Very dark as we left Portomarin this morning, and a pretty steep and challenging climb through a wooded, dark pathway as well. But the light came slowly, as it does with overcast skies, but throughout the day it rained only lightly a few times. We’re seeing more pilgrims on the route since we left Sarria, and we’ll no doubt see more as the days go on.
Only four more days to go. We decided to go whole stages to the end rather than breaking them up, so we’ll be walking more miles each day (14-16), but we should land in Santiago on Monday.
A Gear Issue: It’s strange to be cool and hot and sweaty, all at the same time. We layer up in the morning to stay warm. Rain is threatened, so we wear our Packa’s (ponchos) to keep the rain out and keep us dry. Then we have to climb some steep path, so the body heat builds up and we start sweating. Now we’re wet on the inside, and it’s raining outside, and then wind blows, so we feel hot and sweaty, but also cold and wet.
On Walking the Camino with Teenagers: We were enjoying our first coffee stop when Riley (Karen’s son – see previous post) came in looking around for his mother. Clearly, he was upset at having lost her. Riley had taken an alternate route, and Karen had told him she would stop for coffee, so he was looking for her in any café’s he could find. We tried to message and contact her, but with no success. So Riley headed back along the path to check on a large café where she might be awaiting him.
Walking forward, we found Karen, sitting in the grass, asking if we’d seen Riley. She was saying “He just doesn’t listen!” She had told him she would wait for him at the place where the two paths meet again, exactly where we found her. Then two other pilgrims came along, to say, ”Are you waiting and looking for your son? He’s back there looking for you, and he really looks angry.” We shared a good laugh, and then Sara walked back down the path only to re-emerge a few minutes later after spotting Riley on his way in our direction. The crisis now over, the rest of us had a good laugh. Later in the day we learned that the father/son pair we met last night, John and John, had a similar separation issue that day. Both teenagers like to go off on their own, taking the alternate routes, but they’re not always sure – or in agreement with – their parent on where and when to reconnect.
The Templar Church: As we passed one small village, other pilgrims told us we could get our credentials stamped in a little chapel right there. It was a Templar church, and the older, nearly-blind man inside claimed to be a Templar himself. He had a picture of himself in Templar robes. So we visited, helped him to put the stamps on our credentials, and left a small donation.
Castromaior Archeology Site: At the height of one mountain we stepped just a little off the path to visit an archeological site, the ruins of a small village that was inhabited from the 4th century BCE up until the Roman occupation. It was fascinating, and quite cool with the winds hitting the top of the mountain. It also offered a great view, 360% around the beautiful landscape of Galicia.
Sara’s Thoughts: “It’s amazing how quickly the day seems to pass. Before we started walking the Camino, I wondered what I would do for these long walks. I always used to walk while listening to an audio book or podcast. But I’ve come to really enjoy the ritual of walking and looking at the landscape and the rhythm of our feet on the road or path. I like the quiet – I also like the intermittent conversations with Evan or someone we might be walking with for a while.”
Both Sara and Evan feel pretty good on the road. We’re stronger now, and our feet feel great. On moderate uphill walks, we don’t even breathe heavily anymore. We still huff and puff up the steep climbs and slow down and walk carefully on the steep downhills. Otherwise we keep up a pretty good pace. We both have shoulder issues, Sara on the left and Evan on the right. Today we were on the road for eight hours and just short of fifteen miles, with two coffee stops and a lunch break. The breaks are essential. After a short rest, we feel strong and ready to hit the road again.
We said goodbye to Karen and Riley today, not sure if we will see them again on the Camino. Our current plan has us arriving in Santiago a day before they do. Nevertheless, we hope to cross paths again.
