Monday18 jun - Ribadeo to Arzua

Woke up at 4 am to Maureen snoring, so went  and read in the hotel hallway. There was a tolerably comfortable chair with a table and a good reading light. The only problem was that the light was motion activated so I had to keep moving my hand waving while I was reading. Reading while waving your arms around is much more difficult than one imagines, and more tiring too. I went back into the room around 530 and slept until 8 am.

 I had a refreshing shower and then Maureen and I went to ALSA, the spanish bus line, to catch the bus to Foz (Pronounced Fauth). There was no bus to Foz. So we walked to the train station about a mile away. There was no train to Foz. We had to get to Foz so that we could catch the bus at 1230 to Lugo where we would then catch a bus onto Arzua (pronounced arthua) and so continue on our camino way.

We walked back and had a quick breakfast of spanish omelet in the square in the center of town.  Then we walked back to the hotel. On the way I took that great tall elevator down to the marina boulevard while Maureen decided to walk down and we both went back to the hotel, finished packing, paid for the room and called a cab who showed up promptly at 1130.  It  was off  to the bus station in Foz, 27 euros,  where we met with another pilgrim going to Lugo. She had hurt her leg or foot or something and so was taking a day off of walking also.

The 2 hour bus ride made us glad that we decided to take the bus as it was mostly uphill. Really large hills.  Very pretty country... but very hilly. Lugo is quite a large city and we had some time to fill with exploring before our bus to Arzua departed.  There is this great walled city within a block or two of the bus station so we had to go there.
On the way we went through this lovely park full of statues and fountains, a stone frog fountain was very interesting. i had never seen anything quite like it. Just past the park was the walled city. The walls are about 10 feet thick with great gates and ramps and stairs that you can go up to walk on the top of the walls. Very medieval. Inside the walls is a city with shops and streets and the very large cathedral 'Santa Iglesia de Lugo'. Most exciting, this walled city within a city.
The cathedral was very impressive. Well the whole place was impressive.

Wikipedia says Saint Mary's Cathedral or Lugo Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral and basilica built starting from the early 12th century and has romanesque, gothic, baroque and neoclassical features. A first church existed in the site from 755, but in the early 12th century its conditions were such that  in 1129,Bishop Peter 3 commissioned the local master Raimundo to design a new edifice in the current architectonical style. This Romanesque structure was completed in 1273. Later renovations and restorations added elements in other styles, such as the Renaissance retablo at the high altar, which was destroyed in the earthquake of 1755 and of which today fragments are housed in the church.

The cathedral is on the Latin cross plan, with a length of 85 m. It has a nave, covered by a barrel vault, and two aisles, with an ambulatory and five apse chapels where I lit candles and said Hail Mary's. There are triple ogival mullioned windows. The apse houses a calvary sculpture from an unknown date.

The façade is a Renaissance design by julian Sanchez Bort, inspired by the Cathedral in Pamploma. Its construction was finished in the late 19th century, with the completion of the two side towers.

The northern entrance's narthex is in Gothic style, dating to 1510-1530. Internally showing a starred vault, it is formed by three archivolts with a lintel showing christ Pantocrator and with a pinjante (glove-shaped decorative pendant), the latter featuring a depiction of the last supper of Christ.

Right of the entrance is the Gothic Torre Vella (bell tower), surmounted by a Renaissance top floor finished by Gaspar de Arce in 1580. The sacristy (1678) and the cloister (1714) are in Baroque style, as well as the central chapel of the triforium (1726). The chapel of St. Froilán is in Renaissance style, dating to the 17th century. Notable is the choir (early 17th century). I love wikipedia. you will have to look up all those little things that you don't get as to explain all of them here would take up a lot of blog space.

the fact that it took hundreds of years for the cathedral to be finished to where it is now is a marvellous testament to the human need to improve, change, and update the things around him, don't you think?  I said lots of Hail Mary's for Bill and lit lots of candles, electric candles but candles none the less.  There was a priest who was walking along one of the rows who spotted us and asked us if we were pilgrims. We said that we were and he stamped our credentials. Yea! another stamp! Lots of stone and painted ceilings to marvel at. marvelous Carvings in both wood and stone all through the cathedral. The wonderful little Santa Maria in her cape which I have found in most of the churches I visit. maybe they thought she would get cold? But lovely anyway.

We made our way back to the bus station. On the way I looked for a post office to get some more stamps for my postcards and discovered the very small door along the side of a building across from the children's play area with the sign that they were closed until 3. I waited until 325 but they did not come back so went back to the bus station and at 3:45 we were on our way to Arzua. We got in around 5 ...not a long bus ride.

We found a pension( a type of hostel that is cheaper than a hotel) after a bit of a walk and discovered in our room the smallest bathtub I have ever seen. the place did advertise that the rooms came with a bath and they were not lying. I saw the bathroom first and knowing how much Maureen enjoys a good bath could not resist  telling her that she would 'love' this tub. We both had a good laugh over it.
Maureen decided to lay down for a bit and I went exploring the town. A small town but with lots to see. A really pretty if a little stark, church at the end of our street and further down I found some stamps at a grocery store.  I  also found a post office that was closed. they closed at 4. interesting the schedules of amenities in different countries.

I found a saddle makers shop where I went in and although I did not speak spanish well enough and he did not speak/understand that much english I think he understood my  sign language trying to explain that I have a granddaughter who rides so he gave me a key ring for her. either that or he thought I was crazy and just wanted to get me out of there.

I found two parks, one for adults and one for the kids with thier parents. This latter park also had the exercise equipment along one side for the parents to use while thier kids were playing. What a great idea.
I found a vegetarian restaurant? right next door to our pension. I was a little skeptical.  Further down the street my first camino gift shop. I bought a necklace, handmade ceramic with a yellow arrow on a white background like our little arrows that we follow.  I thought it quite appropriate. And of course some postcards.
Went back to our room and Maureen and I went for supper at the vegetarian? restaurant around 730. They had one thing besides salad that was vegetarian, yes, it was huevos espanol (spanish omelet). It is a good thing that I am starting to really like it. So I had that and Maureen had chicken. The food was good and so was the wine, a local wine I think. There was a big soccer game on that night and the two ladies who were taking care of us although very nice and very attentive, I think were more interested in the game.

Maureen and I made plans for the next day. I was going to get up early and walk on my own and Maureen was going to church and to the post office to mail some things off to 'lighten the load'. I wonder how many pilgrims send things to lightened the load?  I would meet Maureen at the biggest church in Santa Irene at around 5. Plans made, We finished up dinner,  packing some of the spanish omelet up for the next day and went back to our room early. I was fast asleep by 9 I think and slept very well.