The final few days
Tuesday, October 4th
Sarria to Portomarin
Weather: chilly start but very warm & sunny thereafter.
As I said in my blog yesterday my accommodation was at the eastern end of the town and as the town is on a hill it was straight up the hill after breakfast! Today we walked through rolling countryside, country lines, and shaded tracks.
Sarria is the start of a week’s walk for many people. It’s quite incredible the numbers walking today, I don’t think I’ve seen so many at one time on any long-distance walk that I’ve done in the past. Quite how Santiago copes with so many pilgrims arriving on a daily basis is staggering. No doubt I will find out by the time I get there on Saturday.
I hope my photographs and videos today give you a flavour of the countryside that I have walked through. It’s very English in a lot of ways, although the villages are still very small with narrow streets and few amenities.
Accommodation tonight is in Portomarin, a town set high above the river Mino. Access to the town on our route was over a high-level bridge (see photograph). The footpath is narrow and close to the side fencing Given my dislike of narrow ledges and vertical drops I kept my eyes very much on the road and dared not look over the side!
There are so many pilgrims on this section of the Way I think I may start early tomorrow and pick up some breakfast as I go.
Wednesday, October 5th
Portomarin to Palas de Rei
Weather: Misty and chilly first thing and then warm and sunny.
We left Portomarin in a little mist and it was certainly a chilly start.
Lovely walk up through the woods as we climbed to the village of Gonzor, and then onwards and upwards until we got to Castromaior and an evacuated site said to be dated from the fourth century BC and occupied until the Roman times. Clearly this was some type of hill fort/town of a considerable size (see photos).
Once at the summit of Sierra Ligronde I expected it to be downhill all the way! I was as ever over-optimistic and it turned out that we still had another three ups and downs before we arrived at Palas de Rei.
In addition to the excavations and the woodland we have also walked alongside country lanes and a little along the main road. Generally the traffic has been quiet and it’s been relatively easy walking.
As ever there was a tremendous sunrise this morning, rising out of the mist and generally the scenery has been moorland in the upper sections and quite English farmland in the valleys .
Tonight’s accommodation is in a complex of timber chalets set in a recreational area just out of town. Of course we are at the top of the hill and dinner tonight as in the restaurant in town at the bottom, so we haven’t finished walking yet – probably another 2km to add to today’s total!
Tomorrow is a longish day of 29.5km (18.3miles).
Thursday, October 6th
Palas de Rei to Arzua
Weather: chilly in the morning but very warm in the afternoon.
Today has been a very long day, 29.6 km (18.5 miles) with 1000 m (3000 ft)of ascent. It’s been up-and-down all day with eight uphill sections. The uphill sections were quite steep so began to take their toll by the end of the day.
However it was and enjoyable day spent mainly in the company of Rick from Washington State and Patrick from Derbyshire. We had lunch in Melide and as a treat I decided to have the octopus again! Although that didn’t help when you have start all over again for another 13km (8 miles)!
Again lovely countryside today, quite English in appearance and the farms in Galicia are much smaller than those in the other regions. A high percentage of the farms are dairy, although there is very little grass for the cattle to feed on and it’s clear that the farmers are having to use winter feed even at the beginning of October.
Enjoyed a really nice meal at a local restaurant (see photos) and then it was early to bed after a hard days walk!
Friday, October 7th
Aruza to Pedrouzo
Weather: misty to begin with but sunny and warm later
Today’s walk was much easier than yesterday’s although I’m not sure that my legs would agree!
We’ve had some ups and downs again but nothing as steep as yesterday, and have again passed through lovely countryside and villages.
The walk was only 20km (12.5miles) and I was as ever early to my accommodation. Good in one way, as I have been able to rest up again for the final day tomorrow into Santiago.
I’m going to make an early start tomorrow so that I can be in Santiago around mid-morning. That will give me time to collect my Compostela as well as, I hope, attend the Pilgrims’ Mass in the cathedral.
It’s going to be very strange walking the last day. I’m sure there will be mixed emotions as I get close to the cathedral, which is for me the end of the pilgrimage this year.
Others are staying over and walking to the coast, which is said to be where the body of Saint James was brought ashore for his burial. That for me will have to wait for another time, but for now, bar a matter of another 20km (12.5miles), my journey is nearly over.
