September 17, 2004
evening

(Note -
the next few dailies are my trip e-mails expanded and with photos)

Update Two (from the bar)

SS the SS and Thali are right now at dinner - I just had some grilled lamb that was leftover from lunch so am instead am typing here at the Internet terminal at the bar on the ground floor of our hotel. There's one of the ubiquitous slot machine machines (at least this one isn't begging all passers by to put in some money), a couple of older men drinking at the bar, bottles and bottles of red wine up above the bar and bottles of all kinds of odd old liquor behind. And an espresso machine - may need to have another of the oh so addictive cafes con leche.

(Thali just came by - they just ordered something called finger soup and apparently it looks like it has actual fingers in it. Since here we passed the main pulperia in town and saw multiple octopi being chopped up on a table near the street - well I´m not surprised.)

Monday

Okay - one to the train ride to Sarria.... We got up early, picked up a coffee and some bocadilllos for the trip and settled in on the train for the about 8 hour ride.

(above) At the train station, commuters and Thali with her backpack

The scenery was incredible - green green hillsides, homes with red tiled roofs, stone churches all zipping by.

(above) The view from the early part of the ride when things were more green and hilly. Notice the Spanish tile roof to the right. I'll admit I never made the connection until this trip.

The train blessedly wasn't too crowded and with the reserved seats we luckily didn't have anyone else in our quad. There was a man across from us who kept staring - couldn't tell if we were talking loudly (likely) or if there was something he really wanted to see on our side of the train. From the way and where he was staring I think it was something at breast level.

(above) Or maybe it was because Thali and I were so busy cracking ourselves up?

Thankfully there were also gaggles of older women who would try to look out for us and make conversation in rapid fire spanish - where we were going, where we were from, etc etc etc.

(Above) Thali and I getting ready to leave after the 8 hour train ride. And wow, I'm short.

In Monforte we changed to a local train and got into Sarria at about 8. The main albergue (hostel) was full so we had to go to a private one. A group of Spanish peregrinos helped us with communicating with the woman who ran it and we ended up in a room with three twins and a matrimonio bed (for a couple).

(above) Our beds, the next morning. Yes, the room really was that dingy.

(Above) Road signs showing the way we'll be heading.

We ventured down the road into town to the pilgrim's office to pick up credenciales (a credential or pilgrim's passport is crucial - it allows you to stay in the free albergues along the route and it's what you present in Santiago to prove you've done the camino), to the parish church to get our first sellos (stamps) and to the local store to pick up dinner. Cooked dinner at the albergue, talked to some of the other peregrinos (pilgrims) and went to sleep.

(Above) Thali signing the guest book after snagging the sello.

(Above) The Church of the Magdalene, not where we got our sello but near the albergue and on the way out of town. There are a million church steeples in Spain that look exactly like this. I'm not kidding.

(Above) A street in Sarria, during the day and obviously when its pretty quiet.

(Above) Thali finds the first marker arrow!

(above) I patiently wait by the road going out of town.

Couldn't sleep well that night - nervous about the start of the trip and unused to the roosters that started crowing at about 5:30 and didn't stop. Ever. I think I can still hear some now.

(Above) Not one of the roosters I heard that morning but as you can see here in Spain these birds are always on the move.

Tuesday

We got up by 8 and were out by 8:30. First part of the route was through Sarria and then across a combination of fields and woodsy trails. Green grass, stone trails, red roofs on buildings - just gorgeous. The morning fog helped carry us through, the coffee at a snack bar along the way was no doubt helpful as well.

(Above) First stone marker sighting! This one had a kilometer distance on it, others have directionals when the road turns.

(Above) Starting out of Sarria.

(Above) Woo hoo! One kilometer done. Over a hundred more to go!

(above) Top - one of the cemeteries along the way. Notice the above ground graves. They're everywhere - haven't seen so many of them outside of New Orleans. Middle - Plowed field with farm buildings in the background. Bottom - A passion fruit vine, also along the camino.

(Above) And lots of green fields. Two are here, with stone walls and all!

(above) Examples of views of and to the side of the camino - again much green and gorgeousness to the left and right.

(Above) Again, another cemetery - this view from the top of the wall overlooking a church one.

(Above) And cows. There were cows all over: people herding them or the animals just wandering in fields.

(Above) One of the corn dryers that you see all over the place along the route. I'm not kidding, they're more common than even parish churches.

(Above) One of the buildings near the church in Barbelo. Notice the stonework - saw stuff like it all over. And the colors - green and orange and grey all blending together. The photos don't do it justice.

(Above) Amidst all the natural beauty, modern conveniences exist. Thali checks out the vending machine.

Hit some drizzle so we put on out ponchos and took pictures in the full blown quasimodo dorkiness of them.

(Above) Me, looking lovely in my poncho.

(Above) Thali, picking berries in hers.

(above) Me happy to get my poncho off, but Thali still wisely watching the skies.

(above) Only 100 km to go. Woo hoo!

We ended up at the albergue in in Ferrioros (sp) at about 1. The mistress there chided us for not walking far enough but let us in - we snagged some beds and went to the nearby cafe for some lunch.

(above) Sitting at the cafe as clouds gather in the background.

The free state-run albergues are great but a mixed bag so far in terms of accommodations. If you present your credential you can stay there for a night and most seem to have beds, showers (usually cold so hot water is a treat), bathrooms and that's about it. Latecomers sleep on the floor so we've been trying to get to where we´re staying for the night by 2 or 3 pm.

