Day 37 - Portomarin (Written)

A 7:30 start with Diane and Sandy, from San Diego and Arizona, who joined us from our hotel in Sarria. The 24 km walk had us winding through small farming villages with panoramic views from Peña dos Corvos, an area in Galicia, the Spanish province we are now hiking. The first thing we noticed this morning was the vast increase in pilgrims, with a much younger demographic. We saw bus loads of people dropped off ready to begin their Camino. It’s great to see vast numbers of people enjoying the Camino, but these large groups do make it less intimate. Also, there were many more people walking in groups, sometimes as large as 10 people. The groups were young, energetic and appearing to be having fun.
The small farming communities we went through blended into one another. There were lots of cafes along the way; however, the increased numbers meant longer lineups, and longer waits for food, drinks , and washrooms. The pathways were great. Someone commented that because of the excessive use of these paths the Spanish government is pouring money to develop them, and that is evident. Much of the terrain is along forest paths and tree-lined lanes providing shade and protection from sun. Despite a forecasted 70% chance of rain we only got sun, but the skies are getting gloomy and I wouldn’t be surprised to get a downpour soon.
Cathy and I did spend some time together, but most of her day was with Diane, then Sandy joined them. I was happy to set my own pace having a few short chatsRead more