James

Posted bynickletjogPosted inDiary

CAMINO PORTUGUÉS – Day 9: Wednesday 3 June 2026 – PORRIÑO to CESANTES (20 [+0] kilometres)

The Red Cross is the symbol of St James, whilst the scallop shell – carried by the vast majority of pilgrims destined for Santiago – has long been the symbol of the Camino

St James (or James the Great as he is often termed) was one of the twelve apostles of Christ. It is his remains that, according to tradition, lie in the shrine at the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, and hence have provided the reason and inspiration for pilgrimages such as mine since time immemorial. Adopted as the patron saint of Spain, James was the first of the apostles (after Judas Iscariot) to die, and the first to be martyred, in AD 44. It is said that James preached the gospel in Hispania and, that after his martyrdom, his remains were carried back to the province by sea – to Padrón, where I am due to stay in three days’ time – and thence for burial in Santiago. Subsequent pilgrimage routes, across Iberia and from Central and Western Europe became popular in medieval times, with an estimated peak of a half-million pilgrims visiting his resting place annually.

The principal Camino routes of Iberia and south-west France

What I find incredible is the recent resurgence of interest in the Camino trails: in 1985 only 690 recorded pilgrims entered Santiago – by 2000 the number had risen to 55,000, then to 250,000 by 2015, and (after a decline around the pandemic) to just under 500,000 in 2024 – so back to the estimated levels of medieval times! The most popular contemporary route is the Camino Francés across northern Spain (47% of pilgrims), the route that I completed last year, followed by my current trail, the Portugués (at 18%), and the Portuguese Costa (coastal route) with 15%. There are several theories doing the rounds here, between us peregrinos, as to why the pilgrimage numbers are increasing at such a rate – mostly these are to do with fears around the worsening state of the world (climate change, poverty and geopolitics), and changing attitudes towards social and personal matters, such as environmental protection, the cost of living, mental health, and self-fulfilment. All of these factors seem to have created a ‘sweet spot’ for a certain sector of the world’s population, now seeking indulgence in the joys of a shared journey, whilst enjoying the physical activity, camaraderie, emotional headspace and personal reflection that a Camino provides. So far on my Portugués trek I have met and spoken with nationals of 24 different countries – from Canada to Korea, Austria to Australia, Uruguay to the UAE, and Italy to India. Perhaps surprisingly only a small minority of pilgrims are overtly religious, and fewer than half have a specific reason (eg separation, bereavement, insolvency or failing health) for undertaking the walk; instead I would observe tendencies within this self-selecting group towards democracy, anti-popularism, environmental protection, a love for nature and exercise, tolerance, politeness, sociability and self-awareness. Hence to undertake a Camino serves to reaffirm faith in the prospects for global harmony.

Signboard in Mos: I still have plenty of countries to tick off in my game of ‘Nationality Bingo’

Here follow the maps and pictures of my day.

I am now north of the Spanish city of Vigo (that I have passed to the west), and I have had a first view of the sea since my first day out of Porto
A more detailed look at today’s walk, from Porriño to Cesantes (which is just off the top of the map, three kilometres north of the town of Redondela)
My Brierley Guidebook gives me not only maps but profiles of each day’s walk, and today’s looks rather scary, with a fair mountain to climb – until one realises that the peak is a lowly 250 metres of elevation: all things are relative!
Leaving Porriño first thing this morning, as part of a procession – pilgrim numbers are swelled from the town by tour groups delivering customers for the remaining 100 kilometres into Santiago (the minimum distance required in order to gain the Pilgrim Certificate)
Granite fences all along this stretch . . .
. . . a granite hórreo . . .
. . . and water fountains of the stone – both modest . . .
. . . and grand
I reached the pleasant town of Mos with a large group of British and Irish trekkers, where we enjoyed a breakfast of tortilla and coffee, to set us up for the climb ahead
The ascent begins, out of the town . . .
. . . then onto a wide track through the woods . . .
. . . to this rather modest stand of pillars, that mark the top of the hill
The nearby Capella de Santiaguiño – with Thomas, my walking Buddy for most of today
A final rise in the path . . .
. . . past a sturdy lunch table . . .
. . . gave us an opportunity for a wax-seal passport stamp
An omen for the impending steep descent . . .
. . . and some distant views of the sea – and of the approaching rainclouds over the hills
On the road into Redondela . . .
. . . past an urban hórreo . . .
. . . and with rain in the air I stopped with Thomas for lunch in the town – I am told that there is a lot to see in Redondela, but with the weather deteriorating, and another hour to Cesantes, I soon made tracks . . .
. . . out of the town . . .
. . . to my hillside destination of Cesantes village

The two Portugués Caminos, the Costa and the Central, merge in Redondela, the town that I passed through this afternoon, and this, combined with the above ‘100-kilometre ruling’, means that I can now expect busier paths for the remainder of the way to Santiago. Hence I anticipate a very different Camino experience ahead – but I hope very much to be able to spot a few familiar faces in the crowd! Roll on tomorrow for some coastal walking.

From my slightly elevated position in Cesantes tonight I have a view of an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, the Ria de Vigo, that was obscured by rainclouds upon my arrival in the mid-afternoon

The song ‘James’, from which I have taken today’s Blog heading, was penned by US singer-songwriter Billy Joel as a heartfelt ode to an old friend who had chosen a different path in life, namely education (and responsibility), compared to the writer’s life on the road as a wannabe musician. The lyrics question whether James, the friend, has truly enjoyed the freedom to pursue his authentic self or whether he has just had to conform to the expectations of others. Released in mid-1976, ‘James’ appeared as the first single from ‘Turnstiles’, Joel’s fourth studio album, that predated his commercial breakthrough with ‘The Stranger’ LP of the following year.

Here in the Galicia province of Spain the local delicacy of pulpo (octopus) is omnipresent, served freshly cooked to order at our lunch stop in Redondela: a group of us tried some last night in a tapas bar, and the dish goes down nicely with the appropriate seasoning – and a beer of course!

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