The one in Ferriros was definitely unimpressive. There are flies all over the place (sit still for a second and several will alight on you), and though we were one of the first arrivals the place looked dirty dingy from the start. But its free blessedly free and we were lucky enough to get beds. Something to be grateful for.

(Above) Lockers in the albergue, with the ghost mouse peregrino. The lockers didn't have locks but instead were there so the bags could be kept off the floor. Since off the floor meant out of sight I don't think anyone really used them here.

(A note on the other pilgrims - they're primarily primarily spanish, some French and German. There are hardly any Americans, though its not uncommon to meet English speakers from other countries.)

The food here has been amazing and the first lunch on the road the best. Menus del dia tend to be a first course (soup, salad or entremeses which is cheese and meat), second course (usually filet of some animal or an empanada), dessert (flan, tarta de Santiago which is an almond cake, or yogurt), with wine or water to drink. We had a kick ass Caldo Gallego (soup with some kind of greens and potatoes) - I think I can die now because I doubt I'll ever have a soup so good. We ended up sitting with a peregrino from France (an older grandfathery-man) so SS the SS was talking with him about his trip while Thali and I made faces as surreptitiously as possible.

(above) Me and Thali, smiling instead of teasing.

We then went back to the albergue and ended up meeting some people traveling together - Iria (an Austrian living in England) and Mateo (an Italian living in Luxembourg) both of whom spoke English so we talked a bunch and shared some camino stories. Showered in the disturbingly hot then cold shower, napped, did laundry (hung it out, had to pull it inside because the the surprise Galician rain), wrote in diaries, read, got some coffee, grabbed some dinner at the restaurant down the road, checked out the next day's walk.

(Above) Thali struggles through one of the region's very tart apples at dinner. I don't remember if this was taken before or after she found the worm in it.

Sleep was hard - the guy in the bed above me wouldn't stop moving around and therefore rocking the whole bed, people kept walking by to go to the bathroom and someone was smoking so the smell was all over. Got up early (you have to be out by 8:00 anyways) and started on the day´s walk to Gonzar.

Wednesday

On the walk today there's been more small towns, old stone buildings, slate roofs now instead of the red tiles, green pastures, blackberries by the side of the trails. After a long downhill into the valley had an early lunch in Portomarin.

(Above) A much less common, wooden version of the corn dryers we've been seeing everywhere.

(Above) Distance marker with stones on top. There must have been a turn near it, hence the yellow mark on the side.

(Above) We were in the forest here, the green light on the tree trunks was the unworldly way it really looked.

(Above) Thali adjusting her boots. We're still getting used to wearing them all the time at this point.

(Above) A shot of the usual very rocky trail, one of the stacked slate walls. And a cross at the end with stones on it. Some kind of memorial but there was nothing on it in the guidebooks.

(Above) There are several water points along the trail but most are meant for horses, no people.

(Above) Carvings above one of the windows facing the camino. Feel like a very bad catholic since I don't know who they're supposed to be.

(above) The basic scene that morning - fog, dogs lying about in the road, laundry on the backs of our packs, us taking a pause to get bearings.

(Above) The top of one of the many stone crosses we've seen along the way.

(Above) Me with no makeup and misty morning hair.

(Above) The sign says Portomarin is nearby but since we couldn't see it we have our doubts.

(Above) Once we made it down the hill we finally saw the river and knew we weren't far from town.

The town is beautiful with a gorgeous church, charming square, and more wrought iron. Had lunch at the cafe recommended by the woman at the church - at 11 was too early for lunch (getting used to the Spanish time schedule has been a trial) but we were able to get tortillas (omelets).

(above) Looking down one of the main streets. Note the cute balconies. Why aren't there more of these outside of Spain?

(above) Tympanum of the parish church in Portomarin. Wish you all could better see the amazing details in the carving...

(above) Me with moleskin. Started feeling a hot spot on one of my toes and really wanted to avoid blisters.

(Above) The bridge we came into to town on, seen from the bridge we used to leave town. And yes it really was that green.

Made it on to Gonzar where we were spending the night.

(above) Gonzar. The albergue's the big building on the right, there's a cafe next door. And that's about it.

The guidebook said the that albergue there wasn't much but Gonzar was a revelation. Hot water! Well divided so there weren't a ton of people in one room! A kitchen so we could cook! Did I mention hot water? And wonders of wonders a washing machine so we could wash our clothes more thoroughly than some swishes in ice cold water in a sink to the side of the building (what we did at the last albergue). We snagged a couple more people so we could get a full load and SS the SS, Thali and I just sat there next to the machine drinking in the wonderful sound of it going and the hot water heater going on) there were hot showers for everyone there.

(Above) Me with the laundry soap, snuggling up to the washing machine.

(Above) Thali actually putting the laundry in.

But it was a fantastic place. After we got the clothes out of the machine we let them dry in the strong wind and sun, the three of us sitting outside with Iria and Mateo and others from the albergue writing and talking and enjoying not walking. It was such a community feeling - wind would blow clothes off the line and people would pick up whatever/whoever's blew off and even the cafe next door let us bring cups out so we could drink outside. Truly one of the best times on the trip.

(Above) Thali sitting in the sun.

(Above) And of course there were more roosters lurking around.

Should get going to see the other girls and let someone else on the machine. Will try to write again later (thanks all for putting up with the detail). Miss you all much much much though am having a fantastic time (no blisters yet!)

love,
Moryma.