Portomarin spain. 5 days away from Santiago!!

Portomarin

What a fantastic day! I am sunburned but not sore. Ran down the mountain  yee haw!!! TriacStella tonight, Sarria tomorrow. Marianthe and I have one last day together and she sprouts her wings to finish in solitude. I am so lucky to have found a kindred spirit all the way in Spain.

Hanging out in Portomarín with some classmates. I’ve only gotten 4.5 hours of sleep in the last 48 hours and I have this chest cold thing that’s only getting worse, but I’m trying not to let that ruin these last few days.

I’m also (unsuccessfully) trying not to hardcore judge these pilgrims that just started and walk around wearing perfume and makeup. In order to receive a Compostela, you only technically had to have walked 100km straight through to Santiago. Therefore, yesterday was the popular starting point for those who don’t have time to walk the whole thing, want to do the bare minimum to receive a Compostela, etc. Everyone has their own reasons, I get it. It’s cool. More than anything I’m just frustrated with how busy the trail just got out of nowhere. I was really enjoying the solitude. Working on trying to change my attitude regarding that aspect.

We are so close to being done. What a strange feeling.

In Palas de Rei.

Negreira–21:21

Vega de Valcarce to O’cebreiro

I’m staying in an albergue in O’Cebreiro tonight with Hunter. The dormitory-style bund beds are pushed together which gives the impression of a double king bunk bed which is the height of pilgrim “luxury.” This is our first encounter with the Galicean style of albergue which provides a push-to-pump shower with no door and a refrigeratorless kitchen void of pots, pans or silverware. It’s interesting to see this type of government-subsidized refuge for people traveling the Camino that cuts corners and thus, cuts costs to the government. I, in fact had to pay a euro more than usual for my stay tonight. These are in no way complaints, merely observations! I don’t require much anymore to cheer me up along the way, warm showers regardless of doors make me happy! The fact that there is a kitchen and running water at all automatically puts me a step ahead of our nights out in the tent! It’s comfortably warm inside which is very nice as well. With the high altitude, being out of the wind is fantastic. We originally were only going to stop because Queen Isabella stayed in a hostel in town, but after asking around we came to learn that the location she took refuge is unfortunately closed. My mother wrote the only unbiased, well-researched biography there is on the market on Isabella and I was hoping to have the opportunity to understand her mindset a little better. I am enjoying this town more than I expected I would despite the buses full of tourists mobbing around us and asking for pictures of “real peregrinos!” or simply photographing us without permission as we attempted to focus on the success of our ascent or the bountiful history and culture exuding from the area. We surrendered our efforts fairly quickly, having been swarmed by flashes and a plethora of languages trying to explain what it must be like to be pilgrims or how amazing it is that we’d try and walk all the way to Santiago. After leaving our packs at the albergue we climbed up another small hill above the town and enjoyed the wind and the birds and the sunshine on our skin. The view made it look as though you’re on top of the whole world with hills and mountains as far as you can see, all the way from Ponferrada to what I assume must be the town we’ll arrive in tomorrow. We feasted to an amazing pilgrim’s menu meal of spaghetti and roasted chicken and shared a bottle of wine with Nate. It’s been a lovely day! 20k tomorrow!

Warmer and more crowded.  Started the day in the shade of the river valley, around 4ºC, but walked up the other side of the valley, into the sun and started shedding layers. Not a peaceful walk like yesterday’s. Many people, many groups including,  imagine this, a school group. You don’t have to ask where the Camino is; you just follow the line of backpacks. Azura and Pedrouzo, the main towns on this stage, are pilgrim oriented, lots of albergues and conchas on every business, no matter what’s for sale.  The municipal albergue packs a lot of pilgrims in a small space, but there’s a nice kitchen, almost enough plugs to recharge all the gadgets, and it’s still 6€.

Just out of Ribadisio you encounter a garbage can with “free philosophy” written on it and then a line of posters, in Spanish and English, containing some of the great quotes from philosophers (Ronald Reagan even gets an entry) and spiritual leaders.  And there’s a promise of more free philosophy at km 33. At km 33, more sayings, a food cart (food for the belly, not, directly,  the mind), a large gathering of pilgrims and Bruno, the “seeker”/philosopher behind it all.   I asked where he studied philosophy.  “Here, in this life, in conversation.” Good start.  And it just got better. Talk with him. He’ll drag you into philosophy and, if you read all the way to the end of the  sayings on his wall, into the Bible (as studied by Bruno, not as preached by any church). Just another creative quirk on El Camino. And the cake was good too.