May 25, 2015 Day 30 - Portomarin --> Palas De Rei - approx. 24 K

May 25, 2015  Day 30 - Portomarin --> Palas de Rei - 24.8 K

A blanket of fog was beginning to lift as we descended the hill to cross the river and began our walk at approximately 7:30 am.  It was hard not to notice that there were a lot more pilgrims on the road - many of whom just started the walk to Santiago. There was a sort of festive feel of excitement in the air from those  just starting, and s sort of sad celebration of the end by those of us who have preserved through hardship and physical pain to reach this point. New friends sad at the realization that we will not be seeing each other every day - or maybe ever again. A mixture of emotions.

The first half of the day was a long slow steady incline. Mostly along dirt paths and occasionally through forested areas. The remainder of the day was mostly along small roads. 

At lunch we stopped at a little bar/restaurant that had these iron sculptures of big ants outside. Not sure what that was about, but the mixed salad, cafe con leche and ice cream were delicious.

We also saw more people we knew today. Shortly after we started the walk, Simon and Millie caught up and we walked together for a while. Throughout the day, we ran into them again and again. Saw other familiar faces, including a Brazilian group that we have seen since almost the start of the walk.

We reached Palas De Rei at about 2:00 pm, and had time to rest before walking into town for dinner. There, we ran into Chris #2 and Marianne having a sandwhich, and they told us they had seen Suzanne and John earlier. We proceeded up the street and found a wonderful little restaurant that was actually serving at 6:30 pm. Happily sat down and ordered the pilgrim's menu of Galician soup, spaghetti bolognese and ice cream. About midway through the first course, we spotted John & Suzanne walking by outside, and I ran out to see how Suzanne's foot was holding up. They came in and joined us for dinner, and we had another delightful time together. Suzanne is going to try and walk today - but will play it by ear and take a taxi if necessary.

Tomorrow's walk is the last "long" walk - another 25 K or so. We are booked into a hiker hostel in a small town for tonight that looks to be interesting. John, Suzanne, Simon and Millie are all booked there pas well. 

Buen Camino!

Kim

May 24, 2015 Day 29 - Sarria --> Portomarin - 22.1 K

May 24, 2015  Day 29 - Sarria --> Portomarin - 22.1 K

Started off a little after 7 am. Hiked to the top of the city, then took a very steep descent down a road to the outskirts, where we picked up dirt paths for quite a while. Saw a number of old Roman bridges, as well as a modern highway bridge in the distance. 

We more or less wound our way most of the day through more farmland and rolling hills. Lots of dairy cows in this region, and you could definitely smell it. After one stop, a farmer guided a herd of dairy cows down the street next to us to a pasture further down. The cows seemed to know exactly where they were going and proceeded with "purpose." It was fun to watch. Also saw a lot of horses, dogs just hanging out, and cats.

On occasion, the path ran through heavily wooded areas, just adding to the variety of paths we walked today.

As we approached Portomarin, the walker traffic increased, and there was a stream heading over the bridge into the city. We reached our hotel around 1 pm, immediately went in search of a pilgrim's meal before restaurants closed for the afternoon, then returned to soak in the tub, rest and re-group.

I emailed John & Suzanne, and learned that they are in the same hotel a couple of doors down. So, we arranged to meet for dinner. Suzanne had to take a taxi yesterday from Triacastella to Sarria because of the pain in her foot.  She ended up going to the doctor and getting an injection. She took the taxi today to Portomarin, and plans to rest again tomorrow. She hopes to be able to walk the last couple of days - especially wants to be able to walk into Santiago on Thursday. While she has kept a good outlook, it is disappointing for her to have come this far and then have to stop for a few days. Understandable. 

We saw Simon and Millie strolling by as we were having dinner, and they joined us for a bit to catch up on the day. Simon told Donna she had gotten him addicted to Magnum Ice Cream Bars. Donna and I recounted how we had not seen anyone we knew today on the walk. It was kinda strange. We all have reservations at the same place Tuesday night, so will definitely hook up then. Otherwise, it is as the Camino goes.

Tomorrow we head to Palas De Rei - 24.8 K. Since there are some more climbs involved and because it is a fairly long day, I think I will send my backpack ahead to give the feet one more day to recover. Hopefully, I should be okay to carry my pack the last few days to Santiago. 

Buen Camino!

Kim

May 23, 2015 Day 28 - Biduedo --> Sarria - approx. 25 K

May 23, 2015  Day 28 - Biduedo --> Sarria - approx. 25 K

Got off to an early start, since we had a little longer distance to make up in order to get back on track to reach Santiago on Thursday. Another cool, bright, clear day to come, although not as cold as yesterday. Our new friends, Simon and Millie from Australia, shared some of the musilie they had been carrying around to get everyone started before stopping for breakfast down the road. Millie taped Suzanne foot, as she injured it coming down the mountain yesterday and was experiencing some pain. Donna and I got out first.

