San Xulian

A cold grey morning but I was on the trail out of Portomarin by 7. Seemed to be rush hour, but eventually the pack thinned out a bit and by walking quickly I managed to get out of earshot of the spanish man yelling importantly into his mobile. The countryside is a bit dull after some of the splendid stretches before. So today into Palas de Rei was about engaging autopilot and getting the kilometres down. Had a nice lunch in Palas de Rei, then pottered on through some pretty tree lined paths to the little village of San Xulian where I got the last bed in the nice little albergue.

Tomorrow about 26.5 into Azura.

Portomarin

Perhaps a little too much wine last night, as I felt about as foggy as the countryside around Sarria this morning as I set out. It was chilly, damp and not much of a view. It was like that last time as well. So I have walked out of Sarria twice and I still have no idea what it looks like. I do like Sarria though.

The trail was a lot busier today. Some big groups perhaps Koreans, Spanish family groups, and young Spanish guys with enormous back packs and wearing running shoes.

I guess you have to have a not so great day every now and then, and today was that day for me. But I've advanced to 88 ks to go, which means I've walked around 700 k - certainly more, given my propensity for wandering off the trail.

At the church in Sarria there is a notice to the effect it is recommended that one should get a minimum of two stamps from here on. They even give a leaflet with preferred sello locations. It is supposed to prevent people bussing or taxiing between towns.   When they guy who stamped my credencial stopped yacking to his colleague, I protested:"that (the two stamp thing)is silly". "Yes yes" he replied, the archetypical beaucratic response.  I got three stamps today, but one from a bar and it is upside down as a protest. Not really, i just couldn't work out the right way.

Portomarin is unlike the other towns the Camino passes through. The original town was flooded by the reservoir in  the valley below, and the fortified church of St Nicolas was dismantled and reassembled where it stands today in the new town's main square.  With the exception of the church and the steep stairs at the entrance, all the buildings are relatively recent, so you don't get the mix of collapsed collapsing fixed up that you get in other towns.

Tomorrow onto Palas del Rey, another shortish day.

Sarria

Another beautiful morning and I was feeling ok after a good night's sleep so I turned left at the end of town for the longer option via Samos. The first part was along a valley which shadowed the morning sun. It was chilly but good for some brisk early kilometres.

The path winds through a couple of stone villages that look like not much has changed since medieval times. Not much maintenance done since either. One was enlivened by two signs using little human figures. One conveyed the message "no littering", the other "no pooing." Fair enough I suppose.  Lots of the walk was beside beautiful rivers. It seems to make it easier to walk when you can see or hear running water. Nothing like that for the last stretch onto Sarria, dry and dusty. The street signs and street names are in Galician which confused me and google maps  so i wound up walking a few extra k around town at the end of the day looling for the place i had booked.

Today to Portomarin. cross the 100 k to go mark today

Triacastela

It was cold up on the mountain this morning but a glorious clear dawn made it well worth the effort to get up and out. The panorama is spectacular, and everything so beautiful that I was almost in a trance, and managed to take a wrong turn not once, but twice. Each time was down hill, of course, so I added a bit of climbing to the day as I corrected my mistakes and regained the path. The GPS has definitely earned its place.

The day lived up to the promise of the morning. Definitely Galicia - the path winding through stone villages surrounded by fields of lush pasture and the roads liberally splattered with cow poo.

Triacastela is a nice town. After a pleasant lunch I found a room, had a nap, ventured out to find the supermercados closed for the day, and after visiting the church, retired for the day.

Tomorrow to Sarria either via Samos or direct.

O Cebriero

The hostel provided a thermos of coffee and do it yourself breakfast on a tray so I was fed and on the road by 6.45. I headed up the road less traveled, the high road via Pradela to Trabadelo which lived up to its reputation of being both very beautiful and very hard going.  I passed only one person, a perigrina  toiling away head down up the slope. Apart from her it was wild, desolate and cold, but covered in wild flowers and spectacular views. Before I left home I'd downloaded all the tracks to Santiago onto my GPS, and at one point it was telling me I'd missed a turn. I retraced my steps but could see nothing to suggest that the faint footpad heading off through the chestnuts was the right path, but I trusted the GPS and after a lot of twists and turns I arrived at the village back on the main trail. I don't know what happened to the perigrina behind me. Maybe she is still up there somewhere.

The way goes through the Valcarse valley, the upper reaches of which are in my opinion some of the most beautiful on the Camino. Trouble is everyone is too stuffed to notice. There were a lot of tired looking people out there today, especially along the last 8 k when the grade kicks up. I was one of them.

After visiting the beautiful church of Santa Maria with its 12th century statue of Madonna and child,  and after lighting a couple of candles, I retired for a bit of a lie down,  and passed out till 6.

Being in Galicia now I thought I should sample the local delicacy Pulpo, steamed octopus. Perhaps not the greatest dinner idea and a bit of a struggle to finish the specially heaped wooden platter the senora proudly presented to me. But it is all very colourful and relaxed here. The guy who runs the bar is sitting out in the last of the afternoon sun playing Galician bagpipes - or trying to. The patron sent me a glass of grapa as a nightcap, a nice gesture. I am crossing paths with some of the people from the early days today - nice to see familiar faces. I also met a fellow allergy sufferer who agreed that is the broom or cotton wood plants that are the culprit

Tomorrow a shortish day maybe, to Triacastela. Short but steep down hill which is hard work and can be tricky.

Villafranca rest day

I did as little as possible today. A nice breakfast, a shuffle over the bridge into town to visit the farmacia and the ATM, a bit of foot care, a nice lunch, an afternoon nap, a nice dinner and that was just about it.  Did get a chance to plan the next few days and psych myself up for the next phase. It has been lovely to stop for a bit.

Tomorrow O Cebriero a steep climb up to 1400 metres. I am going to take the alternative route out of Villafranca which is a bit longer and steeper but said to be prettier than the road route.

Villafranca

An unseasonably hot day today so I left early. Didn't sleep all that well, and had to push myself to keep moving. But an interesting day's  walk. Almost medieval scenes of people planting out seedlings, tending young vines, or just resting in the shade. Less of the broom plant that I am alergic to, so I breathed easier. Walking into Villafranca you pass the wonderful Puerte de Pardon. Pilgrims to ill to continue could achieve the same Santiago indulgences by walking through that door. Unfortunately, as with the last time I visited, it was locked. No pardon for me I guess. I was hot, tired and footsore by the time I hit Villafranca, so I am going to have a rest day tomorrow. Nearly 600 kilometres walked, 187 to go, which all being well should take about 8 more days.
But tomorrow sleep in till 7.15. In clean white sheets in a real bed. Whoohooo!