Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Day30: Portomarin to Palas de Rei (Sun 24th Oct)





A much better start to the day after a few more hours sleep than I´ve had the past week. I still wake during the night with an aching right leg and aching feet. Sunday is always a bit "dodgy" for cafes-brekky and I´m so in luck this morning!

After a warming brekky and feeling in a brighter mood (I thought) off down the steps (Our Lady of the Snows) is what they´re called....and there is going to be a few hills today and the ascent begins almost immediately I cross the footbridge over the river and too early for my body to be happy about this and it tells me so....it sets my mood back as I once again find more "faux" pilgrims and they´re all flooding the track this morning - they take over and have no manners, they don´t even carry their packs, they just have ditzy little day packs (the real packs get sent ahead on transport), they´re way too chipper, they wear fancy white runners, pressed pants, one even wears a blue/grey velour (velvet) tracksuit and COLOGNE....PUHleez!! So as you can tell I´m letting it crawl under my skin and I skulk along the path with my Camino horns sticking out of my cap willing fresh cow pats to turn up and wanting to poke them with Woody or trip them as they pass - LUCKILY for all of them I manage to hold the urges as I arrive in Gonzar and decide its a very good time to stop and sip on a cafe con leche and munch on a chocolate croissant and hope it chases the demons that have possessed me away! It has started a fine misty rain....

The raincover for my pack comes out as do the plastic pants....I am trying to walk my way out of the dark mood and the rain gets heavier and I strangely like it...within the next hour I finally get my Camino legs....and I feel the rythm and get a stroll on - the rain has clearly settled in and by now I´m drenched on the outside (so far) and find a nice little cafe in the middle of nowhere and have an omelette with tuna for lunch - its perfecto!

The demons have finally left....and I continue in the constant rain - this is what the Galicia region is known for - days and days of constant rain like this and I wonder if I´m not going to have this until Santiago - I´ve been waiting for it and had exceptional weather so far for my entire Camino.  I don´t stop again, pass quite a few "drowned rats" and power on through the rain. Its impossible to take pics, I did try....!

I dont get my book out either so have no idea how far away I am to Palas de Rei and its actually great and before I know it the sign for the town pops up...I´ve already decided to stay at an Alburgue called "Buen Camino" and I find it easily and its so nice to get inside the warm and no rain...I´ve walked 6.5hrs in the rain and a total of 8hrs for the day - 27km.

My so called waterproof boots are not quite so and my socks are damp as are the bandages on my feet and the tape underneath the bandages....lucky the radiators are all on and I line up all my bits N pieces everywhere as Im the first in my dorm and get the bed by the window with its own radiator - bonus!!

Vino tinto was well received and I then go back upstairs and enjoy an hour of siesta snooze ;-)  When I wake the rain has finally stopped so I venture out to find dinner...I find some familiar faces in a bar and enjoy nibbles and more vino tinto!!

1 comment:

  1. I remember those chiper tourist pilgrims! I did have to remind myself that, if I lived in Spain, perhaps I would do this on long weekends or a weeks vacation! But they do get on your nerves...esp. when they want YOU to take THEIR picture!! :-O

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