ai´ve arrived!

Hi Everyone,

Yes I´ve arrived in Santiago, but you are not going to hear about that yet. You will just have to wait and walk the last few days with me first - like I had to do.
Firstly - Tony - Wow, I´m so glad you emailed. I lost my little book with your email address in it. Will email you with news of Daniel etc separately.
Zina, enjoy Bali!
Sam to answer your question re the most important thing in my pack - my journal and guidebook are number 1. My fine silk Balinese shawl is 2 as it has been my pillowcase in the albergues. It is soft and comforting at the end of the day and it is one of the two things I have brought that are beautiful, not just functional. The other is a silk scarfof my Mother´s. And on the functional side I couldn´t have done it without my poncho and Voltaren!

And to the last fee days...

Triacastella to Barbadelo 29.3km
The trail followed the river and small waterways most of today so it was a charming walk in the country with the lovely sound of water all around me. The sun is here to stay so again warm and perfect for walking. Galicia is renowned for rain all year round so the countryside is lush. The tiny hamlets and villages of grey stone and slate rooves remind me of Corwall and Ireland. This area is Celtic, with the Celtic motifs prevalent, bagpipe music and even some of the names are preceded by O¨.With oak trees, low moss covered stone walls, and now the beautiful foxglves flowering through the woods I felt like I was walking through Cornish villages in the Lake District.
Herbs are growing wild with mints predominating. A farmer was cutting his pasture in one small hamlet and the smell of mint was so strong. The scents are all around and picnicking at lunch time is a treat I look forward to. Yes still bread and chees, but oh the setting!
I walked into the city of Sarria where most pilgrims were stopping for the night, but I just need to be out in the countryside so I walked on a further 4km to a tiny hamlet that had a small pensione - called Casa Rurals out in the country here, and albergue. To do my washing I had to fill a basin from the fresh water cistern in the courtyard and use the sloping rough stone to scrub my clothes. A long walk to the top of the hill through long grass dotted with wildflowers to hang out the washing and I felt I had been transported back a hundred years. The warm wind was strong and the view was over a valley dotted with farmhouses and the patchwork of the fields.
It was a good decision to walk on to this lovely spot. Dinner was a communal meal provided by the people that ran the Casa Rural and Albergue. I went to sleep on this evening with the strong smell of cow dung wafting through the window - that´s how rural it was.

Barbadelo to Portomarin 18.6km
The longer day yesterday meant I could take it easier today and I did! 18km seems like taking a mini holiday. The walking again was through lovely farmland. Portomarin has a huge reservoir that was made when the river was dammed in the 1960s. The original town is beneath the water, with the Romanesque church having been moved stone by stone up the hill to it´s new position. You can see the numbers on some of the stone blocks that helped them re-build it. Other historic monuments were moved as well. What an undertaking! Janet, the reservoir seemed full. There was a lot of water. The albergue had a lovely view over the water. It was a quiet night in the albergue that night. That or I am just getting used to the snoring. The plastic bag shuffle started at 5.30 as usual. There is a smiley Italian gentleman whom I have seen on and off for about 3 weeks now on the trail. When I first saw him he was limping badly, and he still is! On this morning he began whistling as he packed up his backpack at 6 a.m.! I thought of his limp and just couldn´t be angry, and after all at least he was whistling and not snoring.

Portomarin to San Xulian 30km
On this day my journal which I write up at the end of every day begins with - ¨Life doesn´t get much better than this¨. Again I pushed on through the large town where most were stopping for the night. It had no appeal. The tiny village I am in has one small absolutely beautiful Albergue with bar and dining room. There are only about 16 beds and most of us here know each other, so it is a happy group. We agreed we have found a Camino Gem! Geraniums in boxes against the stone wall, a picket fence containing the little courtyard across the narrow road is our beer garden. The Vino Blanco is very good. All we have to do is our washing and wait for dinner to be served - another communal meal.
The walk despite 30km had been easy. I am at the stage that I feel like my legs are doing the walking and my mind just takes off on its own. It was a very internal day and I felt very peaceful.
There are many houses with elevated constructions in their gardens or beside their stone barns. These little buildings are narrow and long, not unlike a small longhouse you see in the hill tribe villages of Thailand. They have pitched rooves and either slit wood sides or sides of bricks with holes in them with decorative motifs or adorned with crosses. They are used for drying corn. I´m seeing large fields of young corn as I walk now - no wheat or cereal crops any more.

San Xulian to Arca 45km
Yes, you read correctly - 45km. This was not intended. It just happened.
Woodland paths and quiet country roads again today. My mind just doing its opwn thing as my legs do theirs. Stands of eucalypts have begun to appear. I had read they were in this area. I smelt their scent before I saw them. With the warmth, the scent was strong and I felt like I was back home in parts.
I ran into my French friend from way back in the city of Melide and joined him for one of Galicia´s specialties - REALLY thick hot chocolate into which you dip Churros. These are deep fried strips of pastry dusted with icing sugar. Disgustingly good, but i could only drink a quarter of the hot chocolate it was so rich. I´m finding I´m not eating nearly as much as I did earlier on. My body has become accustomed to the walking and my appetite settled. At first I couldn´t get enough food. I was alway starving at the end of the day, and amazed at what I could consume. With less food though I have had to buy a belt to keep my pants up!
I walked on thinking I would stop in Arzua but again a charmless large town. I was feeling good so I pushed on to where I thought a Casa Rural was available. Alas - closed with note in the window apologising for any inconvenience! At this stage I had walked about 35km and the next accomodation was 8 - 10 km away. There was nothing else to do but walk. I wasn´t at all worried as I knew I´d make it and there was still plenty of daylight. It turned out to be so rewarding.
The gum trees became more prevalent and as the sun streamed through them I felt like I was home. At one stage I heard a movement in the forest and I was in such a dream state that I thought it was a kangaroo!!!!
Walking at this end of the day means there is no-one around. All good pilgrims are almost tucked up in bed. So I sang at the top of my voice - everything from Leonard Cohen´s Anthem to Purple People Eater. I even had a little dance. Imagine a lumbering turtle dancing and you will have the picture immediately. I felt I had this beautiful forest all to myself. Perfect!
Finally I was on the outskirts of Arca in the little village of El Pino and there was a sign for Casa Rural and a Hotel. I took a room in the Casa Rural. The woman nearly fell over when I told her how far I had walked that day. I nearly did too!
It was late, but thankfully Spain eats late, so after a quick shower I was off to the hotel for a bite to eat. I was so amazed when I walked in and found one of my German walking friends Rheinhardt whom I have seen on and off for weeks. He is a homeopathic doctor and gave me some medication for my shins ages ago. High fives and much excitement as now we were only one day from Santiago!

You will have to wait until tomorrow!!!!!!

Cheers,
Annie

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