I never tire of these beautiful sunrises, the reward of early evenings and extremely early mornings. Today it’s uphill, uphill, and even more uphill for at least 15 km, right from Portomarín. However, it’s perfect walking weather, mostly overcast and occasionally drizzly. Even though it’s tough going, I’m enjoying myself.
A new-born calf, and is that the mama cow anxiously watching it from inside the barn? If so, why separate them?
A couple of times I pass the same couple, and on a particularly steep section of the Sierra Ligonde Mountain, I stop and rest on the same bench they are sitting on.
We chat for a while in English, and then I ask them where they are from. Sweden, they answer, and we burst into laughter when I reply that so am I! After this I continue to walk with Bjarne and Grethel for a while. Then they point out another Swede, Melek, and we all join forces till we reach a restaurant where we stop to have lunch.
We joke and say that it’s typical Swedish midsummer weather when we sit outside and eat, because it’s drizzling so that we don’t know if we have to take our plates and go inside, only to clear up the next second when we were all wearing rain gear.
Suddenly the Guardia Civil appears in the most tranquil of places…what could they be doing here?
After lunch we leave Bjarne and Grethel behind at the restaurant, as they are on the phone trying to book tickets home. It’s easy to walk beside Melek, because we have endless things to talk about, but it also feels very comfortable to walk in silence with him. In no time at all we become aware of that we are approaching what appears to be a large recreation area and we look at each other questioningly. No, what? Already? This can’t be a village; it must be a larger town. Can we really be in Palaís de Rei already?
Yes, we most certainly can, and we enter the town after the easiest 26 km and 8 hour hike I’ve experienced! He accompanies me as I look for the house where I’ve booked a small room. As I’m interested in homes, I have chosen a couple of places to stay that have been or are real homes, and this is one of them. It turns out to be just as wonderful as I hoped.
This amazing old house with lots of atmosphere and charm was the home of Leopoldo, his wife and their eight children. The house was run down when they acquired it and took a lot of work. Later, one of the daughters who’s a dab hand at interior design, took over the refurbishing. Today, three of the sisters still live here, all in their 70s and 80s. Now they are on vacation, otherwise it would have been great to have had a chat with them.
I settle into my cosy little room and have a wonderfully warm shower. Then go out in search for something to eat, but all the places I find open at 7 o’clock. Two pilgrims, a young man and woman cross the street at the same time as me. Do you want to join us for a drink? they ask, as we are right outside a bar. Yes please! The Camino community spirit continues, and we settle down for a lovely chat till it’s time for them to visit the Mass and me to have dinner.
I find a really good restaurant whose specialty is octopus, so I have the traditional dish Pulpo Gallega, octopus with boiled potatoes, which sounds like a strange combination, but turns out to be delicious. Then I head back to the house, and yes, I manage the tricky old lock on the front door and before I know it I’m in my comfy bed and it’s lights out, feeling very grateful for this day.
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All photos copyright Anita Martinez Beijer © All rights reserved
The Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage rooted in medieval origins. It leads to the tomb believed to be that of the Apostle Saint James the Greater, in the crypt of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. The Camino was, and still is, Europe’s oldest, busiest, and most well-known route.
Bohemialife 