Portomarín

We took two days to complete this segment, trying to use the less rigorous pace in place of a full rest day. Either the weather has marginally improved or we’re just getting used to it. Still overcast, but almost no rain and the temps may have touched 60 sometime during the day.

We did have great luck with our albergue last night. Sometimes it is a tiny room with little heat, a shared bathroom, and small beds. Last night it was this:

And here’s the view from the common area.

Today’s walk into Portomarin was even shorter: only about 11 kilometers. We got to sleep in at the albergue, so much so that the cleaning team tried to enter our room at 8:00, since most pilgrims are gone by then. We got a nice “occupado? vale, vale!” from the cleaning lady, using the all-purpose Spanish phrase (vale, vale) which means OK, or yes, or whatever, based on the context.

As we meandered down the trail, we had a little bit of literal sunlight, and then some figurative sunlight, too. The first came in the form of a glowing orb in the sky, which means this was our 7th day of direct sunlight on the camino, which was a cause for joy. The latter was suddenly running into Samantha, a young friend we first encountered way back in Larrasoaña and had offered to drive to Fatima after the Camino.

There she was, joining us on an Indiana Jones-like trail into Portomarin for a coffee con leche. Rejoining Camino family members after absences brought on by different schedules and places is a true joy. Hope we see more of our early Camino friends before we finish!