Ain't No Mountain High Enough

The walk to Portomarin 

I just walked from Sarria to Portomarin, a whopping 14 miles! I'm currently sitting on a balcony overlooking the Muno river., taking in the gorgeous scenery, and thinking about what I just put myself through on the Camino. I arrived in Portomarin exhausted, dizzy, and desperate for rest and food. I just demolished half a prosciutto pizza and a coca cola and now I'm sipping a cappuccino and nursing two extremely tired feet.

Well deserved pizza in Portomarin


I left Sarria this morning at 8:30am. The morning was crisp and brisk so I pulled on a sweatshirt and joined the pack of other pilgrims, all headed for Portomarin. The first 30-45 minutes of walking were brutal because most of it was uphill and on steep cobblestone inclines. I was keeping up with most of the people around me pretty well though some over-eager folks left me in the dust on those mountains. I paid them no mind and tried to keep a pace I felt comfortable with. I huffed and puffed and grunted and groaned my way across mountain after mountain until finally, I came upon a few hamlets here and there that beckoned pilgrims with food and drink. I pushed on.



Couve Galega (Portuguese Kale/Collards)


The Camino was everything I expected and nothing what I expected. It's beautiful and cuts through farmland and tiny hamlets with lots of history. It smells like cow manure most of the time. Parts are rugged and rough. What I didn't expect were the hoards of people and not many of them American or English speaking. I expected to make friends and find a walking partner. I didn't. I expected there to be a sense of camaraderie with people saying "Buen Camino!" as you pass by. There wasn't and they didn't 50% of the time. Of course, if I said it first, they were all too eager to say it back though! Part of the reason I didn't find a walking partner is that once I found my rhythm, I was rushing through the landscape at a pretty fast clip. I was at around mile 9 today when I realized the crowds were much thinner and I could walk on stretches alone and hear the birds and cows and goats all around me. I was in quiet and quaint Portomarin for 2 hours before the droves of pilgrims started to roll in with their noise and clamoring for albergue beds.



100 km Marker


Today was rough, I won't lie. Parts of it hurt like hell and really tested my body, mind, and attitude. But other parts were gentle and kind. Those moments offered a beautiful walk full of scenery, nature, animals, and a sense of belonging.

Today was all about listening, being quiet, getting into a rhythm, putting my head down and pushing through pain and exhaustion. It was 14 miles through Spain alone and scared, full of hope and wonder, and finally getting to throw myself into something that I can't control. So, I just let the road take the lead and I just followed the yellow arrows.

Wild Blackberries

Queen Anne's Lace


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