DAY 35 : SPAIN : PALAS DE REI to RIBADISO - 25.8 kms - 7 hours

Distance walked so far in France and Spain : 1475.6 kms (69 days)
Weather : rain ranging from drizzle to heavy falls.

Today we walked through Melide. According to the waymarkers, only 40 kms to go to Santiago.

A sculpture dedicated to pilgrims

on the route out of Palas de Rei

 

Misty rain and heavy falls during the day -

but nothing spoiled the colours and beauty

of the route today.

Misty landscape

 

Casanova - Easy on the Eyes Aussie (EEA) moves to the next level.

Lunch time in Melide. A busy town of 8,000 people. We joined many walkers at the Pulperia Exequiel for an authentic taste of the regional speciality of pulpo (octopus).

Huge caldrons of pulpo

Beer and pulpo for lunch - delicious

Tonight we are staying in Ribadiso. It is a tiny hamlet on the River Iso adjoining a medieval bridge. The municipal albergue is a reconstruction of one of the oldest pilgrim hospitals. Fabulous position by the river, very pleasant space to relax in the warmer weather. It wasn't my first choice tonight as it has an outdoor toilet block - particularly on a cold and rainy evening.

Our private albergue has 54 beds (8 euros each) and we have one of the small dormitory rooms to ourselves. Excellent bathrooms and a gorgeous view out to nearby farms. There is a nearby cafe where we ate a delicious barbecue veal steak with salad for our meal, with Santiago tart for dessert - an almond based tart, a specialty of the area.

View from my top bunk

 

 

M&M

10/11/12

Our email address : mm_smith@bigpond.net.au

DAY 34 : SPAIN : PORTOMARIN to PALAS DE REI - 24.8 kms - 6 hours

Distance walked in France and Spain so far : 1449.8 kms (68 days)
Weather : fog, misty rain, sunshine, mild

60 kms to go!

 

 A scenic, varied path

 

Foggy start

 

Ralph (US),Robert (Canada), Alexandro (Italy)

our first coffee break of the day

 

Coping with misty rain and a

fresh mint tea on tap

 

Traffic on the road

 

17th century wayside cross in

Lameiros, where they suspect there

is a pilgrim cemetery.

 

 

Detail on the pedestal below the cross

 

Characters on the route

 

Lunch with Ellen (The Netherlands) and now

living in Barcelona in a tiny hamlet -

good rest on a long day's walk

 

Eucalypt forests

 

Municipal albergue - centrally located

Interesting room for us tonight - an elderly

Korean couple, 2 young German farmers,

a wild Spanish fellow with his loud music,

an older French women and us!

 

_

 Palas de Rei is an administrative centre with

a population of 2,000.

 

 

 

 We found a local cafe for dinner and the owner

made up an impromptu menu for us - soup,

sole/ pork, copious salads, wine and liqueurs

- all for 10 euros a head. Seen here with a

Phyllis Diller look-a-like.

 

Robert, Stefan, Patricia, Ralph and Mark

- a lovely meal with good company

 

 

M&M

9/11/12

Email address : mm_smith@bigpond.net.au 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAY 33 : SPAIN : SARRIA to PORTOMARIN - 22.4 kms - 5 hours

Distance walked in France and Spain so far : 1425 kms (67 days)
Weather : foggy and mild, sunny interludes, rain developing.



 

Today we reached Portomarin. 90 kms to go until we reach
Santiago.

A foggy but mild morning as we left Sarria

 

Small pigeon house

Horreos, or grain storage, typical of this area

Cattle in sheds - not much lifestock in the fields

Milestones giving us a reminder
of distances remaining to Santiago

Soft paths beside chestnut trees



First view of Portomarin. Population 3,000.
In the 1960s the Mino River was dammed to create the
Belesar reservoir. Most of the historic buildings were moved
brick by brick, including its castle-style main church, San Juan.

