Category: Camino Frances

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Seven Happy Pilgrims from Salamanca

CORRECTION!!

I ran into the Happy Salamancans today, and they let me know they started from Villafranca, not Sarria! That’s about an additional 72 km / 45 miles of tough trail!

And they are still happy 😊🥾🥾

These folks started in Sarria to walk the last 100 km to Santiago. They were half-way through their first stage. As Camino stages go, this one had its challenges with its undulating hills, but no extreme ups and downs. I noticed a couple of them already limping.

I enjoyed their excitement – as they ordered their second round of drinks, I was thinking they’d be arriving in Portomarin pretty late!

Breakfast with the Happy Salamancans. Those sneaky pilgrims bought my breakfast. Gracias!
My heart sings for this special group of people. They walked into Santiago de Compostela 16 October, 2021.
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Portomarin

The city was moved. The old structures like the church were moved brick by brick and put back together in the new location.

From wiki: In the 1960s the Miño River was dammed to create the Belesar reservoir, putting the old village of Portomarín under water. The most historic buildings of the town were moved brick by brick and reconstructed in the new town, including its castle-style main church: Church of San Juan of Portomarín.

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October 12: Entering Portomarin

I obviously entered Portomarin from the other road in 2019 because I sure didn’t see this coming! No photo of the path until I was near the end because I was in survival mode. Scooted down a couple of places on my rear.
THEN cross the long bridge. THEN up the stairs to the town. THEN up the hill to lodging.

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Horreos

Paradela- near Portomarin.
Horreos- I think the first documented mention of an horreo was in the 1500s.

An hórreo is a typical granary from the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, built in wood or stone, raised from the ground by pillars ending in flat staddle stones to prevent access by rodents. Ventilation is allowed by the slits in its walls. Wikipedia

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Stage Thirty-four: Sarria to Portomarin

As I walk along, I often think what section of this route I would recommend to someone with only a couple of weeks to spend walking. I’ve met a few who started in O Cebreiro to walk to Santiago. The long descent from O Cebreiro offers a good endurance experience and the walk out of Sarria is one of the loveliest. Not as majestic as crossing the Pyrenees, but still challenging for one’s first days.
Most common is the walk from Sarria to Santiago because that is the minimum requirement to receive a Compostela and it only takes a few days.

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O Cebreiro to Sarria

Quick review of the last two days. WiFi connectivity has been sketchy, so just a quick catch-up. Up and down. Up and down. Up and down. That pretty much sums up the walking days! The ups are hard for me; I may be the slowest person crawling up these ascents, but I eventually get there. I’ve been taking long breaks at the cafes through the day which help.
The paths are mostly through woods and along streams. Through the villages, we walk the same paths as the cows, so one must remain alert in the game of Dodge the Cow Patties!

Leaving O Cebreiro
Remember to stop and look

Alto de San Roque (elev 1270 m)
Mass in the tiny village of Pedrafito de Cebreiro
Walking the rocky paths create less end-of-day leg stress than walking the smooth, flat surfaces.
Peek-a-boo!
Samos
Guarding the path.
Guarding the cafe.
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Stage Thirty-one: Vega de Valcarce to O Cebreiro

The last big climb. Entering the final Spanish region on the Camino Frances.

O’Cebreiro (pronounced oh–thay–bray–air–oh) Marks a final major threshold over the Cantabrian mountains. 3rd highest peak on the Camino.

Galicia – The mountains of Galicia are the first object in 5,000 km that the westerly winds across the Atlantic hit so you can expect an immediate change in weather with frequent rain showers and thunderstorms. (Brierley)

Hi, All.
I walked up that mountain- very slowly. The views were breathtaking, the weather perfect.

Twenty steps off the trail in all my gasping glory.
Mountain View along the way
The trail
Mountains
Crossing into Galicia
Thomas said to keep going, so I sat down.
Didn’t realize I’d arrived until I saw the green lady.
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Bread!

The bread truck rolls into the villages with its loud air horn blaring; the villagers pop out of their houses, bread bags in tow, and head to the truck. It’s surprising how fast some of the oldsters get up the hill to the truck!