Palas de Rei

Had a relaxing afternoon and evening in Portomarin. There was a speicial concert in the church for pilgrims at 6pm. A man played the flute, then sang to his guitar. The accousitices were great and the music was so reflective of the Camino. Good supper and Mass before bed at 8:45pm. It´s hard to believe that I am in bed before 9pm most days and sleep until 5:45. Last night was good. We slept in a huge dorm - something like 120 people in one great big room separated by curtains but it was clean and spacious and the snoring wasn´t nearly as bad as the night before (at least so I am told, my ear plugs do a great job!) This morning we were ready to go by 6:30 but the Albergue ladies came in and made coffee and it was pouring rain. So of course we stayed and had our morning coffee before we even started walking! We put on our rain gear and were ready to head out when we realized it had stopped raining. In the space of 5 minutes the street changed from a roaring torrent of rain water to just wet. Galicia does a good job of dealing with horrendous downpours, they build the strets and trails to accomodate the rain. We were out of the door by 7am but somehow had great difficulty finding our way out of town. I guess we discovered that the map and the big signs are right! We did a complete circle of the town, up and down steps before we finally hit the trail. It took us almost an hour. We noticed today a great increase in the number of pilgrims on the trail. Many people do the stretch from Sarria to Santiago - the last 100m. and the minimum to get the pilgrim certificate at the end. We continue to meet interesting people. There were 10 Irish girls today who were completing a 5 day adventure challenge for their college. I told one to enjoy the journey - her response "enjoy is hardly a word I would use to describe it." Another said, "Some people even walk from St. Jean." That would be us!! If we think we´ve come a long way, what about those who have walked from their homes in France, Belgium or Italy. Some have been on the road since the beginning of April. One lady was walking in the other direction from Santiago to Glastonbury in England. Everyone´s Camino is different - no one´s is better or worse than others. Each is unique. Today we reconnected with 2 girls from Korea who we haven´t seen for weeks. It´s like seeing old friends again. We also met new people from Canada who started just before us in St. Jean! The scenery today was beautiful. Galacia is so lush. Mind you we´ve walked through a number of farming areas that definitely have that "country" small. We were told that the climb over O Cebreiro was the last climb we would have to do. Oh yes? Most of today was uphill - but I have to admit it wasn´t too bad. (no, Harry it is not all down hill from Triacastela!) The weather was cool so it made it conducive to walking a bit faster. The book tells me we only have 68km to go - hard to believe it will ever end!!I have to admit it is the most difficult thing I have ever done, but it is also very rewarding. God is alive and well on the Camino. There are so many moments that truly are a blessing - especially when we least expect them. so 3 more days until we reach Santiago. It is hard not to look forward now but I wouldn´t change any of it. It is amazing and will take me a long time to figure it all out. Right now I can´t even remember what we did or where we stayed. Fortunately I have pictures, the guide book and my journal to jog my memory! Thank you for all your prayers. I am so thankful to have the support of so many people in this pilgrimage. You have all played a part. Blessings till next time. Daphne