Last 100km

We got up early, after a better sleep and had a quiet Sunday morning wander into Sarria, the first proper town in several days, and a good place for breakfast. The town is the starting point for most people as it lies 113km away from Santiago which is enough to qualify for the pilgrim certificate at the end. As we sat drinking coffee groups started emerging from the many hotels and hostels, shiny new trainers and very excited and loud for 9am on a Sunday. They included the bus load of mexicans we encountered yesterday and what seemed like about 100 people in bright pink charity t shirts from Málaga. I felt like it was a completely different walk. The Málaga lot are raising money for bone marrow donation and a few of the families had large cart things to push sick or tired kids in. It is hard enough walking, let alone pushing a heavy buggy. I talked to a couple who turned out to be ex fencing champion of Ukraine and her disciples, current spanish kid champions. Also a large American called Mike,from Illinois who was clearly not fit. He is training to walk up to Everest base camp. Good luck with that as he thinks 10 miles is really far.
We stopped at an overcrowded cafe for 2nd coffee with Ryan and Kyle the father and son from New Jersey we met the other day, and then struggled up the last hill to Pena where we are staying in a very new and squeaky clean hostel. It's on the 100km marker, so not far to go.Read more