(Not) A Camino to Santiago de Compostela

The next leg of our journey took us to Lalín in Galicia. Another beautiful drive with incredible views which are impossible to capture on camera when driving on motorways. We stopped off half way in the town of Mondoñedo, where we enjoyed lunch in the sun at a cafe, before having a wander around the old town. This was our first encounter with the way markers for the many pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. From the car park we could see the motorway in the distance, crossing one of the many enormous bridges which span the huge valleys in this part of Spain.

Our accommodation in Lalín was an unloved, ground floor apartment. Very basic, with no pictures on the walls, damaged furniture and only external shutters at the windows, but it had what we needed for our three night stay and the beds were comfortable enough.

Our main reason for staying here was was to visit the famous pilgrims’ destination of Santiago de Compostela. So, that is where we headed on the first day. We found a car park on the edge of the city and walked into the centre, stopping on the way for a picnic. Whenever we arrive anywhere, the first stop is the tourist information office, if there is one. This is partly to get advice on accessible routes and buildings and also to pick up leaflets and maps which are useful for Racheal’s log books. We have learnt that tourist information staff cannot resist drawing and writing all over maps they give away, so we always ask for an extra one to keep clean for scrapbooking! Armed with maps and leaflets we continued further towards the cathedral which marks the end of a Camino for many travellers. There are a number of different recognised routes pilgrims can take, the longest being 621 miles, the shortest 56 miles. We probably walked just over a mile, not far enough to warrant one of the special certificates issued to those who have completed a Camino! Racheal and Summer did think our achievement deserved a ‘selfie’ though!

Before visiting the cathedral we explored a bit further, finding a café for coffee on a pretty square, and a courtyard garden in one of the university buildings.

Inside, the cathedral was very ornate, but also had a maze of stone staircases and passageways linking the crypt, altar and lantern. The organ had some horizontal pipes and the stone pillars in the nave were painted possibly to look like marble.

In the evening, we thought we would find a meal in Lalín so we could continue to enjoy the pleasant weather, but we didn’t find anywhere serving food so chicken salad at the apartment sufficed.

The next day we visited a toy museum housed in an old farmhouse. Some of the animal stalls were still in place on the ground floor. The family would have lived upstairs where a huge fireplace graced the kitchen. The house itself was interesting and the collection of old toys, fascinating.

The museum curator recommended a restaurant a few miles away for lunch. As we drove along ever narrowing lanes, we wondered if there could really be somewhere to eat in such a remote place. Summer was sent to investigate a grass track and returned to report there was a large car park and restaurant round the corner. It turned out to be a Hobbit themed grill with lots of quirky features and very good food.

It was an enjoyable end to our stay, because when we returned to the apartment it was time to pack again while Racheal and Summer did some scrapbooking.