SWH2023 Day 64 Cloud Nine

Date: Wednesday November 1, 2023

Route: Hike from Sarria to Portomarin

Location: Hotel Vistalegra, Portomarin

Weather: Windy, 12C

Distance: 23.1 km, 5 hrs

Steps: 29,102

It is, once again, a warming climb out of town with the exertion chasing the chill from my arms and hands. The wind catches up to us on the hilltop, stealing any warmth from the weak sun that plays hide and seek with the clouds.

The path meanders across the hills, often bounded by stone walls, sometimes through groves of elm and chestnut. My thoughts are consumed by the next nine days, and the logistics of reaching the end of the trail. The beautiful vistas pull my attention and remind me of how pleased I am to be yondering across this countryside.

Today is All Saints Day, a national holiday in Spain, and the villages we pass through are quiet. It is not clear if the closed cafes and albergues are due to the holiday or the lateness of the season.

We find a small roadside tienda/bar/cafe, a taxi dropping off a woman with a suitcase and red shopping bag. She insists that we come in out of the weather and wait while she opens the shop, and eventually makes us two cafe con leches, in the pauses of an extended conversation with her friend who is buying three packs of cigarettes.

We continue on our way past a couple of peregrinos feeding a donkey that seems well-versed in playing to the crowd. Not long after, the rain squalls roll through, just enough to keep our ponchos on, which the wind promptly tries to tear off our backs.

Lunchtime finds us at a cozy albergue with a fire warming the enclosed terraza. We meet the Crazy Englishwoman With a Strange Accent who proceeds to talk nonstop while we eat our lunch before disappearing in a gust of cold wind from the open door.

Portomarin has been preserved, moved stone by stone up the hill in the 1960’s when the reservoir was built. The wind attempts to throw me off the bridge for a swim.

‘The best restaurant in town’ is just across from our hotel, and can confidently claim to have the best scallops on the Camino Frances. We fall into a conversation with Jerry, an American that seems to be seeking refuge from Texas, carefully timing our exit into another rainstorm.

A maple leaf points the way

Hints of Roman times are still to be found

Elm forests, wreathed in climbing ivy

The sole tienda/cafe/bar that was open

Mill wheel?

Needs some Roman engineering for the water

These are similar to the ones we saw in Hungary and Croatia in 2018 – used for corn drying

Different style

A refuge from the weather, lined with post-its wishing buen camino! or more heartfelt thoughts

Rule 4: take pictures of all the yellow arrows

An inviting seat

100 km to Santiago, a bit farther for us

The nearly drowned old Roman bridge crossed the river before the town was moved uphill away from the reservoir