[Gocamino] Northern Way

[blaroli at aol.com]

Hello you all,
If someone were to press me to name my favorite of the various Camino routes that I walked I would be very tempted to choose the Camino del Norte.... but that might be because it is the one walked by Pope John XXIII and, twice, by Pope John Paul II? (they undertook the pilgrimage when they were young priests).
Also.... the Sobrado Monastery is there.? The Monastery is mentioned in some X century documents, under the name of San Salvador, but 200 year later Cistercian monks took it over and established themselves in the renamed Santa Maria de Sobrado Monastery, (the municipality is called "Sobrado dos Monxes"), which has functioned as a pilgrims' albergue ever since.
Today the monastery is occupied by 26 monks who pray, cultivate the grounds, take care of pilgrims, make jams and wines, etc.? Pilgrims stay in the lovely second story atrium around one of the prettiest gardens anywhere. The atrium is enclosed in glass.? The albergue has a sort of a hostel with 20 beds and the pilgrims' albergue counts with 80.
Recently there were leaks through the roof when it rained and the luxurious vegetation, growing up the walls of the monastery buildings had created harmful humidity conditions. Because of this the monks approached the Xunta; after inspection of the conditions the Xunta has allocated 180,000 Euros for repairs which are expected to be completed in five months.
Abutting the monastery, and as part of it, there is a huge church that takes one's? breath away... in its side chapels there are murals which are hundreds and hundreds of years old and which depict aspects of monastic life then.? They are stunningly impressive and I would hope that someone, or some agency, undertakes their care.... if not their restoration.
Another surprising feature about the monastery is that five of their monks, fairly young, speak English flawlessly since they served their novitiate (pre-monkhood preparatory years) in a monastery in Pennsylvania, USA!.
The?environs are very, very green, with lots of lakes, rivers, and friendly and hospitable people.? There are sufficient albergues so that no stage need be more than?about twenty?kms., and in those sparse areas where there are no established albergues the people in the?local parishes find accommodation for the pilgrims.
While I'm not a foodie, I couldn't help noticing that the?cheese, bread, milk and vegetables in the area were superb.

Hugs!

Rosina?
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