Day 35 Double Digits to Go
Day 35
Sarria to Portomarin--13.64 miles; 90 km. to go
The 100 km. mark, iPod on, Spanish pilgrim
It is so crowded out here, solitude is hard to find. Pilgrim newbies, fully decked out with shells, gourds, and walking sticks are setting off on their grand adventure--all 100 km. of it. Some carry stuffed animals, some guitars that hit their bum on every step. Some big groups have matching shirts and/or neck scarves, a la the Junior Woodchucks. They pound up and down the rocky trail with gusto. I´ll give them til tomorrow when they´ll become crippled and lame.
A late start for me this morning reveals a backup vehicle where a man is picking up all the stuff of an Italian youth group. He drives ahead to cook and prepare for them. Just before Portomarin, I spot one couple jumping into a waiting car. These pilgrims are such wimps, it´s beyond belief.
Pilgrim cheat caught on camera
However, the trail is beautiful and winds through one tiny farm village after another. Farm tools that look over 100 years old lie about. Also, I spot my first¨"horreo." Unique to Galicia this thin rectangular structure sits on stilts and is used to dry and store corn. The stilts keep the rats out, and a cross on top calls for divine protection.
Typical horreo
Galicia used to be deep in old oak forests. Its wood was used to build the Spanish Armada. During Franco´s regime much of Galicia´s oak was chopped down to make room for the faster growing and useless eucalyptus tree. But the oak forest still abound, and it´s magical walking through them. My guidebook tells me that it´s common to see "handsome stag beetles" on the trees. How does one know a handsome one from an ugly one?
Another typical Galician town
Galician farmer
Sarria to Portomarin--13.64 miles; 90 km. to go
The 100 km. mark, iPod on, Spanish pilgrim
It is so crowded out here, solitude is hard to find. Pilgrim newbies, fully decked out with shells, gourds, and walking sticks are setting off on their grand adventure--all 100 km. of it. Some carry stuffed animals, some guitars that hit their bum on every step. Some big groups have matching shirts and/or neck scarves, a la the Junior Woodchucks. They pound up and down the rocky trail with gusto. I´ll give them til tomorrow when they´ll become crippled and lame.
A late start for me this morning reveals a backup vehicle where a man is picking up all the stuff of an Italian youth group. He drives ahead to cook and prepare for them. Just before Portomarin, I spot one couple jumping into a waiting car. These pilgrims are such wimps, it´s beyond belief.
Pilgrim cheat caught on camera
However, the trail is beautiful and winds through one tiny farm village after another. Farm tools that look over 100 years old lie about. Also, I spot my first¨"horreo." Unique to Galicia this thin rectangular structure sits on stilts and is used to dry and store corn. The stilts keep the rats out, and a cross on top calls for divine protection.
Typical horreo
Galicia used to be deep in old oak forests. Its wood was used to build the Spanish Armada. During Franco´s regime much of Galicia´s oak was chopped down to make room for the faster growing and useless eucalyptus tree. But the oak forest still abound, and it´s magical walking through them. My guidebook tells me that it´s common to see "handsome stag beetles" on the trees. How does one know a handsome one from an ugly one?
Another typical Galician town
Galician farmer
posted by Pam on the road at 11:36 AM
1 Comments:
mis ojos,
What would the world be without handsome beetles? Must be a Spanish ability to detect the comely ones from the ugly. xxx
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