Stage 31 - Portomarin to Palas de Rei

Where We Are Tonight:  Palas de Rei                Miles Hiked Today: 15.2 (24.5 km)

Miles Hiked Overall: 441.9 (711.2 km)               Miles to Santiago:  43.1 (69.3 km)

Steps Taken Today:  45,264                              Blister Count: lots of bandages used...

Spanish Word of the Day: nubes (clouds)

What We Learned Today:  The closer we get to Santiago,  the more things cost. 

Today was another long day but we were very thankful for some clouds and a nice cool breeze that at times came to us and helped us get up the steep parts.  

The photo doesn't really show it well but there are so many people on the Camino now!  It's especially busy in the morning when everyone is heading out at the same time.   It's not necessarily bad, it's just a different experience to have so many bodies around and making noise.   Today we walked with a group of kids from Barcelona on a school trip and at least 2 bus loads of other groups.  The photo of me in the beautiful forest all by myself was taken much later in the day when we either outpaced or outlasted the newbies!

Because of all the peregrinos now on the Camino, there is tourist stuff all over, frequent bars/restaurants, and higher prices for everything.   We found a place for a snack this afternoon that was perhaps the most idyllic spot - shaded deck, comfy chairs, cold drinks and nobody else!  It was wonderful!

3 more days to go!!

"Somewhere between the start of the trail and the end is the mystery of why we walk."

―Anonymous

Stage 30 - Pintin to Portomarin

Where We Are Tonight:  Portomarin                Miles Hiked Today: 18.1 (29.1 km)

Miles Hiked Overall: 426.7 (686.7 km)            Miles to Santiago:  58.3 (93.8 km)

Steps Taken Today:  56,874        

Blister Count: Our feet just want this to be over

Spanish Word of the Day:  salida del sol (sunrise)

What We Learned Today:  Sometimes the longest route is the easiest route.

We hiked an additional 7.5k m from Pintin to Sarria at the start of the day

The day started off bright and early because we had a long day.  We even saw the sunrise!   It was a long, tough day...over 7 hours of actual walking today.

We walked through Sarrria this morning and we could see the new masses of people.   This is the village where you need to start if you're doing the last 100K...so we see many groups of people, many buses and lots of new faces.   People have joined the Camino at every location along the way but this is by far the biggest influx of people.

The walk today took us through beautiful fields (the old rock walls are amazing!), through some forested areas, and also some open paved areas.   When we got to Portomarin at the end of the day we actually had to climb nearly 80 steps up to the town!

  

We have walked by multiple cemeteries on the Camino.   They are always surrounded by a tall fence and usually gated shut so we've only been able to go into one. Most of them are filled with these small "houses," one per family.  I need to learn more about this to know what's exactly inside.   Sometimes it also looks like maybe there are different layers of graves, kinda like a mausoleum. 

The next photo is of grain keepers in fields.  It is elevated off the ground so no pesky animals can get in.  They are an interesting shape; tall, long and thin.  They all look alike in size and shape but some have decorations of the two ends.

We are officially in count down mode - 4 days to go!

"The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things maybe, to see them as they are." 

―Samuel Johnson. 

Stage 29 - Fonfria to Pintin

Where We Are Tonight:  Pintin                        Miles Hiked Today: 13.2 (21.2 km)

Miles Hiked Overall:  408.6 (657.6 km)            Miles to Santiago: 75.4  (121.4 km)

Steps Taken Today: 41,214                             Blister Count: see one of the photos from

Spanish Word of the Day: agua (water)

What We Learned Today: Always top off your water bottle because you cannot trust the guide book.

Here is a picture of Pam's feet.  She definitely wins the prize for Feet With the Most Issues!

 Today's walk was mostly pretty high in elevation and with beautiful views of the valley below.  Lots of sunscreen was used for the many open areas!

