Madrid Camino Day 29 – Portomarin to Palas de Rei

Sat, Jun 3, 2017

Happy to see this walking day behind me. 24 kms today and the first 13 kms were mostly uphill in cold, driving wind and rain. Best description? Brutal.

I was soaked through and started to get a bad chill – despite it being only ten degrees. Taking shelter in a small copse of trees, I stripped down to my shorts, shuddering, in full view of passing pilgrims. I towelled off my body and changed into fresh dry clothes. Hard to describe how heavenly it was to put on my cozy warm fleece and a dry shirt! 

The rest of the day was fine. More little farms. Some rough trail, but mostly boring, flat, hard packed paths along paved roads. And pilgrims, pilgrims, pilgrims. 

I wandered into Palas de Rei and found my little old pension and luxuriated in a hot bath. I had given my email to my fast walking partner, Kathleen from Boston the other day. She contacted me asking if we could meet for dinner as we were in the same town, but I declined in order to get more rest and keep to my regimen of eating as much fresh food as possible. I found a small grocery store and did just that.

Feeling excited to be closing in on Santiago and now making plans to continue walking all the way to the ocean at Finisterre. I’ll take one day off there and enjoy my accomplishment before setting off for home.