Living in the Pacific Northwest and San Francisco, enjoying my own “Camino” every where I go!
.
- Memories in the Making
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Padrón to Milladoiro (11.3 miles)
We set off with mixed emotions for our last full day of walking. Our mass was delightful in an open air setting at Ermida de Santiaguiño do Monte in Padrón. Saint James, apostle to Jesus (“Santiago”), is the Patron Saint of Spain and is said to have spread the Gospel here. He preached the Gospel here – in this space!!!
“The Ermida de Santiaguiño do Monte (Chapel of Little Saint James) is a historic 15th-century sanctuary situated on Mount San Gregorio in Padrón, Spain. Accessible via a steep stairway or walking path, it is a profoundly spiritual and natural landmark intimately tied to the origin of the Way of St. James.
The Preaching Site: Legend holds that when the Apostle James first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula to preach, he used these massive granite rock formations on the hillside as a pulpit to address the locals. The Miraculous Spring: At the foot of the hill flows a natural spring. According to tradition, the Apostle struck the solid rock three times with his staff to bring forth water to quench the thirst of a gentile woman. Pilgrims historically drank from or washed their faces in the water to cleanse themselves of sins. The Chapel & Tombs: Built in the 15th century by Archbishop Rodrigo de Luna, the small, picturesque granite chapel has been renovated several times. It contains the Gothic tomb of San Gregorio, a hermit who dedicated his life to caring for the holy site.” (Padrón Tourismo)We started our day’s trek in Padrón – but not before visiting Inglesia de Santiago de Padrón. The church was constructed in 1133 and it is believed that the boat bringing Apostle James’ body from Palestine was moored here. The stone it was tied to (the Pedron) is on display behind the alter.
The church’s altars, carvings, paintings, stone pulpit, and statuary reflect different phases in its evolution as a memorial of The Saint.
We had mostly hills today, often beside busy streets and in industrial areas. And the sun penetrated our sweaty bodies in the abundant exposed portions. We encountered another few technical portions (bouldering) and the ultimate mileage was more than it was billed at – yet I had a most enjoyable day getting to know one of group from Ohio who I had not spent much time with! We walked the entire day together, our paces were well matched and our engaging conversation made the hills insignificant. Our “lunch” at 4:30 was our last stop and my salmon was Delicious!!! And dinner was a buffet at a very modern hotel – meh. We stay this night in Milladoiro, “a place to be humble”, and tomorrow it’s in to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela!
“We tend to think of landscapes as affecting us most strongly when we are in them or on them, when they offer us the primary sensations of touch and sight. But there are also the landscapes we bear with us in absentia, those places that live on in memory long after they have withdrawn in actuality, and such places – retreated to most often when we are most remote from them – are among the most important landscapes we possess.”
-Robert Macfarlane, The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot
