Camino to Santiago de Compostella - Blog 5

So, did I take a bus from the next town? No. I had had a sign of encouragement from above and this was enough to motivate me to keep going. To be honest though, I was getting a bit frustrated at how long this journey was taking. I had only walked five kms into Sarria and had done several rather short days prior to that. I had walked 13kms into Ferreiros which wasn't too bad. But I really felt I needed to speed up a bit. Shortly after Ferreiros I passed the magic 100kms marker.

Next day I managed 17.9 kms. This was very much helped by two things. Firstly, the weather. It had been a cool, misty day leaving Ferreiros where I had spent the night. The second was the company. A chap I had spoken to briefly the night before caught up with me and passed me. But then he slowed down, on reflection I think deliberately, and started walking at my pace, chatting to me. He was Irish, tall, not sure of his age but definitely younger than me. Maybe in his late 50's. We chatted away amiably and the kilometres melted away. We would have liked to have stopped for coffee but none of the bars we passed were open.

Eventually came a section of the Camino at which, on seeing the descent, I actually felt fear. It was extremely steep, down big boulders - the picture below doesn't really convey the steepness. I wondered if I should tackle it on my bum, or alternatively take off the rucksack and lower it down in front of me. Morris (not sure if that's the correct spelling) said he would go first, that way I would not have far to fall. Initially I was reluctant - I had no intention of falling on top of him - but he was being very gallant and it did occur to me that he might be able to offer me a steadying hand should I need it. As it turned out, I didn't need a steadying hand but I was very grateful to him none the less. Not long after, we arrived at a large town, Portomarin where we were able to have coffee, after which our paths separated. However, they crossed again twice that day and I did enjoy his company.

Next day I managed 17.1 kms and the day after 15kms. I was now making pretty good progress. The weather was still helping. The Camino was pleasant, some ups, some downs, sometimes causing me to have to wait and get my breath. Sometimes my knee ached, sometimes my feet ached. But nothing that made me think I would give up. After I had passed the 100 km marker I started photographing the distance marker each time it went down by 10, so when it went below 90 kms, 80 kms etc. I was getting closer to Santiago. The thing about starting to get closer to Santiago was the very sharp increase in the number of pilgrims.

Many people start the Camino from Sarria as it is the final 100 kms that one must do to qualify for a Compostele. What I hadn't realised was that 1 May is also a holiday in various European countries so many, many people use that holiday as an opportunity to do the Camino, starting from Sarria. And completing it in a week.

I was really amazed at the numbers of pilgrims I was now encountering. In many ways it didn't really affect me. People would just overtake me and I would be on my own again. But the sheer volume of pilgrims now meant that I was being overtaken again and again. I had to rest for just a few minutes on one of the days, at the top of an incline. Just for interest I started counting the numbers of pilgrims going past. In six minutes, 30 pilgrims went past but not one of them was carrying their full rucksack; they were all carrying daysacks and having their luggage transported. Still, everyone does their own Camino and I paraphrase rather than directly quote the Bishop of Santiago's words in his Pastoral Letter in 2004 - "Everyone who arrives in Santiago is a pilgrim. It does not matter if they came on foot, on bicycle, by bus, by car or train. We are all pilgrims."

I must also mention the kindness of a hospitalero in Melide where I stayed the night before last. It was a 15 km walk but it had been hot and by the time I reached my destination I was sweating profusely. The town did have a municipal refuge which opened at 13:00 but it was now only 12:30. I came to a private refuge and decided to see if they had beds. I asked if they had beds, indicating I needed a lower bunk (sometimes in private refuges all the lower bunks are reserved). 'Yes' was the answer. The chap told me to go up to floor 1, joy of joys there was a lift! When I arrived on floor 1, he was there having obviously run up the stairs. He led me into a dorm of five beds, two sets of bunk beds and 1 single bed. He indicated the single bed was for me. I was overwhelmed and told him he was a saint. In fact, I had the room to myself that evening. There were some other people on that floor, some English-speaking male pilgrims I could hear but no-one in my dorm. It was such a gift.

I was now counting down the kilometres and making good progress. After Melide came Arzua, 14+ kms. With the huge increase in pilgrims my choice regarding accommodation was normally limited to the municipal refugios. I did not want to get into the habit of booking ahead - it is not my type of Camino and I anticipated many of the private refugios would be fully booked before I arrived. One cannot book the municipal so as long as I arrived early enough, I would get a bed. After Arzua there was a municipal at Santa Irene, 16.1 kms, so I thought I might head for it. But there is nothing in that area except that refugio. The next place was O Pedrouza with a much larger refugio and shops etc. But this was an extra three kms. Also, rain was predicted for the next day.

Notwithstanding the fact that I was determined not to walk in the rain, I was on the road next morning at 6am, in pitch dark, in the rain. I had my head torch on and it lit the way well. Fortunately the Camino was gentle, sometimes a gentle up, sometimes down. It was on a wide dirt track that held no unexpected potholes or large rocks to trip over. Eventually after 7am, it become light enough to turn the headlight off. The reason I had decided to be away this early was that the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to get to O Pedrouzo, despite it being 18.6 kms away, my longest stage yet. I reasoned that if I had breakfast en route instead of having it before I left the refugio, I could save time and start earlier.

By 7am I was looking for somewhere to stop. Naturally everywhere was closed. I had picked the wrong section to have breakfast en route! Eventually at 8:15am I found an open bar and gratefully ordered a coffee and croissant and rested for about 25 minutes. I wondered if I should take off my waterproof trousers and jacket as it had stopped raining but decided against it. Shortly after 9am I was less than 30 kms from Santiago. I stopped again for a coffee and Tarta de Santiago by which time the rain had not returned and it was warm and sunny. The waterproofs came off. By midday I had passed the municipal at Santa Irene. It looked suspiciously closed - there was no note saying what time registration took place as all the other municipal refugios had. It looked as though heading for O Pedrouza was the right choice. I arrived just after 12:30, 30 minutes before they open and was astounded at the number of rucksacks already there.

Still I was able to get a single bed, no-one above me and after settling in went off to get some food. I have spoken a bit about food but something I must share is a treat I bought for myself at Arzua - a pink doughnut covered with small cubes of marshmallow. Another treat, due to the rain, was a half rainbow en route to O Pedrouzo.

So I am now just less then 20kms from Santiago and wondering if I will meet any of the pilgrims I met and chatted to but who then overtook me on the way.