We descended the mountain down a series of paths and dirt roads. Again, the scenery was gorgeous. Mountains in the distance and rolling hills and farmland immediately surrounded us. Also, a lot more cows grazing and "interacting" with us.

 Mille and Simon caught up with us and we visited for a while. Simon began his journey about 5-6 months ago in South America. Traveled through Chili, Peru, and Argentina primarily, although he may have hit a few other countries as well. If I have the story right, he had met Millie through mutual friends  before leaving Australia, and they had been corresponding. She met him for  a few weeks in South America. Simon then went to,tour Europe, intending to end with the Camino. Millie decided to join him. They met John and Suzanne on their first day walking from St. Jean, and the four have spent a lot of time together since then. John and Suzanne are betting that Simon may pop the question in Finestere after the hike is over. At any rate, they are a delightful couple, and you can tell that everyone is pulling for them.

Went through a couple of small villages until we reached Tricastela, a nice sized little town which was very clean and had quite a few nice-looking little hotels and albergues. We were originally supposed to stay there until we modified to shorten a couple of longer hike days. Stopped for cafe con leche and I had a chocolate croissant looking item. Donna had tea. Nothing much else to eat except some sort of pastry or bread. But I was hungry.

After leaving Tricastela, we headed back uphill through forests and along streams. Several pretty severe climbs up steep and muddy rocky paths for an hour or so. Every once and a while, we would come out onto a small paved road between sections of dirt paths. Eventually everything leveled out for the most part. Lots of cows along this stretch. Looked like dairy farming. 

We stopped at a lovely little road side bar for lunch and had a salad - it was good to get some greens. By now, Chris #2 and Marianne from Canada had joined up with Millie and Simon, and we got to hear some more good stories. Marianne is from London, Ontario, and I shared that I had spent a night there on one of my cross-country rides.

At about the 20K mark, my feet started hurting again. They had felt pretty good up to that point, but I did carry my backpack. Don't know if that was the cause, or all the rocky descents on the dirt paths - those are killers. 

Finally reached Sarria around 2:30 pm and checked into our little hotel in tow. We are on the top floor with large windows overlooking the city in s huge room with three double beds. Nice clean bathroom, and breakfast included for 40 euros. We spent most the afternoon lining up accommodations for the rest of the week leading up to Santiago, so we don't have to worry the rest of the week and can enjoy our remaining time. More and more people join the Camino from Sarria on and we have heard it can be difficult to find a place to stay. At one point, I hiked up to the International Hostel and enlisted the help of the desk clerk there to call an albergue in Spanish and arrange a reservation. 

For dinner, we went to a small restaurant up,the road for a pilgrim dinner. We were almost the only people there since it was early, and the owner bent over backwards to take care of us. We had some more Galician soup, which we are becoming addicted to. Donna had veggies and eggs, and I had a delicious grilled chicken. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped for chocolate ice cream. 

Tomorrow we have a relatively short day of 21K to Portomarin. Since the hotel here actually serves breakfast early, we hope to get going and arrive early enough in the afternoon to rest a little. The following two days will be longer leading up to two shorter days to conclude the walk into Santiago.

Buen Camino!

Kim 

May 22, 2015 Day 27 - Herrerias --> Biduedo - approx. 25 K

May 22, 2015  Day 27 - Herrerias --> Biduedo - approx. 25 K

Had an excellent breakfast at the same place we got the lasagna yesterday - Donna had scrambled eggs with mushrooms and was a very happy camper to start out.

Quite nippy to start, but another clear blue sky in the making as we headed out on a rather steep climb back into the mountains. Most of the day we were surrounded with awesome views. At the town of O'Cebreiro, we stopped for coffee and tea. Also met up again with John & Suzanne and found out we were all staying at the same place tonight. So, agreed to meet up for dinner. Saw a lot of other pilgrims we have met previously thoughout the day as well. 

The last few K's were a little bit of a struggle, but all in all my feet held up OK, probably due in part to Advil. We arrived at the Casa Quiroga at about 3:00 pm, and rested a bit before meeting John, Suzanne, Simon and Millie for dinner, which was excellent. Had a thick, hot potato soup that was to die for and a delicious roast chicken. 

Tomorrow is another 25 K day (making up for the shorter day) to Sarria. This will be another significant milestone. Sarria is approx. 100 K from Santiago, and in order to get your compostella signifying you have completed the Camino, you must walk the last 100 miles. A lot of "pilgrims" start the Camino at Sarria, and I have heard that it can get increasingly crowded as you get closer to Santiago as people jump on. Guess we will be finding out first hand in a few days.

Buen Camino!

Kim 

May 21, 2015 Day 26 - Villafranca -–> Herrerias - approx. 22 K

May 21, 2015  Day 26 - Villafranca --> Herrerias - approx. 22 K

Left Villafranca at approx. 7:45 am for our shortened hiking day. The temps were quite cool, and we had donned our coats for at the least the start of the walk. However, it was a clear, bright blue sky. 

