Day 31: Ribadiso de Baixo to O Pedrouzo

Today is the first day of mixed feelings. Today I can imagine walking into Santiago, 800+ km behind me, elated... simultaneously incredibly lost and saddened at leaving behind my Camino community.  People who I met on the first night, ran into coincidently time after time until we became friends, bonded over challenges, laughter and awe.

Today, the thought of finishing brought me to tears, prematurely, for so many reasons. And yet, the walks in the woods, coffee with friends and new stuff along "the way" was exhilarating, fun and eye-opening.

Add we walked along, I noticed a studio.  Some photographer had set up shop, taking professional Pilgrim photographs... you know, "as is", with running noses, unbrushed hair and unwashed clothes.  I surprised myself and posed for one! He took my €10 and maybe I'll see a portrait in the email at some point.  LOL.  I admired the premise. Honesty. No makeup, no mirrors, no pretending. Today was the day I had planned to wash my hair and my clothes and for some sick reason I was glad he caught me before I looked less "pilgrimy"!

Pierre and I arrived in O Pedrouza  early enough to find friends and share laundry before before that coveted glass of vino tinto or two!

We rounded of the night at dinner... about 8 of us.  Lots of laughter, teasing, recalling memories of the last 4 weeks. Everyone's getting sentimental... it's not just me.

Day 30: Palas de Rei to Ribadiso de Baixo

You may or may not know, but I travel completely reliant on a couple of apps.

1. Camino Pilgrim
Sorry iPhone addicts, this one is not available to you (I don't think). With this app, you have the choice of using a pre-programmed schedule or designing your own.  I based my 31 day plan on an existing schedule, but I modify it most days to account for longer or shorter walks, stops for health/social/tourist reasons etc.

I am on track to arrive in Santiago on day 32 having taken one extra day to explore Burgos at the 2 week mark. The plan to walk another 3 days to Finisterre has been ditched in favor of a bus ride! I'm tired and don't have it in me to walk!!!

2. Weather app.
My phone came with this and while it's nothing too sophisticated, it apparently is more accurate than those other people are using... and this has resulted in several winning bets, with wine prizes!

I use the weather app to plan such things as attire, start time and distance walked.  For instance, today the app predicted showers that tapered off after 9am or 10am. So we started walking at 8:30, with rain ponchos on and planned a coffee break for an hour later... with the intention of reworking the water proof layers as needed. Perfect plan. Well executed, if I do say so myself.  (It helps that our dorm room of 6 people, all slept in!)

The hike today was typical Galicia. Rolling hills, lush green, dense forests of pine, oak, eucalyptus and chestnut. Sun filtering through, clouds mixed with blue sky, breezy but warm, birds singing, cow bells ringing.

There are a boatload more pilgrims on the trail now.  The northern route joined the Frances Camino recently, and as mentioned previously, there are many more pilgrims who started in Sarria.

Pierre and I are still walking together, although those early mornings that we bonded over, are mostly gone. Between the exhaustion and late sunrises  (8:45 am) motivation has somewhat expired. Instead, we join the trail in the dark around 7-7:30 am with headlamps. Me, with a mind full of last night's dreams (stories and colors) and him, with the song he woke up with in his head - soon to be my latest ear worm!

I have to say though, the songs are getting more age appropriate. It wasn't so long ago I was hearing "intsy wintsy spider", then "puff the magic dragon". Today I was privy to an 80's song that escapes me now.

My dreams are often Camino related, but also about home, the pets, travelling and life with Mark. Clearly I'm torn about leaving the Camino and my excitement about going home.  I miss home!

Ok, so today's hike:
The highlight was Melide, famous for its pulpo  (octopus). We partook and yes, it was very good. And it wasn't long before Marcelo found us and joined in.  I love his honesty, made even better by his English as a second language! Today's moment: "they are a little bit creepy" in reference to the octopus he was skewering. Hahaha.

After Melide it seemed easy to walk, until the last 1km! Then I hit a wall.  Exhausted. Gratefully checked into a nice, newer albergue - Los Caminantes.

OK, so just one thing if you are thinking of staying here. The showers.  Yeah, they are hot, but I should not have stopped asking questions there.  There are 2 showers in the main floor near our bedroom. Coed. They are adjoined, separated by a barely opaque plastic wall. Once inside, you have a slightly blurred view of the person in the next stall - and they, of you! I'm so over the shower setup in these relatively new places.  Did anyone stay in an albergue (or use a communal bathroom) before ok'ing the architectural plans???

