Friday 8 October
Today we walked the final 11 miles to Santiago. I am a dreadful guide, because I said you only need one stamp a day, when you really need two. So they will not get their compostela certificate that proves they did the pilgrimage. They will have nothing to show for their efforts but blisters, bruises, sore muscles, photos and memories.
(Another thing to note: while I get along in Spanish quite comfortably, I have the hardest time speaking to elderly Gallegos— their wispy voices and unfamiliar accents sound more Portuguese to me.)
We couldn’t get into the accommodation we booked, because the ap through with we booked wasn’t sending messages to the host, so we had to improvise. It all worked out in the end. But after sorting out where we would be sleeping for the night, we went to the train station to book tickets for Madrid the following day. Only all the trains were full, but tomorrow and the following day, and my sister needed to be in Madrid to catch her flight. So I checked the bus station. They were no longer open. I was told to come back tomorrow. But checking online, I saw that the bus for the following day was also completely booked (to my immense relief; I do not do well on busses and it would have been a 10-hour trip.. So we ended up flying from Santiago to Madrid.
October 11
H and I made it to Toledo yesterday, where we will spend the final days of our trip.
And after an army of shouting/singing girls marched down the street, a kindly pigeon serenaded us to sleep.
(The view from our room is actually a wall, but if you lean out of the tiny balcony and look down the street, you can see the cathedral.)
Writing on the camino…. Barely happened. We would arrive at our day’s final destination at 6 or so in the evening, utterly exhausted, and barely had the energy and brain power to eat, let alone write.
Now I have 4 days here to finish the next in the Relearning Magic series. Toledo seems like a place where locals come on vacation. Really a charming little spot just a 30-minute train from Madrid. Like Cordoba, it is a city of three cultures, where Jewish, Christian, and Muslim culture all played important roles in its history, which is reflected in the architecture. Suits of armour seem to be a very popular decorative element. And I’ve never seen so many shops that sell weapons. If I bothered to learn a bit more about the city/fortress’s embattled history, no doubt I would discover all sorts of interesting details. And as I pass through the town’s narrow streets, I keep seeing various signs for brujería, or witchy-ness. I saw a storefront with witchy night tours, and that was an element of the town I hadn’t heard of. Apparently as well as the three major abrahamic religions, there is also a history of the occult, magic, and necromancy. Who knew!
But I’m not here to be a tourist. I’ve come to rest my knee (which decided to give out on the final 10 kilometres, and has been troubling me ever since) and write. So I intend to get a thorough tour of the city’s cafes, but not much else.
Lazy of body and active of mind is the intended programme. Perhaps if I’ve made my word count for the day, I’ll take a night tour of Magic Toledo.
So, better get to it!