So the sun was shining fiercely in the sky all day...and that's when my guidebook decided to leave out a few important details.  We thought there were a few villages along the way (like it shows in the book) that would be able to give us water. ..but instead we had to go maybe 13K without any water!   We were a little worried because it is soooo hot and humid.  We finally reached our albergue and we drank many glasses of water before finding our bed.

We are so close to Santiago...only 5 days to go!!   Here was a sign during the day showing that we only had 136 km to go (85 miles).

“Nothing builds self-esteem and self-confidence like accomplishment.”

―Thomas Carlyle

Stage 28 - Vega de Valcarce to Fonfria

Where We Are Tonight:  Fonfria                      Miles Hiked Today:  14.4 (23.2 km)

Miles Hiked Overall:  395.4 (636.4 km)            Miles to Santiago:  89.5 (144.1 km)

Steps Taken Today: 45,517                             Blister Count:  hmmmmm....

Spanish Word of the Day:  queso  (cheese)

What We Learned Today:  Eat all the queso con miel  (cheese with honey) that you can...it's FABULOUS! 

As we came through a small village today,  this was the traffic jam we saw.

We are back into mountains big time now. This is the view from atop one ridge.  It is so beautiful!   It feels like you can see forever. 

The climb up to the famed O'Cebreiro town was tough!   It was very steep and rocky and unrelenting.   And it was very hot and humid...in fact, I was quite wet when I got to the top.  There we came across this sign saying we are finally in Galacia,  our last province we will go through on the Camino.   That is quite an.accomplishment!   Everyone was shouting in joy that we made it this far!

Once in the town, we had a celebratory lunch to commemorate the fact that we had made it to the "top."  (We thought that this town was the top of the mountain and all the books also state this,  but they lied.  We still had a LOT more uphill to climb but we didn't know it at the time.)  We celebrated with a huge lunch of home-made chorizo (sausage), empanadas (pastry with a meat and vegetable concoction), vino tinto (red wine) from the region,  pan (bread), and the best queso con miel....which is now my very favorite food ever!  

Queso con miel is so good that we had it for dinner, too, when we got to Fonfria.   We saw the cows that made the cheese walk back to the barn from the fields as we were eating!   Their barn is directly across the street from our albergue.   Many people around here sell fresh honey..so that was local and fresh as well.

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says, "I'M POSSIBLE".”

―Audrey Hepburn

Stage 27 - Cacabelos to Vega de Valcarce

Where We Are Tonight: Vega de Valcarce                Miles Hiked Today: 16.3 (26.3 km)

Miles Hiked Overall: 381.0 (613.2 km)                     Miles to Santiago:  104.0 (167.3 km)

Steps Taken Today:  44,688        

Blister Count: The growth under my blisters on my right foot continues to grow and hurt and Pam has new ones every day!

Spanish Word of the Day: cerezas (cherries)

What We Learned Today:  If you can take a break while looking at a very old castle, take it!  (See photo below.)

As I reflect on today, all I remember is that we walked on a lot of pavement today, just beside the road.  Luckily,  a few years ago they built a huge new highway bypassing the villages in this area.  That's great for us because now the road where the peregrinos walk only has to deal with local traffic but of course these small villages are dying due to the lack of business.  The Camino is the main source of income for many of these villages.

We are back in grape country!  The wine here is fabulous.   It is also cherry season and people are selling them on the side of the road.  Among all of the beautiful flowers we constantly see,  all of a sudden people have roses in their yards, of every size, style and color imaginable.   We are thinking of all you people back in Portland celebrating the Rose Festival!

We went through the cute city of Villafranca.  There we decided to take a break.  We picked, like we did the day before, a place where we could look at a castle while we rested.  How cool is that?   These towns and villages are so old, it's hard for us to fathom how long they've been around.   While in town, we watched a triathlon.   The hills they had to bike over were so difficult and then they had to run on old cobblestone!  (We didn't see them swimming.)  Wow...my triathlons kinda pale in comparison. 

Speaking of snacks,  we found Bugles here!   Anyone remember them?  Oh, so good!   So here is a picture of my snack break...which includes, of course, reading my Camino book!