Arrgghhh....
More vino tinto!

Day 29: Portomarìn to Palas de Rei

I'm making it brief. Galicia is a magical place that kinds reminds me of New Zealand and a bit of Australia! Different, I know.  You see, it has that lush green, damp quality... lots of ferns, rain and dairy cows etc. Then, up springs a eucalyptus forest! It smells like Australia.

I'm enjoying the total departure from the wide open spaces of the Messeta, the humidity and abundance of life.

I have worked out that 29 days in, I have done 1,200,000 steps. My feet are not surprised.

Just 3 days to Santiago...

Day 28: Pintìn to Portomarìn

Considering that I only slept so-so, I thought the hike went pretty well today. It was, after all, another 27km up and down the hills of Galicia.

We passed through Sarria bright and early, greeted by multitudes of Pilgrim stores. You could literally arrive here with nothing and start your Camino... and many people do! This small city is 110km from Santiago and the requirement for obtaining a Camino completion certificate is walking the last 100km, yeah, some people do that! My opinion... since you asked.... a pilgrimage is not the same as a certificate. After 4 weeks hiking village to village and trying to glean a hint of understanding about catholicism, I confess I'm at a loss to understand the religion at all. But the history, the relics, rituals and traditions fascinate me, none the less. This church was a remarkable symbol of power, money and influence in its day. Judging by the empty pews, deteriorating buildings and lack of up and coming priests, that day has passed.

I digress. The road climbed or of Sarria, winding up into the hills, 1000' or so. We followed 100 kids "on Camino" with little back packs and energetic legs fueled by junk food! I congratulated Pierre on surviving 32 years as a teacher and told him he'd leaving get extra brownie points for that at Mass in Santiago.

It was a cloudy, misty morning.  You could see the moisture - taste it, even.  Pea soup that reminded me of Nantucket.

Honestly though, we have been INCREDIBLY fortunate with the weather. Galicia is known for rain, but day after day, the damp mornings give way to sunshine, vibrant colors and long afternoon shadows. Nothing feels nicer than sun on the face, listening to birds tweet and walking dry paths.... that would otherwise be a slippery, odiferous mess of manure and clay on rock!

And then... we hit double digits! 99km to Santiago. Just 4 weeks ago it was 800+.

My smile gives me away.  Camino is hard.  The blisters have healed, feet take on 30km without complaining, teeth are back to normal and the reaction to fig over-indulgence has subsided, but I'm tired. No, exhausted. Every day a little more so. I can hike all day, but find it incredibly hard to tolerate inconsiderate roommates,  cold weather, repetitive menus or washing my own laundry, by hand, in cold water. Traipsing through Spanish villages is amazing. The lifestyle of a Pilgrim is wearing thin.  The boys were right... I'm a princess. (They called my fancy stay at the parador in León, "Dallice's Palace".)

It was lovely to arrive at Portomarìn and discover a small room with few roommates, a hot shower and washing machine! 😀

Day 27: O'Cebreiro to Pintìn

O'Cebreiro is pretty high.  The village overlooks the rolling green hills of Galicia in every direction.  You'd think it would be cold in the morning, but no, it wasn't.

At 6:30am we started out in the dark. Hiking up and down energetically in the dark and intense fog.   Or was it just cloud? As the sun came up it became apparent that we were between cloud layers.  Something I had only experienced in the airplane before. It was warm enough to hike in t-shirt and no gloves and in no time at all we passed over the highest linn in the Camino... 1300+ meters.

20km later the trail branched at Triacastela, with one way leading to Samos - an old monastery and the other, a steeper climb but shorter route through Pintìn. We chose harder but shorter, but Marcelo went for the monastery.  Man it was a beautiful walk!

The guide book didn't lie though.  Each tiny Galician village supported a handful of farmers and not much else.  No coffee. No accommodation. At one point we took the chance and detoured according to a random sign for an albergue. The reward was nobody was home and being chased out of town by 5 growling and snarling dogs! We had one hiking pole each to poke them away.  Hahaha. It was 33km before we arrived today, with sore feet and eyes full of hope, in Pintìn.

Our hotel is tiny but clean and welcoming. A hot shower goes a long way to healing bodies that have trekked for almost 11 hours - but there is no instant cure, so the next best thing is distraction! We had dinner with two Frenchman that often cross our path. Delightful conversation, upgraded Rioja wine and homemade dinner.

Bliss.