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The thing that looks like a mini-church on stilts is actually used to store corn

Day 10 of my solo bike trip on the Camino de Santiago, Camino del Norte

Baamonde to Sobrado Dos Monxes (Approximately 45-50 km, 27-31 miles—including getting really lost once!)

The morning was SO COLD—especially with the wind biting through my thin layers going downwhill at high speeds on my bike. I was seriously wishing I had some gloves! The worker at the albergue (the “hospitalero”) told me this morning that 90% of the actual Camino today was asphalt and easily bikeable.

More stone slabs...with a farm dog chasing me out of his territory.

I think that NONE of the hospitaleros or tourist office people have ever actually ridden a bicycle before, or that they have certainly never done so on the Camino de Santiago because they are almost always WRONG!!! I would say maybe 50% was asphalt and the rest was woodland paths, including some stone steps early on, and rocks and gravel throughout. It was really pretty though, dotted with quaint farming towns comprised of 5 houses and lots of fields.

Loved the room I stayed in!!

The albergue in Sobrado Dos Monxes is actually a working monastery! It was awesome! An Asian monk showed me to my bed in a room with walls and arched ceilings made of stone. I met a young Slovakian guy who has been walking from France on the Camino, wearing Crocs and only carrying a very small rope satchel. This guy was hard core! He was a great testament to how little you really have to have to survive. Granted, to do that he had to sacrifice some things in the cleanliness department and his shoes now had holes, BUT he had a brilliant smile and attitude that just kept everything simple. He was inspirational. He made me want to chuck my backpack and all my stuff. The hilarious part though, was that one of his bare essentials was a small teddy bear. I love that the bear made it instead of a sheet or say…shampoo!

Inner courtyard of the Monastery in Sobrado dos Monxes

That evening I went to a Vespers prayer vigil in the monastery. I have never attended anything quite like it before. It was certainly a reverential experience rich with rituals and symbolism. I would definitely recommend even just sitting in and observing if you ever have the chance somewhere along the Camino. Especially if you can talk to one of the monks to help you understand.

The Monastery of Santa Maria de Sobrado dos Monxes

For dinner I met up with 3 Spaniards and an Australian guy that I had met along the way. The people I meet are so interesting! For example, the Australian actually lives in London and is the director of some competitive cooking show there similar to Top Chef. The Spaniards ordered all the essential foods and drinks we needed to try that are typical to Galicia, such as caldo Gallego (a very yummy soup). After a sprint back to the monastery to avoid getting locked out after curfew, I was fast asleep with bittersweet feelings about tomorrow being my last day on the Camino.

I never get over how ridiculously hilarious my helmet is.

I feel like today was my last day, and I’m sad. Today was the last hilly day and tomorrow I’ll join up with the Camino Frances (a more commonly used inland route to Santiago de Compostela) where I know there will be a continual stream of pilgrims. I would like to have more time and keep going.

But this is good…it leaves me with a taste of the Camino and a desire for more.

Beautiful wooded paths

The terrain in Galicia is notably different than what I saw in Asturias

Such a serene and beautiful trail!

: Lovely stone steps I had to push my bike over near the beginning of the Camino today.

: Beautiful wooded paths

: Rural farming villages

: The thing that looks like a mini-church on stilts is actually used to store corn

: The terrain in Galicia is notably different than what I saw in Asturias

: The Camino crossed over giant slabs of stone

: I love moss.

: More stone slabs…with a farm dog chasing me out of his territory.

: Here he comes! Now that’s a good guard dog. So glad I’m on a bike!

: Wind energy

: The corn storage shed up close. These were everywhere throughout the farming villages in this area.

: Sobrado Laguna

: I never get over how ridiculously hilarious my helmet is.

: The Monastery of Santa Maria de Sobrado dos Monxes

: The entrance to the monastery and albergue where I stayed.

: Loved the room I stayed in!!

: The inner courtyard of the monastery

: Inner courtyard of the Monastery in Sobrado dos Monxes

Day 9: Sacred Paths

The one restaurant in Abadin had this sink outside for the farmers to wash up outside before they come in. I never saw that in Spain before!

Day 9: Biking the Camino del Norte, Camino del Santiago

Abadín to Baamonde (Approximately 45 km/28 miles)

Tranquil Camino

I’ve been reading a book called The Sacred Way by Tony Jones. It’s a historical, theological and quite practical look at 16 different ancient spiritual disciplines that have long been forgotten or misunderstood. Today I practiced the Jesus Prayer, a simple phrase and centering prayer that I repeated continually for most of my bike ride. It was a great way to release my worries and resulted in a very relaxing day with more beautiful scenery. It definitely feels more meaningful praying in ways that pilgrims hundreds of years ago may also have prayed walking along this same path.

Lots of wooded spaces and babbling brooks on the way to Baamonde

Today was SUPPOSED to be a flatter day and the Camino allegedly better for the bike, but I found myself often on rocky uphill paths. It was by far not the worst I´ve done, but it was still hard, and I think I´m just more tired now. I opted for the main road a bit and got back on the Camino whenever I had the energy and/or when I needed more shade. Today was a hot day so the pretty wooded tracts and small farm-towns were welcomed despite the harder path. I’m just glad to not be getting lost much anymore. There are more markers now; I only have to remember that in Galicia we now follow the top end of the shell instead of the bottom like before.

I made it to the albergue by 3:30, so I did laundry, read, relaxed and talked with some of the other pilgrims. Not many of them seem to be doing the Camino with spiritual intent, but rather physical or tourist motives. I’m a combo of all those.

The trail markers are often built right into the walls of houses...(close up of shell tile in other pic below)

There are definitely a lot more people along the Camino now as I am getting closer to Santiago de Compostela. When before I might see 5 pilgrims all day, now I pass someone every 30 minutes or so. To get the “Compostela” (like a certificate of completion) at the end you have to have at least walked 100 km or biked 200 km prior to your arrival. So of course many people start from as close to 100 km as they can, which is right about where I am now. There is a huge group of Portuguese teenagers and adults who showed up here at the albergue tonight…complete with moving truck to carry all their belongings and mobile kitchen. When they busted out their guitars and all started singing together, I knew they were a church group. Many of the other pilgrims who have been on the Camino walking for weeks or months, carrying their own packs, definitely looked down on those who just started so close and with a service to transport everything for them. But hey, who am I to judge…at least they are doing something. It is certainly hard to adjust to being around so many people again. I guess my peaceful Camino is ending.