We arrived as it began raining quite heavily and decided
 stay above a cafe/bar with accommodation, Posada,
in the main square.
Double room with bath (35 euros)

Last night we had dinner at the little restaurant downstairs and sat with some walkers we've met in previous towns. Ralph, a 77-year-old American, has managed all the way from St Jean, despite catching the flu and spending some recuperative days in towns along the way. Robert, a Canadian, took the alternative route yesterday and stayed in an austere albergue which is part of the Benedictine monastery in Samos. This one of the oldest monasteries in the western world with the largest ground plans and cloisters in Spain. He went on a tour and attended Vespers - he was the only lay person and he said it was a remarkable experience.

M&M
8/11/12
Our email : mm_smith@bigpond.net.au

 

 



DAY 32 : SPAIN : TRICASTELA to SARRIA - 18.7 kms - 4 hours

Distance walked in France and Spain so far : 1402.6 kms (66 days)

Weather : clear, sunny with icy wind ; 6o

111 kms and 5 more walking days until we reach Santiago.

 

Beautiful views of the valleys as we climbed and ascended
Alto Riocabo

 

Clear, cool morning as we set out from Tricastela

 

Up close and personal with farms - that is not mud we
are walking in - its our preferred walking surface -
cow manure (and lots of it!!)

 

A magic moment..

 

 

Inspiring views - one of our best scenic days - up there
with the Yorkshire Dales, Aubrac and walking towards the
Pyrenees in France.

 

My trusty guide and companion

 

Shaded paths - shelter from the wind

 

Entering Sarria. Population : 13,000
A bustling,modern town with a medieval centre.

 

A monument to Alfonso 1X. (1171-1230)
King of Leon and Galicia
Known as Baboso or Slobber because he
was subject to fits of rage and foamed at
the mouth.
  

 

We are staying in a private albergue, O
Durminento (10 euros each) on the main
street in the old town.

 

It is very comfortable and heated.
There is a small restaurant where we can have our evening
meal, which is a godsend as it is quite cold and the town
seems to have closed down for the season.

 

 

Out our window is the Church of Santa Marina.
We look forward to the bells chiming every
quarter of an hour, albeit quietly.

 

A wholesome meal provided by our hosts, which we
enjoyed with a Brazilian couple, with whom we are
sharing a room tonight.

 

I have my Kindle with me and have downloaded 3 medieval novels you might be interested in, which relate to the historical background to our English, French and Spanish experiences.

 

Pillars of the Earth / Ken Follet

The Night's Dark Shade : a novel of the Cathars / Elena Maria Vidal 

In the Name of the Rose / Umberto Eco

 

Happy birthday, Bertrande!!

 

M&M

7/11/12

Our email : mm_smith@bigpond.net.au

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAY 31 : SPAIN : O CEBREIRO to TRICASTELA - 21.3 kms - 5 hours

Distance walked so far in France and Spain : 1382.9 kms (65 days)
Weather : clear, cold, sunny and icy

We have only 134 kms to go until we reach Santiago!

 

The ups and downs of today. We dropped from 1330m to
670 m - Mark's knees are saying 'ouch!'

 

Dawn over O Cebreiro - mist over the mountains.
A clear starry night - breathtaking views.

  

We walked along the highway and paths near the main
routes.
 

As we walked along the ridge there were views of
snow-capped mountains, farms and autumn trees.

 

Remnants of the snow from yesterday.

 

We walked through farming hamlets and were joined on
the route by these enthusiastic cows, released from
their overnight shed.

 

We have great accommodation in this small town of
Tricastela. Tricastela literally means 3 castles, none of
which survive. Its main claim to fame now is its
November Magosto (Chestnut) Festival.

 

Our room in the private albergue - 9 euros. Clean with lovely
facilities. It could be that we have the room to ourselves as we
did in Trabadelo, although there were many walkers staying
in the public albergue in OCebreiro last night.

 

A combinados (complete)  lunch - 5 euros.
 

M&M

6/11/12

Our email : mm_smith@bigpond.net.au