31 Morgade to Ventas de Narón - 15 miles

 Just a day on the Camino. 

I have to admit that nothing really spectacular happened on the Camino today, but that’s okay. On day 31 I can tell that my body is getting tired, but then again we did walk 15 miles afain and it’s still pretty gosh darn beautiful.

Today, we made it to the 100km distance marker, meaning we only have 100km (about 60 miles) left to Santiago. After today we have about 48 more miles to go, and we will cover that distance in three days.

(Yes, Mom, I imitated the sign.)

We passed through the city of Portomarín which is interesting because of the reservoir that sits below the city.

Evidently, when they built the reservoir in the 60s they had to move several important buildings brick by brick, including the main church of Saint Nicholas. 

To get into Portomarín you cross over the old bridge by going up 42 stairs. There was an option to bypass this but when you’re a pilgrim on the Camino you follow the path.

Except when you don’t follow the path. Michelle and I were walking along today and a large tour bus stopped in front of us. I thought they were just letting us pass by, but then I saw the tour guide waving his hands in a circular motion. He stepped out of the bus (and happened to be from England so he could speak English) and told us, “You made a classic mistake.” We missed a turn and were not on the actual Camino path. Luckily we weren’t too far off and he told us that many people miss this particular sign.

The day ended with us getting to Ventas de Narón where we are spending the night. By the way, it is currently 6:30 in the evening and only 64°. I’m actually a little chilly right now!  In the end, I guess it was an exceptional day after all because I get to be on the Camino.

Buen Camino!

30 Samos to Morgade - 17 miles

 Making connections on the Camino. 

Starting off today we knew it was going to be a long day. About 17 miles was the plan. And we accomplished it. I will admit however, that I am pretty tired and sore tonight. After all, today is day 30 of walking. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been doing this for a month, and perhaps more difficult to believe is that we will reach our destination of Santiago in just four more days.

Early on today we met a father and his nine-year-old daughter that are on the Camino. It just shows that pilgrims come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. 

As you can see, the scenery continues to be spectacular even if it was a little foggy and misty this morning. 

We had a stretch of the trail where there wasn’t much around. So, we were happy when we came upon what looked like a place to get a snack. We weren’t sure though because it looked more like a little house and it was rather dark. But, as we got closer we were welcomed by a pleasant woman (unfortunately I didn’t get her name) who welcomed us inside and directed us to the fireplace. We ordered coffees and she brought them to us along with a piece of homemade cake that was delicious. I asked for the recipe and she gave it to me: eggs, sugar, flour, and some secret ingredients.

As we were getting ready to leave it had started to rain. The kind woman helped others put on ponchos that would cover themselves and their pack. When she discovered that I did not have a poncho (although I did have a raincoat and a cover on my backpack) she insisted that she make me one using a garbage bag. As Sarah said, this lady was a hoot and would not take no for an answer. I did stay dry.

Later in the morning, I hiked a good distance with a man named Bo. He is from Lund in southern Sweden. He is also the (soon to be retired) Dean of the Lutheran cathedral in Lund. He is a Lutheran priest, and from what I could tell was pretty much second in command of his diocese after the Lutheran bishop. He was pleasantly surprised when I told him that I was a Catholic priest. We had a wonderful conversation about our churches and our lives, and we discovered that we share many things in common. It probably helped that he is a big fan of Pope Francis and even got to have a private meeting with him once. This is just one of many wonderful connections I have been able to make while walking the Camino.

This took us into the city of Sarria which is a starting point for many people who walk to Camino. 

Sarria is just a little over 100 km from Santiago, and to be an official pilgrim you have to walk 100 km. So, many people say that we trail will begin to get a little busier. However, that was not our experience in the afternoon as we walked through many little towns and saw very few people along the way.  

We are spending the night in the countryside and will continue our journey and connection-making tomorrow.

Buen Camino!