and Hindu cosmology and so on ...

Fisterra philosophy ...

Feet gratefully embrace the rest and spend the night in the remarkably quiet dormitory without a twinge ... another day or two will set them up for Muxia maybe ...

Meanwhile, philosophy begins early with Nil, Hil and Pietro ... Chinese systems explored ... Confucianism, Buddhism, Tao ... out into a misty town to stretch the legs ... a Palm Sunday procession passes ... followed ... with Zena, German pilgrim from another albergue. ... her very interesting Vipassanna experience ... subsequent difficulty readjusting to this world of suffering sometimes called reality, normality ...

Home for lunch ... pasta and background music of Italian exuberance ... maybe the language will be absorbed by osmosis ... Antoine arrives, another practitioner of the wonderful French alternative justice system where young people walk the Camino for a month to see how that helps ...

Lenka,  from the Czech Republic, arrives from Muxia, having walked the Frances from Pamplona ...

A stroll along a very quiet town in the afternoon brings The Family bar for a beer with some English folks ... tuning the frequency to Hippie channel for some discourse ... and back to La Espiral where the energy is more compatible ....

Jay arrives, having walked from Santiago via the Frances from St Jean and Korea ... intrigued to see blog pic of his compatriot who went the whole Way on a unicycle a couple of years ago ...

Hot chocolate cheers up the damp pilgrims, some singing too ... supper to be decided but in any case likely to be in Spanish time ... and if there is none, that's ok too ... little energy expended these last two rest days ...

Santiago to Fisterra ...

Unusually restless night, considering the full day's walking, as feet mutter mutinously ... by the morning the decision has made itself and it's a 3 hour bus ride to Fisterra and the Espiral family ... Santiago in Semana Santa suffused with the story of suffering and full of pilgrims exuding holier than thou vibes ... comparing distances, routes, number of Caminos, weight of packs, onward baggage ... anyway, the organism surrenders to the foot soldiers, who have suffered enough ... or tolerated the discomfort anyway, twinging at the beginning, then settling to the task ...

Simone opens the door with a warm welcome, Nil joins for a cup of tea ... a discussion ensues on blister treatment, Compeed not recommended ... Nil ( from last year's visit, has been on the Portuguese coastal route) gets to work with sterilised scissors ... feels better already ... booked in for three nights respite, after that, let's see ... maybe Muxia ... after two sunny days, rain resumes ... 
As for pilgrims, five Italians are already here, plus Nil from Turkey, Hil from China arrives so Nil can demonstrate her fluency in Chinese as well as Spanish and English ... then four Germans ... the place is filling up .... Fatima arrives with her usual exuberance and amazing embrace ... Michele also ...Simone cooks pasta for lunch, pizza promised for supper ... no stereotypes there then ...

Arzua to Santiago ...

A late start ... single room, shutters shut means Sun is up unnoticed  and breakfast is past 8 ... fast pace to Pedrouzo ensures 38km stage is comfortable ... briefly dropped to chat with John from Australia, who offers technological information on mysterious disappearance of photos on blog (data limit on free platform, though Google is to rich to bother telling you) ... Agnes from France passes some time, then Juan from Denmark (his father is Spanish)... lunch at halfway point is 12.30 with Monsi entertaining the room with her singing and wisecracks ... back on the road by 1.15 for slightly slower second half ... mostly off road and briefly chatting with Martina, from Prague via Slovakia, Agnes again, Martin, from Prague via Slovakia (he sounds interested but hasn't met her ... yet ...) and finally to the Hospedario San Martin Pinario, where a pilgrim room is available, though only for one night ... Easter having started ... a small problem, since revolting feet have been promised a rest day ... so, another bed, bus to Finisterre, short stroll to Negreira? Right heel needs a blister stabbed and dressed before too much more walking .. hmm ...

Meanwhile, in the bar, Anne, a psychotherapist from Sussex, offers conversation for a while ... and shows some interest in Krishnamurti Centre and K teachings. .. especially: "It is no measure of sanity, to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society".

An opera singer busks by the cathedral ... supper in the Hospedario is solo ... bed calls, a later start tomorrow will suffice for the short stage ... if the feet can be coerced into their shoes and the blister sorted ... or tolerated ... after all, if pain is inevitable, suffering is optional ...

Ferreira to Arzua

As Santiago grows closer, the Way slows down ... breakfast  includes porridge and more conversation ... option to stay another day always open and seriously considered ... Ton keen o pursue ideas, especially about the gift economy ... donativo Albergues under some scrutiny from regulators ... this one they bought fully regulated and changing its form may be tricky ... meanwhile Ria is mourning the recent loss of the family dog ... a lovely couple living the life of supporting the pilgrims ...  in the end the legs are ready for action, feet settled down, mind set for Santiago and Finisterre. .. Melide at 20km and the joining of Ways offers more options and Arzua, 15km on,  enables single stage to Santiago, or two short ones ... intermediate Albergues along the way ...

Mary and Brian from Galway offer Irish pace ... relaxed ... great connection between periods of solitude ... a few others on the road as the rain desists and Sun returns ... a little climbing through woods and small villages until Melide for lunch and a busier afternoon, with an English group from London, having started in O Cebreiro ... Spanish school groups, with one having started in Sarria ... in Arzua, student peregrinos everywhere  ... lovely to see, but albergues best avoided if a peaceful night is preferred ... a cosy pension is chosen, a good, early breakfast booked ... Santiago in sight if the feet and legs are willing ... under 40km, not easy but doable ... let's see!