Day 35, Stage 32: Portomarin to Palas de Rei

I had read that the Galicia region of Spain is rainy, so I shouldn’t be surprised by the near constant drizzle/shower/downpour, but I guess I was hoping for some Camino magic since we’d be so lucky for the first 30 ish days!  So, today was a repeat of yesterday, with some level of drops from the sky until about noon, and then a break, and then some more.  My giant red rain suit is serving me well, and my boots are waterproof so other than the general unpleasantness of being out in the rain, I’m managing pretty well.  Haven’t melted yet anyway.  And the benefit of rain is rainbows.  Yesterday evening, during a pre-dinner glass of vino we were treated to a double rainbow, both with full arcs.  Chris and I chased it to it’s end point so we could see it all; they were both long lasting and incredibly vibrant.

The path today was mostly wooded track, or along side a quiet road, through farmland incredibly green from all the rain.  There were groves of blue gum eucalyptus and pine, some farm villages and the unfortunate odor of pig and cow manure.  It was a 25 km day and at Ventas de Naron we stopped into a little abandoned church to “talk with the hermit” who “lives” there.  He is blind, but offers a stamp for the pilgrim passport for a donativo, so we did stop.  When he asked where I was from and I replied with Estados Unidos, he immediately said California, and shook my hand.  Everybody loves Cali!

The sense of the Camino has changed since Sarria.  Since many people have limited time, yet are interested in gaining the compostrela, new peregrinos (Spanish for pilgrim) join the Camino there.  Unfortunately, that means there are hundreds of “newbies” and in some cases they are discharged by a bus in the morning, and met along the route in case someone needs to hop on for a ride.  Many are Spanish, and most are European, and when you start overhearing people on cellphones along the way it really alters the journey.  It is suggested that those having travelled the full distance should be generous and non-judgemental, but it feels like these “pere-greeenies” are here for a walking vacation, and just happen to be on the Camino path.  We are all trying to breathe through it but when the first spot for coffee has 60 people crowding the small cafe it can be challenging to be generous. But we’re working on it!

Tomorrow is a long one — might be as much as 30 km — so tonight will be a quiet one.  My hotel is just south of the town of Palas de Rei, which apparently has little to offer, so I’m happy to rest up for a long (and likely wet) walk tomorrow.

Gorgeous

Keith caught this view

The end of the rainbows

Leaving Portomarin this morning

green through the mist

Labyrinth on the hillside, and yes, I walked it… 3rd one on the Camino

ant sculpture… of course

Werner and Maryanne, from Vancouver; our dining partners last 2 nights

Blind hermit