“No one knows to what heights you can soar. Even you will not know until you spread your wings.”

―Anonymous

Stage 26 - Molinaseca to Cacabelos

Where We Are Tonight:  Cacabelos                Miles Hiked Today:  14.6 (23.5 km)

Miles Hiked Overall: 364.7 (586.9 km)            Miles to Santiago:  120.3 (167.3 km)

Steps Taken Today:  40,124                           Blister Count: I don't know...

Spanish Word of the Day: pulpo (octopus)

What We Learned Today: If it's an herb, it grows wild here.  So far we've found oregano, thyme, rosemary, lavender, fennel, and lemon balm.

Today we walked through the cool town of Ponferrada.  There we saw an awesome Knights Templar castle from the 12th century.

Walking today was very humid and hot and buggy.   We all looked like Pig Pen from Charlie Brown with all of the dust and bugs flying around us!

Coming in to a small village, we heard the bells of the church ringing.  We didn't think too much of it until it went in for quite a few minutes.   We finally walked by the church and got to see three grown men at the top of the bell tower, outside,  physically making the bells swing around and around to get them to ring.  After watching that for awhile, we continued down the street and saw for the second time a parade for a saint.

Cacabelos and all of this area is well-known for its specialty: octopus.   I'm not quite sure why this is their specialty since they are no where near the coast.  But, oh well, when in Rome....So, we tried some.  The meat inside is actually quite good, kinda like scallops.   We are not too keen on the outside skin.

My book of the Camino has 4 pages of maps and we are now on page 4!!

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” 

―James Michener.

Stage 25 - Rabanal del Camino to Molinaseca

Where We Are Tonight:  Molinaseca               Miles Hiked Today:  15.5 (25.0 km)

Miles Hiked Overall: 350.1 (563.4 km)            Miles to Santiago: 134.9 (217.1 km)

Steps Taken Today: 50,321           Blister Count: Pam has even new ones today!

Spanish Word of the Day:  pies que duelen (feet that hurt)

What We Learned Today: After about 23K, our feet revolt.

Today we went to one of the highlights of the Camino....el Cruz de Ferro (Iron Cross.)   This simple iron cross stands on a wooden pole and it has become one of the abiding symbols of the pilgrim way of St. James.  It is the tradition now that peregrinos put their own rock atop this huge pile - a rock many times brought from home.  The rocks can symbolize past hurts, problems, wrong doings,  etc. and by placing them on this pile, you can physically let go of these pains.  Sometimes the following prayer is said:

Lord, may this stone, a symbol of my efforts on the pilgrimage that I lay at the foot of the cross, weigh the balance in favour of my good deeds some day when the deeds of my life are judged.  Let it be so.

Peregrinos as a whole are really obsessed with rocks.   Granted, there are MILLIONS of them to choose from on the roads, paths and fields, but peregrinos are really taken with rocks in general.   They make piles of them on every Camino sign, they make them into rock people, and do just about anything else you can imagine with rocks.   Who knows why...nothing else to do while hiking? Each rock represents something to people as they place them on structures?  They feel artistic?   Who knows...but it does make for some interesting things to look for wherever you go.

We are starting to get back into the mountains.  It's nice to see some mountains in the distance as we walk and not just flat foreverness.  Here we are at the highest point that we will reach on the Camino  (1,515 m, 4970 feet).

This was a really long day...and tough.  As we went over the mountain, we ended up walking most of the day in a (usually,  mostly) dry river bed.   It was very rocky and difficult to walk in and maneuver through.   The rocks were slippery and loose.

We were so tired at the end of the day that this was the second time we just showered and went to bed...no dinner!

“When you're tired, exhausted and broken. When you feel you're getting nowhere and you've got nothing left to give......... look out at that view that surrounds you. Take it all in, and know that you've earned that! It’s yours! And wherever you go in life you will take that view with you and it will keep your moving.”

―Anonymous