(soft piano music)
Sunday. We sail along the Arousa estuary to discover
the true origin of all the roads to Santiago.
It is the St James route of Mar de Arousa and Ulla,
the beginning of the Jacobean tradition, where it all began...
From the deck we see the coast where the waves break and legends are born.
The sea of Arousa and the Ulla river feed us,
the sun and the wind are the only heritage of the pilgrim.
Our adventure begins!
Sunday.
The day has come, it dawns in Punta Cantodorxo, in O Grove,
a place that rests sheltered from the estuary and the bravery of the Atlantic.
I never tire of observing it, it is a unique stone cross
For being the first to guide my way to this side of the estuary
and because it looks to the sea,
the maritime stone crosses always look to land.
I start my adventure through this age-old path. I am looking forward to discovering
every corner, every crossroads through these lands,
forged by the St. James tradition.
We sail through a sea full of stories, myths and legends,
Ribeira is a journey between the present and the past.
Between calm, and the force of the wild.
The island of Sálvora, which belongs to the only national park in Galicia,
the Islas Atlánticas National Park, protects the entrance to this estuary.
The past is with me but it does not weigh.
Its is light as the breeze.
The way frees me little by little from the dizzying pace of everyday life.
In Nuestra Señora de la Lanzada, a small Romanesque chapel,
I make a brief stop along the way to feel the magic of life
at the rhythm of my footsteps.
I am in Sanxenxo and I follow the path towards the lands bathed by the Ulla.
Ana, look, A Pobra do Caramiñal!
I explain that it is the place that inspired Valle-Inclán and where he
wrote some of his masterpieces, so deeply rooted as they are universal.
We climb together A Curota mountain to see the entire Arousa estuary at a glance.
Here I feel that I can fly, that I can be wind.
It is a site to discover with the soul wide open.
Words cannot describe the strength of this place.
This panoramic view does not fit in any photo.
I could not imagine the secrets of this Jacobean route.
Now I undestand the name of this path: Stone and Water.
The wine grows by the sea in the lands of Salnés
just as it did two thousand years ago.
I leave Meaño behind. I cross the forest, through the lands of Meis,
and I find an imposing monsatery, Armenteira.
You can breathe peace and silence in its cloisters.
Legend has it that a monk named Ero, captivated by the song of a blackbird
fell asleep peacefully and when he woke up and
did not recognize the rest of the monks,
he knew that 300 years had passed,
understanding how exceptional the place was.
The Traslatio story takes me to the essence of who I really am.
I leave behind everything extra and I continue on my way.
We sail to Boiro recreating the same sea route, which Theodore and Athanasius,
disciples of the Apostle, did with his mortal remains through these lands
Castros de Neixón enter the ocean like a castle of rock and salt.
Its defense was its location. Its walls, the sea.
Boiro sails today towards the future with enormous dynamism,
but without leaving tradition or its Jacobean origins behind,
which guide us through this sea of unique experiences.
My route continues in Cambados, land that inspired the Poet Ramón Cabanillas.
Life is like a book, and those who do not travel
is as if they never got past the first page.
Cabanillas, Asorey and other illustrious characters walked through this square.
Leiro or Manolo Paz are just two of the great artist born here...
granite buildings speak of a glorious past
projected into the future in the capital of the Albariño.
We arrive at Rianxo.
Another of the stops on this St. James route which is also literary
We dock at its port and continue on foot through its streets.
I hear a melody in my head:
"Descalciña pola areaaa parece unha rianxeiraaa"
This place inspired popular songs and also authors such as Castelao,
Manuel Antonio or Rafael Dieste...
three of the greatest in Galica.
We still feel their presence and relive their words in these streets
Time stops at times as the way guides my steps,
the dornas rest on the beach and I follow the rhythm of my breathing as I walk.
Azules espejos del sol a lo lejos, ribera del mar...
vuelos de gaviotas, cantos de derrotas, brazos a remar!
I imagine the Apostle's boat crossing these waters.
There is always a ligthhouse, a stone cross, a sign that marks the way forward.
Vilanova welcomes me warmly.
I walk through the streets that saw Valle-Inclán and Julio Camba grow up.
I feel the past close and my steps leave their mark
on the present of this mythical pilgrimage route.
I now understand why it is the true origin of all the Ways to Santiago...
We now enter Dodro, an amazing land bathed by the Ulla River.
This river hides important secrets, legends
and valuable trasures that are testimonies of the past.
We follow a star that leads us to Padrón, formerly Iria Flavia.
Vilagarcía de Arousa, a thriving city,
Arousa Bay for the English Navy, which historically landed in its waters.
I make a stop on the way in Carril to observe the shellfish workers,
collecting the fruits of the earth and the sea.
In the background I see Cortegada Island,
which also belongs to the Atlantic Islands National Park,
I can scent its forest of centenay laurels from here.
I feel my destiny getting closer and closer. Stone crosses my path.
They are sacred places that make me feel in touch with myself.
The Via Crucis of the Traslatio.
I reach the towers of Catoira, witnesses to the battle of the past,
built to protect Compostela and the relics of the Apostle Santiago.
From Catoira I go to Valga. I will cross Pontecesures to get to Padrón.
Under my feet, I feel the footsteps of all the pilgrims
who traveled this route before me.
And i realize that I am part of the story.
We go up to Padrón by boat, the birthplace of the Jacobean phenomenon.
Today's journey is an embrace of our own essence.
We are excited to cross the River Sar bridge, that Rosalía de Castro sang
and we enter the church where the Pedrón is, a Roman funerary altar
where the tradition says the apostolic boat was tied
with the beheaded body of the Apostle,
where hope is born.
To go on pilgrimage is dying to be reborn.
We still hace some way to Santiago. We want to enjoy it slowy.
Enjoy it on every step.
We are at a crossroads near Rois.
But we know that coincidences do not exist along the way, they become miracles...
We are in a magical place and we are close to our goal.
The way is also union and friendship.
The way is the stories, the legends and its inhabitants.
And I feel the excitement of watching how Compostela appears before my eyes.
Knowing that we are now part of the history of the Camino de Santiago.
That it has been well worth the effort.
That we will always find ourselves always on this route.
That there are friendships that last a lifetime.
The way is us and all those who were here before us. An those that will come...