Hi Greg great to hear from you I hope you´re enjoying a well earned retirement and yes I hear what you say - each step closer to the finish... (I´m trying not to think about!). I´m glad your enjoying it and yes photos posted are highly selective!!!! .. and Spanish history is an interest of mine.
The day before yesterday we walked close to 48km, we had to as the albergues in Sarria was full, the next one was full and the one after that was closed! The number of walkers increases every day as more and more short-walk pilgrims join. There are even groups of seconday school students (lovely well behaved kids, sure they pass around funny smelling cigarettes...) A group of about 6 fresh faced, singing school girls raced us for an albergue, we knew if they beat us the would take up all available beds; at one stage with 100m to go I was tempted to hold them back with a stick while Ray dashed to the albergue but this seemed to go against the spirit of the camino (and as it turned out it was the closed one!). We ended up having t0 go to Portmarin, even here the first two albergues were full but luckily we found a very nice one with enough room and washing machines and driers.
Yesterday (Wednesday) we walked to Palas del Rei, 26km and when we got there the albergues were again full. We decided to walk on and sleep out but on the way out we noticed a house called La Casa de Ruben, Ray felt this was a sign and when an old guy walked out he asked if there beds around. He took us to a very nice hotel, talked his rich relatives into giving us a room (for 25 euros!), and even carried Rays pack up the stairs for him! A nice old guy, ex-sailor called Ruben who told us a bit about his life and travels around the world. Every time things look bleak something good happens.
Today we walked about 30 km to Arzua, only 42 km from Santiago. The number of walkers is really increasing now, every bar and cafe and albergue is packed.The truth is we both developed swelling and pain on our right shins (tendonitis?). Anyway bandages and pain killers do wonders! Again we expected to be sleeping out. The walking tracks and the weather are exceptional, through forested gullys lined with ancient mossy oaks and then uphill to dairy paddocks and maize fields always surrounded by forest or hedges. We stopped at a lovely little bar for lunch and one of the French walkers ( a tiny middle aged women) sang a wonderful rendition of Je ne regret rein - I regret nothing (forgive my French but those who know this song will know what I mean; she was fantastic! she sounded just like Edith Piaf , it was a special moment. I n the last few km we began to see eucalypts scattered within the forests. It´s quite bizzare to see Blue gums and Manna gums amongst the indigenous trees of Spain and the smell of eucalytus in the afternoon breeze is so evocative of the aussie bush (sniff!). In fact we had a siesta on the side of the track amongst bluegums and squirrels! About 7pm we got into town and the first albergue was full but luckily there was room in the next. It´s a great 5 storey, modern albergue with all the mod-cons and the best internet services yet and the restaurant across the road served the best Pilgrims menu we´ve had (Caldo Gallego, pescado/pollo and mousse chocolate washed down with a bottle of Gallician wine)
Tomorrow another camino joins ours (camino del norte) so we expect the number of walkers to keep increasing as we approach Santiago.
It seems to me that there is an inverse correlation between religious belief and the degree of control humans have over their immediate environment. In the past if you were a victim of weather, storms, volcanoes, floods, war etc you invented volcano gods or gods that can control the weather etc, in that way you could placate the relevant god (eg with sacrifices or prayer) and this gave you some control. But the big one is death itself, the very basis of existential angst. The religions of the book (Christianity, Islam and Judaism) offer the ultimate for ¨death has been defeated, Jesus Christ has been resurrected". The basis of all religion is blind, unthinking faith which is the antithesis to rationality. Why can´t humans except that like all organic life we come into existence, we live our span and then we die.
Two days to Santiago and they are both relatively short walks, about 20km each!
The day before yesterday we walked close to 48km, we had to as the albergues in Sarria was full, the next one was full and the one after that was closed! The number of walkers increases every day as more and more short-walk pilgrims join. There are even groups of seconday school students (lovely well behaved kids, sure they pass around funny smelling cigarettes...) A group of about 6 fresh faced, singing school girls raced us for an albergue, we knew if they beat us the would take up all available beds; at one stage with 100m to go I was tempted to hold them back with a stick while Ray dashed to the albergue but this seemed to go against the spirit of the camino (and as it turned out it was the closed one!). We ended up having t0 go to Portmarin, even here the first two albergues were full but luckily we found a very nice one with enough room and washing machines and driers.
Yesterday (Wednesday) we walked to Palas del Rei, 26km and when we got there the albergues were again full. We decided to walk on and sleep out but on the way out we noticed a house called La Casa de Ruben, Ray felt this was a sign and when an old guy walked out he asked if there beds around. He took us to a very nice hotel, talked his rich relatives into giving us a room (for 25 euros!), and even carried Rays pack up the stairs for him! A nice old guy, ex-sailor called Ruben who told us a bit about his life and travels around the world. Every time things look bleak something good happens.
Today we walked about 30 km to Arzua, only 42 km from Santiago. The number of walkers is really increasing now, every bar and cafe and albergue is packed.The truth is we both developed swelling and pain on our right shins (tendonitis?). Anyway bandages and pain killers do wonders! Again we expected to be sleeping out. The walking tracks and the weather are exceptional, through forested gullys lined with ancient mossy oaks and then uphill to dairy paddocks and maize fields always surrounded by forest or hedges. We stopped at a lovely little bar for lunch and one of the French walkers ( a tiny middle aged women) sang a wonderful rendition of Je ne regret rein - I regret nothing (forgive my French but those who know this song will know what I mean; she was fantastic! she sounded just like Edith Piaf , it was a special moment. I n the last few km we began to see eucalypts scattered within the forests. It´s quite bizzare to see Blue gums and Manna gums amongst the indigenous trees of Spain and the smell of eucalytus in the afternoon breeze is so evocative of the aussie bush (sniff!). In fact we had a siesta on the side of the track amongst bluegums and squirrels! About 7pm we got into town and the first albergue was full but luckily there was room in the next. It´s a great 5 storey, modern albergue with all the mod-cons and the best internet services yet and the restaurant across the road served the best Pilgrims menu we´ve had (Caldo Gallego, pescado/pollo and mousse chocolate washed down with a bottle of Gallician wine)
Tomorrow another camino joins ours (camino del norte) so we expect the number of walkers to keep increasing as we approach Santiago.
It seems to me that there is an inverse correlation between religious belief and the degree of control humans have over their immediate environment. In the past if you were a victim of weather, storms, volcanoes, floods, war etc you invented volcano gods or gods that can control the weather etc, in that way you could placate the relevant god (eg with sacrifices or prayer) and this gave you some control. But the big one is death itself, the very basis of existential angst. The religions of the book (Christianity, Islam and Judaism) offer the ultimate for ¨death has been defeated, Jesus Christ has been resurrected". The basis of all religion is blind, unthinking faith which is the antithesis to rationality. Why can´t humans except that like all organic life we come into existence, we live our span and then we die.
Two days to Santiago and they are both relatively short walks, about 20km each!
Hi guys!
ReplyDeleteNo room at the inn! A true pilgrimage.
Hang in and enjoy the last couple of days - it sounds and looks beautiful. I've enjoyed your photos, and had a look at some of the country you're going through on Google Earth ( you can follow the Camino, as it's marked, at least in the area I was tracking. )
I'm glad the next stages will be easier on your feet.
All my love, Kerry