The alarm went off this morning - and I exited my coffin like sleeping space as quietly as possible! I love the idea of being able to draw the curtain but, at some point last night it was way too hot in the ‘box’ so I had to open it a little.
I walked out of Sarria with two ladies from ‘up state New York’ who were just starting out and were full of horror stories that they’d heard. Apparently one woman, walking early in the morning, had passed a naked man lying by the side of the path masturbating. She was terrified, according to the story, that he would attack her. I think that he was probably too preoccupied with the task in hand (so to speak) to pay her much attention - if it even happened at all! Still it was interesting to chat to people just starting out. They’d set off early to get ahead of the rain - it was slightly drizzly which meant I was wearing a supposedly breathable waterproof. I felt like I was walking in a crisp packet!
Breakfast didn’t happen until 12km into my walk - which was pushing it in terms of my hangry levels! I had a pleasant meal, chatting with some Australian ladies who were just about to set off for their day’s walk. Soon after breakfast I passed a marker stating that we only had 100km to go. That is 20 parkruns!
The heavy rain held off, but it was misty with poor visibility and some cool cloud inversions. It was mostly easy walking on trail paths or brief stretches of tarmac mad, with a short sharp descent on a rocky section of path that required nifty foot work to negotiate. Then there was the terrifyingly high bridge into Portomarin - and just as I was sighing with relief at having survived that there were steps! Bumping into an :old friend’ (Jay from S.Korea) meant I could pause for a selfie and a catch up!
Portomarin had not been my chosen end point for today, I’d wanted to go further but couldn’t get any accommodation elsewhere. I arrived before 11am so left my back pack in the albergue and went into town to grab a coffee. On my way in I saw Tom = who I’d walked to Burgos with all those days ago! It was nice to catch up. Apparently someone had asked him only yesterday if he’d seen me - but he couldn’t remember who!
This albergue is pretty basic, and for the second night in a row there is no community meal available, which is a shame. They also seem very reluctant to allocate bottom bunks. I was first here and they tried to give me a top bunk - I pointed to my strapped legs and pleaded until they relented. I’ve sat and watched the same thing happen to lots of new arrivals. Portomarin is full apparently. People without bookings are being turned away. The dorms today (and yesterday in Sarria) is noisier than previously. Maybe the dorm rooms were noisy way back when we were all babies on day one and two but, if they were, I don’t remember people laughing and joking across the bunk beds. More recently they have become almost silent in the afternoons, with people snoozing or quietly sorting their kit. I have retreated to the relative peace and quiet of a restaurant in town to sit in the garden and eat some lunch while writing this blog.
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