We selected the easiest option for the day, which ran alongside Highway N-IV. It was fairly flat most of the day running through a valley. Although we were on a main road, there was a sturdy concrete barrier separating the pilgrims from the highway. A bubbling stream ran alongside most of the day as well. This route ran through many small towns, which provided many opportunities to stop and rest. 

The last town before our planned stop was Ruitelan. Just as we were walking up to a bar/cafe, I saw Chris, sitting at a table eating an ice cream. I yelled at her and she jumped up and ran over with a big smile and hug. We visited for a few moments, and she said that she hoped to be able to walk with us some tomorrow. We'll see. 

We continued on the last couple of kilometers and arrived at our hostel at about 12:30 pm. Very cute and perched next to a large meadow at the bottom of the hills. Stunning view. 

We walked up the street to a neighboring cafe for lunch and had an outstanding pilgrim's meal of lasagna.  Delicious. There were several friendly cats to entertain us, and the waitress was outstanding. 

While we were dining, a young man came and posted some info re massages. I picked up on the foot massage option, and asked if he was available and how much. To make a long story short, he returned to our hostel with us and I got a foot/leg and back massage. He was very good, so I got him to give Donna a massage as well. Hopefully, this will assist my walking tomorrow, since we are looking at about 25 K. 

Late afternoon, we spent some time trying to line up a room for tomorrow night in Biduedo - a very small village with few options. The wi-if where we are staying is very poor, and we were having difficulty getting info. Donna's attempt to call and communicate with one of the hostels was unsuccessful as the lady spoke no English. As we sat there contemplating what to do next, the owner of our hostel walked in and I asked if he knew of any places to stay in Biduedo. To make a long story short, he ended up calling the lady back and getting a reservation for a room for us tomorrow night. Donna and I both sighed relief. 

My left foot held up through most of the walk today, although it was starting to get a little iffy towards the end of the day. I am trying to elevate and rest as much as possible before tomorrow. Also, I have taken to sending my backpack ahead with Donna's to take as much weight as possible off my feet, and because we do have a longer day tomorrow. It is really weird how I get up and the foot feels fairly good, but as the day wears on, and particularly near the end, it is sometimes all I can do to walk to the place we are staying. Next morning, feels pretty good again...

If we catch up from our shortened day and get back on schedule the next few days, we are supposed to arrive on Santiago one week from today. In some ways, hard to believe we are already almost there. Stayed tuned.

Been Camino!

Kim

May 20, 2015 Day 25 Molinaseca --> Villafranca Del Bierzo - 30.6 K

May 20, 2015  Day 25 - Molinaseca --> Villafranca Del Bierzo - 30.6 K

Longest day yet - and, believe me, I feel it..

Started out very cool temps, although not as cool as yesterday. Within ten minutes, we came up on John and Suzanne, with whom we had had dinner last night. The four of us walked together for an hour or so, noticing in particular the beautiful roses in people's yards and along the road. We took a picture of Suzanne and Donna to demonstrate the size and colors, then parted ways as they stopped at a cafe. 

The first two hours were essentially hiking around Ponferrada, a rather large city with a population of 69,000. We had a steep climb to the top of a hill where there was an ancient castle that was quite impressive. Perched on one of the walls was a cute dog that posed perfectly for his picture.

From the top of the hill, we wound down and finally out of the city. The remainder of the day's walk was fairly bland. Walked through numerous little towns, then out in the country along sandy roads along vineyards. Donna indicated that she felt really really tired after yesterday's strenuous walk.

We finally reached the rather interesting town of Cacabelos around 1:30 pm. With almost 8 K remaining to go to our destination of Villafranca, rigor mortis of the feet began setting in in a big way. The road out of town was a very long fairly steep incline that was a real struggle for me. I began to experience that sense of unreality that sometimes occurs in these type of physically challenging situations - I was reminded of the day Randy and I rode bicycles into 35 mph Montana headwinds for hours and feeling like I was losing my mind. By the time we ascended the final long, long dirt road and then headed down into Villafranca, I was into major shuffle/limp mode. "What in the world was I thinking" I kept asking myself. My feet ached at the same time that they felt encased in cement. Hard to move them at all. Then came the cobblestones in Villafranca. Then, at last, our charming little hotel with the huge soaking tub. The funny side note to that is that Donna and I were standing in the little street looking at our map trying to figure out where the hotel was. These friendly old Spanish gentlemen came over to help, then started laughing at us - we were literally standing clueless in front of the doorway. 

We were scheduled for another 30 K tomorrow through some of the most challenging inclines and elevations yet. However, we have decided that three days running is way too much, especially given our rather pathetic finish today. So, we are going to shorten tomorrow's walk, and spread the difference over the next couple of days to get back on track. 

Had the typical Pilgrim's meal up on the city square - no small feat to hike up the hill to get there. In for the night, and some well-needed rest.

Buen Camino!

Kim