Got up early, and said goodbye to Lauren and Randy. Janet and Eduardo were taking their time getting up and I didn't want to wait so I began my walk solo. I needed some alone time to reflect on many things.
As I walk, my mind is inundated with many thoughts, many moments of silence, and then there is the occasional disbelief headshake that I am actually living my dream of walking the Spanish countryside on foot and observing such beautiful landscapes.
I cross the 100 km mile marker.
I pass interesting and decorative crosses.
I pass a cow that looks at me dead in the eye as if to say 'Ditch the water. Got Milk?"
I pass a fellow San Antonio Spurs fan, however the colors of the cap make me question if he is really a fan and if it is a legitimate cap.
I get to Portomarin and it is beautiful. Just beautiful. I go to a local restaurant and hunker down for an hour and a half and get some serious blogging done. I also wish my friend Maury Gaston a very Happy Birthday from Spain.
Finally it is time to move on. I don't see or run into my friends Janet and Eduardo, so I head on out. I run into Kyle and Leah (LA, California, USA) and they give me directions - but somehow I end up second guessing myself and their directions and kill about 30 minutes of walking time going in circles until I find that yellow marker every peregrino wants to see and continue down the correct path. It is 1:30 AM. The sun is out and I have 4 hours of more walking to do. <insert favorite cuss word here> followed with an eye roll!
When you are mentally and emotionally motivated the mind and body sync and the body reacts. I am plowing through the path with amazing focus and no pain or tiredness. I am a little shocked and gleefully happy at the same time while enjoying the views.
I eventually catch up with my friends Kyle and Leah and we take a silly selfie - just because.
Even run into John Deere in Spain.
See a calf giving me the 'who are you?' stare.
Two cute kittens hiding in the limited shade of a small stinky and dirty farm town.
Free range farming at it best.
Giant ants.
And finally get to my destination Palas de Rei and check into my albergue, and meet my Spanish roommates for the day who all began walking from Sarria for their Camino.
Racqual from Murcia, Manel from Barcelona and Marcela from Madrid (left to right). They speak barely any English but language isn't limiting when your heart is in the right place and we teach each other Spanish and English and get by.
The albergue is wonderful. I grab the peregrino menu downstairs and have dinner with Robert and Ann from Australia who are finishing their second month of the Camino from Barcelona. Wonderful people. Robert also has a blog that he updates daily and wish I had written it down and taken a picture of them.
Dinner is tasty but microwaved. The cook made a really good meal, but she heated it up and served it to us and that just makes me want to cringe. I don't really like paying 9 Euros for a microwaved meal, but alas, it is food on my plate and I should let it go.
Wifi is slow, so updating the blog is painfully not an option. Will have to wait another time to do so. Time for bed and another 45+K tomorrow if my body is willing. Yes, my legs and energy are getting seriously stronger. And feeling good about walking 45K+ today. Proud of myself.
Expenses: 32.50 Euro
Breakfast: 4 Euro
Snacks: 3 Euro
Lunch: 5.50 Euro
Albergue: 10 Euro
Dinner: 10 Euro
When I passed into Portomarín there was no water dammed up under the bridge. The river was free flowing and you could see the ruins of the buildings. I stopped for lunch at the ant place and they told me that the name comes from all the pilgrims that pass by. The barkeep said that The Camino is the ant trail and Santiago is the ant hill.
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