The start of the Camino

 

Every day is an adventure. 

Today we woke up in Sarria to mostly dry clothes and an overly punctual luggage transfer guy. 

I had just gotten out of bed around 6:30 when moms 7 am pick up guy knocked on our door. Fortunately she was pretty much packed up already. 

One of the things you can do on the Camino is have your bag picked up in the morning and dropped off wherever you are headed towards. 

As she pulled her back the week before we left she decided to use that service. 

It’s an excellent option to have. 

Kiernan made us some breakfast of spicy eggs and I ate the leftover ratatouille. 

Michelle and Chris wanted to go check out a hiking shop for a few things and we decided to start toward the path and meet up later. 

The symbol of the Camino is a scallop shell. It represents many paths meeting at an end. It’s also has traditionally been associated with St. James. 

So instead of blazes like you might find on trails in Maryland there are scallop shells all along the path. 

In town there were some really fancy ones. 

We follow them with only one small mis turn to an old stone bridge that led out of town. 

The path split and both were Camino paths, any path that leads to Santiago is a Camino path. 

On the sign someone had written No Bueno. 

I turned to look at it and saw my son already halfway up it. 

I shrugged and took the nice flat bueno path with mom. 

He later texted that No Bueno went straight uphill and then ended at a highway. 

No bueno indeed

Our path did this for awhile and then all of the sudden went steeply and eternally up. 

There were old gnarled giant oak trees and huffing puffing pilgrims all around. 

After maybe 15 minutes we got to a flat top with farms and beautiful views snd a coffee house. 

We sat and rewarded  ourselves. Kiernan had joined us by then and we got a sello (a stamp) in our pilgrims passports and mom and I got shells to add to our packs. 

Everyone who wants to get the fancy document at the end of the pilgrimage carry’s a pilgrims passport and collects stamps along the way. All sorts of places have stamps and they are unique to each café or church or hostel. 

You have to get at least two a day to “prove”you aren’t just driving through. 

We marched on for about an hour and a half and we’re getting quite tired and footsore on the hills when we came upon another by the road snack stand. 

It had bathrooms too!

We got some cool chips (translation is peasant woman chips) that are kind of like bbq chips and hung out for Michelle and Chris to catch up. 

Looking at the map we discovered that we were about half way to our albergue for the night. 

We were feeling ok. My feet hurt but not horribly. Plus I took two ibuprofen and Michelle gave me some topical anti inflammatory stuff. We were all a little shocked and awed by the hills coming out of town and laughing at its brutality. 

We picked a place about an hour away for lunch and headed off together. 

We walked through farms and behind farmyards. We saw and smelled lots of cows and some sheep. We saw a guy pushing a walk behind plow. 

The lunch place had Vegan food and had the little green peppers I have been looking forward to trying. 

After a set of lentil pattys and a salad and some great fries we got this super creamy light cheesecake. It was very like flan. Delicious!

There were tables outside but the sun was getting hot so we stayed in. 

The doorways were all old and low and stone. 

This delighted Kiernan because he felt very tall having to duck under doorways. 

A guy called out to us as we were leaving to warn us of the steep downhills upcoming.

Our next goal was the 100 km sign counting down to Santiago. 

100 km is the minimum travel distance to get the Compostela if you are walking the Camino. 

It’s a marker that is heavily celebrated. 

The guy in the cafe did not lie. We went down hill (sometimes steeply) for quite a ways. 

We made it. 

Then all that was left was the half mile ish to our Alburge. 

While all this was happening in Spain, Megan was having her 5th grade completion ceremony. 

I was on the phone with David and then with Meg for the rest of the walk. 

She is no longer an elementary school student. 

Here she is with her friends and one of many doughnuts.

 

We arrived at our place for the night at around 5:30. So we were out and going for 9 ish hours but there was lots of stopping in there. 

This place is beautiful. It has a washer and drier, it has a restaurant, it has lounge chairs and beautiful views. 

Now it’s 10 at night and I’m fed and rested and showered (gracious I needed that shower!) and Kiernan has his blanked back and cleaned. 

I’m hoping there won’t be any snores.  I’m sure there will be. 

Kiernan never went to camp so this communal/dormitory sleeping is a first for him. 

Cross your fingers!

My reflection on the day is very positive. 

We probably did around 12 of our 70 mile journey. My feet are pretty much holding up. 

Tonight this pilgrimage feels achievable. 

So far so good. 

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