Hans arrives in Santiago

Sent 12 October: Now i am in santiago, in santa mass with botafumeiro.

Tomorrow i start to muxia, hans

Hans walks on and on

Hans' gute Pilger Fortschritt-

Sent 3 October: Hola gary, thursday i start in oviedo, via grado,
salas, tineo and borres today to berucedo, the mainpart. Each day sun,
hot. Hans

Sent 6 October: Hi gary, now i leave the mountains. From berducedo to
grandas de salime, to fonsagrada and today to o cadavo. Tomorro i
arrive lugo. Hans

Sent 9 October: Now i am in melide, hotel xameiro, you remember? Best Hans

Hans begins the "Camino Primitivo" today

From: Hans-Otto Schreyer Date: Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 12:06 AM
Subject: Re: WALKING
To: Gary Regester

 Holá Gary,

I send you the route from Oviedo to Santiago and to Fisterra. Possible only SMS, you know I have a simple mobilphone.

I am using two books, 1. "Camino Primitivo" Peter Lindental, Tyrolia, good maps, 2. from Raimund Joos, bad maps, too much details.

 I arrive Oviedo at Sept. 27th. 11o'clock am, stay in Oviedo at 28h. Start walking from Oviedo at 29.th. Santiago 14 days later, walking to Fisterra in 4-5 days, back home at Okt. 21th.

    Ultreia, Hans

Return to Santiago

Gary, now the last day: From Fisterra back to Santiago, Pilgrim watching

Fisterra: Departure with the Bus to Santiago

The last view to the Cabo Finisterre

Pilgrims, arriving the Praza Obradoiro

Praza Praterías

High Mass for Pilgrims in the Cathedral

The last Paella

Pilgrims, Praza Obradoiro

Pilgrim-Cycles

Pilgrims, Rua do Franco

Pilgrim, needing Money, Rua do Vilar

Arriving Pilgrims at the Praza Obradoiro

Café Casino, Rua do Vilar

Pilgrims, Praza Praterías

Pilgrims, nice sleeping pad

Happy Pilgrim

Pilgrims equipment

Happy pilgrim

Unbelievable Meeting: Chris from Australia, 

met in 2007 on the Camino Frances was on

 the Camino Portugués with her Companion

Nice Pilgrim

Eva and Florian from Rosenheim, Germany,
are on a sailing trip around the world.
Coming from La Coruna, visitng Santiago. They
were very impressed over the town and the pilgrims

Beata from Poland

Pilgrims Praza da Immaculata

Leaving Santiago to the Airport

Flight at home, via Mallorca

Thoughts on the Caminho Portugues

Summary and impressions of the Caminho Portugués and Camino Finisterre:

Porto was a very nice and impressived Town and a very practicable starting point.
The first stage, along the coast, was very beautiful. Then came "Gotafrio" an extreme weather front with heavy rain and storm and the next stage to Barcelos, therfore I go by Taxi. From Barcelos, a side trip by Bus (1 hour) to Braga, is recommended, a nice town, too.

The next stages up to the north, the Caminho is leading trough nice and green river-valleys, trough a lot of little villages (125!) and comes to lovely sites, like Ponte de Lima, Pontevedra, Padrón. The Caminho is winding, no long straight distances for walking inside, go in meditation, lag your minds. The weather in the first half was mixed with rain and sun. I met nice pilgrims, espacially Setsuko, Ingo and the group from Padrón with Paolo, Wolfgang, Irmtraud and Waldtraud.

In Santiago de Compostela were a lot of people, coming by Bus, and also a lot of Pilgrims. The reason, maybe, the Pope visit Santiago 3 weeks later, and, 2010 was an Holy Year. Inside the Cathedral were built scaffolds, the entrance into the cathedral was only possible over the Porta Santa and from the Praza Praterías, long queues. No backpacks and no foto shooting during the mass, forbidden. The Pilgrims were very disappointed.

However, it was nice in Santiago. The special spirit was all around. It is amazing, for watching the Pilgrims, which arrived to the Praza Obradoiro, the meeting-point. And I was always impressed for the fervancy in its creed!

Then came the last part, the Camino Finisterre. This Camino was very nice, the valleys not so small, with a view over the landscape, and not so intensely populated. I walked to Muxia, with the unique Sanctuary, situated in the cliffs. The leads the Camino along the coast to Fisterra, the old End of the World. A wonderful distance, walking alone. At the Cabo Finisterre, the Pilgrims were full of revel. All the struggles and some pains ending there. It was very amazing, waiting for the sunset and finally - Fin do Camino

-Hans

Caminho Finisterre 5. Stage

Gary, now the last stage: from Fisterra to the Cabo Finisterre - Fin do Camino

Fisterra: Fishermen

Searching for a shell

Fisterra: Port

Fisterra: Port

The Church Santa Maria,
on the road to the Cabo Finisterre

The Statue: La Peregrina

The Lighthouse at the Cabo Finisterre

The last Pilgrim Cruzeiro, at the Lighthouse

The last stone,  Kilometer zero

Max, the scotsman, is burning up his shirt

Cruzeiro, Pilgrims laying down stones

Cheerful Pilgrims

Clothes, no more needed

Waiting for the sunset

The Lighthouse

 Happy Pilgrims

Fin do Camino

Caminho Finisterre 4. Stage

now Stage 4: From Muxia to Fisterra

The Village Xurantes

Hórreo

Landscape from the top of the Lourido Mountain

Landscape at the descent from the Lourido Mountain

Countrywoman carrying hay

Dogs in love

Near the Village Frixe

Frixe

Crossing over the River Castro, wet feet

Lires: Bar As Eiras, to have the stamp for the credential

Lires: Hórreos

Lires Valley

a quiet time

A herdswoman

Through the Forest

Walking along the sea

To the Village Buxan

Near Fisterra

View to the bay of Fisterra

Fisterra: Pilgrim Cruzeiro

In Fisterra, searching the Alberque

 In the Alberque, issuing the document

The Monument for the Galcian Emigrants