Thoughts from my Camino Frances Journey- Day 27 (Day 2 of Part 2)
Date: June 7, 2025 Saturday
Where did I begin today?
Santiago de Compostela (Hotel Praza Quintana)
Where will I stay this evening?
Sarria (Hotel Roma)
How far have I come?
122km by bus
I woke up around 8am at Hotel Praza Quintana and packed up all of my stuff. I walked to a local bakery to get a croissant for breakfast then mostly stayed in the hotel so I could avoid catching sight of the nearby Cathedral. Londa, Jill, and I shared a taxi to the airport at 11:30am which was the designated meeting place and time.
Quaint medieval streets of Santiago de Compostela
Love random architectural details
All 19 pilgrims in our group met in person for the first time at the airport. We went around a large circle introducing ourselves (sharing names, jobs, locations, and what drew us to the Camino). As an introvert, I’m quite shy in large groups, but since I already had experience walking the Camino, it gave me a bit more confidence when speaking to the others and answering questions. Everyone of course was very friendly, and it was nice to put faces to the names I had known through WhatsApp messages for several months previously.
First meeting in Santiago de Compostela airport (photo credit: David Preston)
Bus ride to Sarria (photo credit: David Preston)
There were three other single girls around my age: Jen, Becca, and Blakely, we sat together and discussed tv shows while waiting to leave. Our bus came at 2pm and I sat near front to avoid getting motion sick. I talked a bit with Becca about her time serving with Cru in Mexico and Costa Rica and my time teaching English in Thailand. Interestingly, we both knew Peyton Smith, small world!
Blakely & my room in Hotel Roma
View of the same train station
When we arrived in Sarria, I was pleasantly surprised to be staying in Hotel Roma, the place right next to the train station where I had breakfast while waiting to go to Madrid the last day of my Camino. It felt like a full circle moment, picking up exactly where I left off. Check in was a much longer, more complicated process with such a large group, definitely different from my previous Camino experience. Pros and cons to traveling solo I suppose, but if all the hotels are this nice, I will have no material complaints. Eventually, I got my room key (I’ll be rooming with Blakely during the whole Camino) and we were given free time until the evening. I took a walk to the main street with Diane, Jill, and Londa while pointing out some familiar places like the church, restaurants, shops, and Albergues from last time.
L to R: Londa Wagner, Diane Campbell, Jill Takasaki Canfield, and I walking around Sarria
At 6:30pm we all met back at the hotel for our first group discussion. Dawn and Dave passed out some trinkets like a Camino buff, a stone and small wooden cross to keep in different pocket, we also received a spiritual booklet Dawn had written from previous Camino groups that we can use during our walk and future group discussions. Spiritually, this will be a different experience and I’m interested to see how the group discussions will impact my personal journey. I obviously still plan to keep journaling also. They also gave a brief overview of what to expect tomorrow, they wanted us all to start together in the morning then we can each walk at our own pace.
L: Jess Dishman, David Dishman, Paul Mayer, Stephen Wright, Allyson Wright, Jill Takasaki Canfield, Londa Wagner, Diane Campbell, Doug Campbell. R: Becca Fussell, Jen Phelps, Blakely Gibeaut, me, Kristie Schoen, Phyllis Wilson, Laura Preston, David Preston, Dave Dishman. (photo credit: Dawn Dishman)
We all had dinner together at 8pm in the hotel restaurant: there was a delicious egg, mushroom, shrimp starter followed by pork with sauce and potatoes, then cannoli for dessert; also bread and wine. I sat next to and talked with Allyson and Stephen, Kristie, Blakely, and Paul. After dinner I packed. Along with accommodation, breakfast, and dinner each day, this trip also includes luggage transport which means I’ll send most of my heavy stuff ahead in my stuff sack and only carry essentials in my backpack. Everyone else has large suitcases to transport whereas I only added a couple things to my packing list from April like detachable sun sleeves and a skort for the hotter June weather. I took a shower and went to bed at 10:30pm. I’m excited to finally begin walking tomorrow!
