Sarria to Portomarin

We woke up this morning to a grey overcast sky. We didn’t mind since it would give us a break from the sun beating down on us while we walked. As long as it didn’t rain we would be good. The place where we stayed last night put out a great buffet of stuff for breakfast and an actual pot of coffee rather than the expresso Americano that I usually have to drink over here. After eating our fill we set off and headed out of town. Sarria was a great place to spend the night and pickup a few things we needed but we were ready to head back out into the countryside. 

As we topped out on the hill overlooking town we passed this old cross. It looked like it had been standing there for quite a while and was a reminder that we were walking a Christian pilgrimage trail that had been trod by millions of the faithful before us. 

Not long after walking past the cross next to the trail, we passed our first church of the day in a small village. This would be the first of 21 villages that we would walk through or by today as we covered the 23 kilometers to the town where we would spend the night. 

Near the church was this cemetery which was filled with beautiful vaults and sculptures. We have noticed that the cemetaries we pass now all have vaults rather than headstones and burial plots.  

Throughout the morning the trail led us through beautiful green forests filled with the ancient Chestnut trees. They are amazing to look at and it boggles the mind to realize how old they are and what they have witnessed in their time. 

I happened to look to the right of the trail and spotted the remains of an old circular building of some kind deep in the woods. Who knows what it was used for. It just seemed kind of strange for it to be located there. Maybe it belonged to a Spanish Hobbit. For some reason I just can't picture Mr. Frodo speaking spanish.  

Each time after walking for a bit through a section of forest, we would emerge at the edge of yet another little village. 

We stopped to chat with one of the locals and I introduced him to the joys of having his ears scratched. Our donkeys at home love it. You know you are hitting the good spot when their bottom lip starts to tremble and their eyes are half shut. Come to think of it, I get the same way when my wife Joyce gives me a back scratch. 

Sometimes we had to cross little spring fed streams over small stone foot bridges. There is a lot of running water in this country. 

We saw this Stork walking in a pasture next to the trail. We usually just see them sitting in their huge nests on the top of bell towers and other high places. Apparently this guy likes to go for long walks in green pastures. 

Right before time to stop for lunch we crossed paths with a couple from Vancouver that we have seen off and on again for the past week or so. Nancy and Wayne are a lot of fun and we had lunch with them at a little café in one of the villages. 

As we were leaving the village where we had lunch, we passed another beautiful little church. I have probably taken pictures of over a hundred of them by now but each one is unique and beautiful in it’s own way and deserves to be captured in a picture and shared. 

We were chatting away while we were walking with Nancy and Wayne and we soon found ourselves at the stone marker that is exactly 100 kilometers from Santiago. Of course we had to take turns taking pictures of each other and the marker. This is a major milestone for a couple of pilgrims that started in France. 

With Wayne leading the way, we scrambled down a very steep and well worn rocky trail that led us down the last hill for the day. 

When we got to the bottom of the hill, the trail popped out of the woods and across a wide river we could see the town that was our target for the day. A huge church dominated the view. This was the town of Portomarin. 

We crossed the bridge and managed to find the hostel where we would be spending the night. After a hot shower we went exploring. I wanted a closer look at the church that I saw from the other side of the river. It was not hard to find. 

Afterwards we found a great little café that opened earlier than normal to serve pilgrims. It was a great meal although we have not yet worked up the courage to try the Pulpo Galician. Sounds really yummy doesn’t it? It is Octopus that has been pounded to tenderize it (hence the name pulpo as in pounded to a pulp) then cooked in some kind of sauce. Maybe another day. 

We are back in our room now and ready to call it a night. I think we ended up with the best view in the place in our little rooftop room. This river is one of the largests in the country and flows all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. 

So with full bellies and drooping eyelids we will have to say goodnight and Buen Camino!