Sarria to Portomarín 13 mi

Started at 8:30 am
Ended at 12:00 pm
Staying in Portomarín at Pension Perez

Cassie and I found a nice lavandaria (laundromat) in Sarria last night and decided that for good measure we’d put everything in a very hot dryer. As a result we shrunk things and melted others. Cassie’s hiking shoes looked like the shoes of the Wicked Witch of the West with the house on top of her and the toes curled up. So she went to a sporting goods store and bought some shoes, and later took at taxi to Portomarín, while I hit the trail with hundreds? of pilgrims just starting their Camino at a very popular start Sarria. It’s popular because at least 100k is required to get a certificate of completion at Santiago de Compostela. Sarria is just a bit over 100k. So when people passed the 100k marker there was a line of them getting photographs in front of it. So I marched on and got one of the 99k marker. :)

It was very crowded at all the cafes and photo opportunities along the trail so I just kept on going without stop and got to our lodging about a half hour after Cassie. We both cleaned up and went to grab a quick bite before shut down for siesta time.

Portomarín had a terrible flood which turned the whole town to a ruins. The town was rebuilt on higher ground, but the ruins can still be seen when the river is low, which it is now.

From the web:
The village moved, since then to the hillside, on which it is currently located. This is why it is said that this millennial village is only 50 years old. However, not everything is new in Portomarín.

During the construction of the new Portomarín, the people of this town moved the most emblematic buildings, stone by stone. It was laborious work, but they saved from many of its buildings of historical value from flooding, like, for example, the Church of San Nicolás, that of San Pedro, the stairway or the Chapel de las Nieves, the Manor of Count Maza and that of Dos Pimentales.

https://santiagoways.com/en/portomarin-a-town-a…

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The final decent down in to town was a choice between the historic route or a secondary route. I chose the first as I thought it would go through the historic center. Turns out it meant the original route and was redone because it looks a lot like a slot canyon. I found it fun and scooted on my bottom when I needed to. I got safely down with without breaking my neck. Video of me about to begin.

It was just okay today. I missed my hiking partner as she keeps me talking and not thinking of my sore feet! She’s raring to go tomorrow and try out these sporty Solomon trail shoes. We’re taking plenty of hotspot treatment tricks and stopping to take them off and dip the feet in cool water. Not fun to break in shoes on the trail, but not much choice in this case.Read more