We awoke to a delightful foggy mist over the city. We weren't sure if it meant we were shrouded in a cloud laying low in the valley and would walk through it or if it would remain with us for the day. We would find out. We were told there was nowhere to get a cup of coffee in town, but as we made our way out of town, we discovered one open on the outskirts of town and stopped for a quick cup and bite to eat.
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| Female Peregrino |
We finally came upon the first statue of a woman peregrino in a park outside of town. The route continued along the river; with the mist providing a sense of calm and tranquility, we were convinced that our choice to go to Samos the previous day was the correct one. The path rambled through one quaint small farm village after another, each with their own little church or chapel. There were also small little huts that were placed next to the river, for what purpose we were not sure.
Among the deciduous trees towered a few columnar cypress, all seemingly placed in a row. Although there were not homesteads next to them, it seemed as if they must have been planted by someone and we found ourselves wondering by whom, when and why. A fun discovery was a meadow filled with small yellow lupines, their sunny heads peering above the grass.
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| Yellow Lupines |
Going up a narrow rock strewn path, we thought we must be close to a road as we heard the sound of what seemed to be cars. A short time later, we were surprised to find a tractor coming at us! Surely, this was not big enough for him and us but as we pressed ourselves against the rock wall, he managed to pass us by without event.
Nearly to Sarria, there was an older man by the side of the road wrestling with a large sickle as he cut the grass in the ditch. Made me think of my grandpa. A little further on, we came upon an old woman hunched over as she pulled her oxygen tank, stopping to catch what little breath she could. Made me think of my mom.
The atmosphere of the Camino seemed to change a bit in Sarria. This is the shortest distance a peregrino can walk and obtain a Compestella in Santiago so there are many new pilgrims on the path. It is also from here that we need to remember to obtain two stamps each day as required.
We made what was hopefully our last stop at a farmacia for another tube of Voltaren, some omeprazole, and cough drops. What took me much effort and cost me $62 to get a single tube of Voltaren is obtainable over the counter in Spain. And the entire bill for everything we bought was 14 euros! We think we might make one more stop at a farmacia before we head home and load up on some of these helpful medications!!
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| Foggy Mist |
We did not want to stay in Sarria, instead wanted to start to hit places that were in-between the Brierely recommended stop points. While we respect that many people can only walk this last part of the Camino, after 35 days of walking, we are tired and feel a bit out of place with these new peregrinos who have the enthusiasm we had at the start. So we continued on for another four kilometres to stay at Barbadelo. The path between Sarria and Barbadelo wandered through a old forest where fallen soldiers showed their unique burl roots.
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| Foggy Mist Path |
Arriving at our chosen albergue at just 2:00, this was a short day for us but we were ready for a catch-up day of laundry and blogging/journaling. We got settled in and sat in the sun on their deck drinking wine, eating olives and enjoying the afternoon. Dinner there was one of the best peregrino meals we have had. I finally had chicken breast instead of a leg and thigh! Plus the dessert was heavenly.
After dinner, we saw Heidi sitting across the room and motioned for her to join us. We had such a delightful conversation with this beautiful young woman from Estonia, learning a bit about her country.
When we got back to our room, the six other peregrinos with home we shared this space, were already in bed. So we decided it would be good to join them in an early night's sleep. We should be ready for the next day!
Lesson for the Day: Tolerance.
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