Day 26 Sarria to Gonzar

Day 26, the rain was done. I started out early about 5:30. I walked and somewhere after a half an hour, I lost the familiar yellow arrows. I looked at my map and realized a road ran parallel to the camino. If I could get on it, I would intersect with it. I found the road, and started walking. All of a sudden, the road looked familiar! lol A left turn up a side street and there was the albergue I had stayed at the night before. I felt like a real pioneer, walking in circles! lol

I walked the way again, and careful to follow the arrows, when I saw a faint blue light in the distance. As I approached, it was a young German college student. His light had quit working. This is where I met Thomas. He asked could he walk with me. He was much faster than me, but, I had the light! We had a great conversation during the day. He chose to stay with me, even when it became daylight. One burning question I had, was what he was taught in school about Hitler and WWII. It seemed that he was taught very close to what we teach.

Thomas (using my water soaked camera)



100 km from Santiago marker

Old bridge in Portomarin

Steps going into Potomarin

Church of San Nicolas 12th century

It was in Portomarin, Thomas needed a new flashlight. So we went downtown and found a small store. The old storekeeper showed Thomas a small flashlight and demonstrated it. Thomas bought it. The store keeper gave him one out of the display, not the one he demonstrated. I had a lot of fun with Thomas telling him, the store keeper only had one light that worked and he would use it to demonstrate the light and then sell ones that did not work. I really think the kid believed me, lol.

Thomas was also worried of not getting a bed. It really stressed him. It seems, there was one night back, where he had to sleep outside. He was not accustomed to camping so it was upsetting to him. He kept worrying and hoping we could get a bed. We walked on to Gonzar, where we got in the Albergue Gonzar. We got the first 2 beds. We went to eat, and when we came back, the albergue was full! You see,  from Sarria to Santiago, the last 100 km is all anyone has to walk to get the Compestela. A lot of people do only the last 100 km, it is something in Spain that most people feel obligated to do once in their life. There was a bus parked in front of the albergue. It seems that travel agencies book pilgrimages for people, pick them up along the way and bus them to albergues. I hope they don't knock people who walk the entire way out of a bed, but I'm afraid the almighty euro talks.

I walked 30.2 km or 18.7 miles.