Palas De Rei

The enthusiasm and excitement of walking out of Sarria for the compostela has worn off. Boy that was quick!🤣. The walk was good and a bit weary for me.

I felt pretty excited leaving Portomarin after getting inspired by the Taiwanese Pilgrims positive vibe and orange back packs. I enjoyed listening to the birds and having wet green climate to hike through.

It’s not so much I walk into a walk and say, I have to think about something . Nope, that thinking for the sake of thinking is not what happens. What’s happening is I go for a walk and the mind or the soul will bring it. The source will present me with what’s next.

Just for the record I DON’T ALWAYS LIKE IT. 😇. I have learned by now to surrender to it. Be with it, sort out what I can and keep walking to cleanse and clear it.

This day was a good soul working walk.

The maps show small villages with small restaurants and bars.

I didn’t eat much for breakfast.

As I got hungry I went looking for a bar/cafe and When I found a bar/cafe I was excited!

I found this beautiful cafe with a shack vibe. The food looked absolutely outstanding. I was soo excited and thankful to order huevos fritas con Jamon Serrano y Patatas. Fried eggs and bacon with french fries and a beer!! yee ha!

Women looks at me stone faced and says “we are closed. “

I think to myself It’s 12.30PM!!!!

I look at sign and sign and it says open until 4:30pm.

I ask again to make sure no food can be ordered. She says she had to close kitchen to clean up and to get ready for lunch which starts at 2:30pm.

Doink!!! 😢 I cant figure out Spanish business time!! I just sat in the chair staring/watching everyone finish their yummy meals. I could sense I was getting irritated by the situation. I was focusing on what I didn’t have. I said “calm down Trina Brown!.”
I went outside in the rain under a porch roof and started fixing my feet and my socks.

The place was full of people eating and she said no. Denied! Felt like rejection. I wanted to cry. AGAIN!! 😢 😆

I thought, I’m hungry and I’m a good person damn it! Later I would find out that other Pilgrims who had their own food and rejection moments shared similar intense emotions. It was interesting to share what emotions got conjured up and how we managed with them.

I kept repeating to myself it’s fine you ain’t gonna starve to death.
You’ll just be hangry today. Drink some water.
Then this led to me thinking about people who live without food many days In a row or the most nutrient food. Day in and day out. What happens when this is your everyday reality, wondering about a meal? Not knowing if you’ll receive one. What could that do to someone if it was a way of life consistenly?

I say to myself yea you hungry and you’ll survive. Thank God for that!

Then I arrived into the city of Palas de rei. My phone was dying and the city to my surprise was as much larger than the map shown and longer in a rectangle shape than I realized. It was going to be another 30 min walk to get to City Center. Sigh. Nothing to do but keep walking.

I used my intuition and eventually through my sense found Amy and Fred.

Fred is a nice man from the Netherlands. He thinks his English is no good but it’s very good! I say to Fred, if your English was bad I could not talk to you! Fred, thank you for speaking English because I do not speak Dutch! Gracias! 🙏 💜

He has been checking in on us since Los Arcos running of the bulls. He had inspired me that day to keep walking when I didn’t want to walk. He is a gentle giant. He is also as I call him the Mayor of the Camino.

He is a caring man, friendly interested in everyone’s life. Genuinely concerned for people.

He has a daughter that he checks in with. He has struggled in finding inspiration to finish like I have and many others. He keeps walking like we all do.

It’s always nice to run into him.

Other Pilgrims love running into him as well! Video attached.

Once I got into town I found a hotel called Hotel Trina! Fun!

Had some Pardon Peppers for dinner and wine!🍷Read more