Yesterday I ran into Conrad from Germany who I have not seen since Zubiri! He was the young fellow that had walked 43km on his first day which included going over the mountain! When I met him last he was weary, chatty and positive and after eating he was off to soak his feet in the river! I saw him as I started to wander, he was in the park area next to the church. I teased him about the amount of daily km and he said that he was averaging about 36km a day. He did do a 44km but only once! :-) Anyway, chatted for a bit and carried on around the corner and found Irish Chris sitting at a bar/cafe. His story earlier yesterday was that he had a phone call from his girlfriend in Berlin who told him that her brother was in Sarria. So he opted for the bus yesterday am and said they would carry on to Portomarin. Blarney!:-) Anyway, his story! :-) Said with him for a bit and a fellow from Denmark The next table had Tomas from Boston who was eating a cheeseburger, we chatted, I copied, added fries, and am pretty sure that made us best friends! :-) The guy is extra large, a lawyer, loud, funny, had an entourage with him!
After my burger and beer I went exploring, first down those 60 sixty steps! Checked out an outdoor store which was crazy expensive and had limited stock, and then went looking for the grocery store. Had not gotten too far when rain started, hmmmmmmm laundry was outside! Back I go up 60 blinkin steps, pull in my laundry and then decided I will pay the 4€ for breakfast rather than going again! Found a quiet corner and then bed!
Great snooze last night! Woke up this am at 7:15, roommates are cyclists so everyone slept in! No biking in the dark!:-) For me, a great start! No worries about not seeing! Extra bonus- warm and zero rain! :-) After coffee and fuel head out, gentle incline through town and then a crazy hill! Apparently, my coffee had not yet kicked in! Sweater off and now the walk is great! Through fields and shady lanes, throug hamlets and villages and farm yards. I meet Montana and Idaho and we chat for a bit, (these girls found my Canadian flag bandana yesterday and then found me in Sarria to give it to me!) and I carry on!
A fellow I keep seeing catches up to me and we start chatting. He is French, from near Toulouse (sp), his backpack is bigger than me, his name is John Vladimir (not the correct spelling!), he is walking to help him with something with his girlfriend (I didn't get all of the story), this is his 7th or 8th Camino, he is asking for food, coffee and milk along the way, and he needs a shower! My caution radar was going off big time! Then he said he was going to Santiago to sell some natural drugs to the pilgrims! He then told me to be careful cause I didn't know what was around the corner! Hmmm, found some other pilgrims and left him getting a coffee at a donation stand and then ran into him again when I stopped for coffee at a cafe! Found some others to walk with, haven't seen him for the rest of the day! Thank goodness!
I met a lady from New Zealand that started walking 50 days ago in France! She was sitting with another lady from Australia. They both were jaded (their words) over this last bit, nothing new to see, same food, etc. Anyway, we chatted for a bit and then I was on my way, Gosh today was long! So many long downhills and so much pavement! Am ready for some dirt paths! Second time I have been approached by women asking for a donation to help out deaf folks. The donation sheet is on a clipboard printed in Spanish and English and both times there were some names signed up. I didn't see any dollar amounts but I looked quickly and really did not stop. Anyway, I said no thanks and moved on.
Finally a sign that Portomarin was 3km away! Kept going and it is pretty much downhill on pavement! I pass a fellow that is going down sideways and suck it up! Finally the bridge and once across 50 blinkin steps! Up I go, find the albergue and a beer! It is 1:30pm.
After a bit of a rest and of course laundry! I have a sandwich at the albergue and decide I should explore a bit. This town is high on a hill having been moved in 1964 after the river was dammed. Found the town centre, naturally uphill :-), and wandered. One fellow I met at the table yesterday with Tomas from Boston, greeted me and we chatted a bit. The lady sitting with him I recognized as well. She told me to be careful of that John Vladimir dude and the two ladies asking for donations. So we compared stories and apparently the two donation ladies robbed some folks earlier today. Hmmmmm, tomorrow I will make sure I am with others!
Back to the albergue, reading and sleep!:-)
No comments:
Post a Comment