Sarria to Portomarin

The town of Sarria, on the French route to Santiago, is a sore point for many of the pilgrims who started further back on this route - either from the beginning in Saint Jean, Pamplona, Burgos, or even Leon. When you start in those locations, you get to know the other pilgrims who are staying in the same albergues, taking breaks at the same cafes and bars, and eating at the same restaurants. These are the people you recognize on the trail and play hopscotch with for weeks. This can all change when you get to Sarria.

The Catholic Church will give you a certificate of completion for the Camino, called a Compostela, if you walk at least 100 kilometers on the way to Santiago. Sarria is the most accessible town on the French route that will get you that distance. Last year, over 30% of all pilgrims who finished a Camino, around 150,000, started their journey in Sarria.

This means that the albergues and restaurants are now full, and the cafe lines are longer. It can feel more commercial, crowded, and rushed. The newbies haven’t learned the common Camino courtesies and unspoken rules. They are noisy. They travel in large groups and block the path. Their shoes and backpacks look new.

Some pilgrims really dislike the changes that the last 100 kilometers bring to the quietness and simplicity that has marked their pilgrimage.

But I LOVE the walk from Sarria, especially this stretch to Portomarin!

This is simply one of my favorite days on the Camino. The oak, chestnut, and pine tree forests are stunning and mystical. The path is gentle. The towns are rural. The beauty of this place is just insane. I want the whole world to walk this path, soak it up, and take it home with them. There is a pulse of energy that comes with the influx of new pilgrims. Some of them are here to meet loved ones who have been on the Way for weeks and are here to walk the last stages with them. We should all be walking each other home.

The real difference between us and them is that they may get to the 100 KM marker and marvel at how far they still have to walk, while we, on the other foot, get emotional at how little of our Camino is left.

We move forward together, with the first real chance to put into practice what we have been learning on our pilgrimage. If we can’t do it with these others heading to Santiago, how are we expected to do it at home? Plus, there is no room for hatred on the Camino.

Except for E-bikes. It is okay to hate them. Even Jesus hates E-bikes.

Ultreia et Suseia!Baca lagi