Gran Lujo Transcantábrico
Tracing the cultural memory of Galicia, Asturius, Cantabria and the Basque Country in northern Spain whilst living on a train for a week.
Following Brisbane, Australia in 1988 the World Expo headed to Seville, Spain in 1992. I was twenty and keen to keep the party going. A half-hearted attempt at an application to work there was thwarted when I failed to have neither a passport nor any hospitality experience whatsoever.
Since then, I have harboured a desire for Spain and its music, dance, food, wine and the love of colourful clothes and quality sandals.
Many different paths lead to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. Millions of ancient, and modern, pilgrims have walked these paths - seeking inner peace and connection with spirit.
It is said a pilgrimage starts from your front door. I left home in mid-April to ‘walk on’ and forge a new path - to connect with the earth and my feminine spirit. On a waning moon, I arrived on a connection flight through Madrid from Paris. All my senses knew I had arrived somewhere very special - on the earth, and also within.
A traditional 8-piece Galician band was playing and singing in the square - recent pilgrim arrivals were dancing with joy. It was dusk, I slipped my shoes off and walked around the square slowly and wept.
“I am so very sorry madam. There is a problem with your room“ are never words you want to hear at check-in.
“Last night’s guests were unable to leave as planned today. They have a sickness and are in your room.” I held it together and said nothing, stunned.
“Please do not worry madam. We have put you in a suite instead. It is the Cardinal’s Suite. It is very nice for you.”
Grateful to have any room at this point after the ten hour journey, I followed the porter through the halls and stone staircases of the historic Hospital Real de Santiago de Compostela.
Converted to a hotel (parador) in the 1950s, the building has a long history. It was the place pilgrims would go in the Middle Ages to spend three months to die. In the 1700s medical treatments were pioneered there and its gardens supplied Europe’s largest apothecary for herbal medicines. It expanded its reach further to include a wing for foundlings - abandoned babies left at a dedicated window, and a maternity ward - the Bethlehem Suite.
The Cardinal Suite proved to be quite the hotel room!
I wondered how a Roman Catholic patriarch (who required six wardrobes) would feel today with a pagan-leaning feminist, returned from a British colony, occupying their quarters. (For the record, I was swiftly downgraded to a heavily disinfected ‘junior suite’ the next morning after breakfast.)
I loved every moment of my two days walking the parks and museums of Santiago de Compostela but it was time to move on. There was a train waiting at Ferol station to transport me from west to east across northern Spain.
“I like trains. I like their rhythm, and I like the freedom of being suspended between two places, all anxieties of purpose taken care of.”
Anna Funder, Stasiland
Tren Transcantábrico was built to imitate the 1920s style of long distance luxury train travel. It was launched as a state run tourism activity in 1983. At 230m in length its sixteen carriages snake alongside rivers, between mountains, over viaducts and thunder through tunnels - it ‘parks’ at various stations overnight. Essentially, it is a hotel that moves its guests and staff parallel to the earth.
One of twenty guests to board, and the only solo traveller, I was allocated carriage six, ensuite room twelve - exactly 220 steps through hyper-narrow corridors to the dining carriage. At times it felt like I was living in a 1920s themed caravan park for baby boomers.
Every morning at 8am footsteps would pound down the corridors snapping the blinds open and loudly clanging a bell. The sound reminded me of the morning Angelus Bell at my Catholic primary school, rung to signify it was time to pray to the angels (and little lunch). There was a printed daily timetable listing meal times, activities and when the train was scheduled to be moving. This was helpful, so as not to plan to shower whilst the train was moving! There was even a ‘certificate of completion’ issued and awards given out on the final night ‘farewell party.’
Some might be horrified at the conformity, however I found it gave me mental freedom from logistics anxiety. Creative freedom within structure, the same way a toddler needs routine to thrive perhaps.
Travelling this picturesque region by train, with scheduled day trips via coach with local guides, allowed time and space for each principality.
The route traversed northern Spain - tracing memories of the people, places and cultural practices of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country.
Towns, villages and cities we toured with local guides included : Viveiro ; Las Catedrales Beach ; Luarca ; Gijon ; Llanes ; Picos de Europa National Park ; Sanctuary of Covadonga ; Cangas de Onis ; Potes ; Comillas ; Altamira Neocave ; Santillana de Mar ; Santander ; Bilbao and San Sebastian.
The days felt very busy but as I was ‘alone together’ in the group, I could deviate, or retreat, when I needed to.
I swam in the Cantabrian Sea and soaked at the Balneario de la Hermida thermal spa. There were too many four course meals hero-ing local cuisine than I could eat. I loved the experience - although it was exhausting and not a relaxing week. I now have screeds of notes on the history and folklore of women’s lives and their powerful places for worship and healing to inspire further writing.
I took a gazillion photos - here are nine of my favourites:
There was a piece of poignant graffiti on the coastal walk at Llanes AMAR LAS COSAS SIMPLES DE LA VIDA, it translates as TO LOVE THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE.
It is a good motto to remember at the end of a long day transitioning from northern Spain to Madrid - train lines closed for maintenance and three connections via the largest ‘working’ high speed train network in the world.
My first walk in Madrid today was to the Templo de Debod. I paid my respects to the goddess Isis and the god Amun and the heavens made themselves known with thunder, hail and rain. Love the simple things.
Eating - a lot!! This dessert at Narru in Donostia-San Sebastian was spectacular.
Listening - to a lot of spanglish on walking tours.
Next - Amsterdam !
#walkon2023 Step Count - accumulative total steps 653,088 (as at 18 June 2023)
Beautiful piece. Proud to have Gen X’d with you on the boomer van.