Day 35 - Portomarin

The resort we are staying at is completely full, and it seems all are peregrinos. We didn't see any menu posted for dinner but we were just too tired to walk 1km into the town looking for a peregrino special. It seemed everyone else staying here was there for supper too - the restaurant was packed.

We sat down for dinner and all the food just started to arrive-no menu, no prices. We think maybe dinner is included here - hope we don't get a nasty surprise. It was like going to someone's house for supper, where they go to a lot effort to prepare a nice meal for you, and you just get what they serve.

In any event, the dinner was delicious and the cook (who had a diploma attesting to the fact he had taken a course in food safety and preparation displayed) was fussing about making sure everyone was enjoying his dinner.

Usually the wine that comes with the meal is pretty inexpensive and low grade (vino de meson - aka table wine). The wine served here is home made from their own grapes growing just outside the dining room,

but tasted like our favorite Ontario wine, Konzelman shiraz. The lettuce in our salad was also growing right outside.

There was a group from Los Vegas with their Spanish friend leading them, that had just started the Camino today from Sarria. One of the ladies was heartbroken because she had twisted her ankle at the restaurant in Sarria in the morning and after walking to Portomarin it was badly swollen and bruised, so was going to have to take a cab to her hotel in Palas de Rei today. It sounds like they had been planning to do the Camino with their Spanish guide for many years - so it would certainly be disappointing. They were staying at a spa today, so she was going to have a spa, massage, etc and hoped she would be able to walk the next day. Best wishes to her, but I think it would take a miracle, judging from the look of her foot.

I asked if they were travelling with Tee-Travel and she said no their Spanish friend had arranged everything. That made me feel pretty good about this place where we have 'their best room'. It seems the Spanish friend has them staying only in the best places!

They didn't look like your typical peregrinos either, they were very well dressed both at dinner and breakfast. Actually, these peregrino clothes of ours are starting to make us feel like poor, inappropriately dressed folk - especially in nicer hotels - but we have no 'good' clothes to put on, and no where to put any if we had them.

Today was our last day off, before we complete our trek to Santiago. Four more days of walking left.

We did the tourist thing today, with the understanding that we would not spend all day on our feet.

We first walked down to the rio Mino.  At the moment the river is a wide shallow stream, but during the early part of the year, January, the river covers the medieval bridge.

The original bridge, which dates to roman times, was rebuilt in medieval times and joined the southern district of San Pedro with the northern district of San Nicolas. The river formed a strategic boundary and consequently the area had a turbulent past.

In 1962, a dam was built which created the Belesar reservoir.  Much of the original town was submerged by the waters, and what remains gives one the impression of a place inhabited by ghosts.

Several of the important historic monuments, including the capela de Santa Marie

and the Romanesque church of San Nicolas, 12th century,

 were disassembled and relocated to higher ground before the lower areas were flooded.

The cobbled main street of Portomarin, rua Xeral Franco, has handsome stone colonnades on both sides.

As we were admiring the square, a large contingent of motorcycles paraded through town.  It seems there is a gathering in an adjacent town.  It was unclear whether this was an annual event or not, but it seems to re-enforce our ability to find fiestas.

And last but not least, we sampled the famous Portomarin tarta. The only way being to buy a whole pie.

This pie features healthy food choices like butter, sugar, flour and almonds, and living up to its reputation, was absolutely yummy.

Our bodies are thanking us for this day off.  The collective punishment of 700km is starting to tell. Lynn had a foot massage today too (hers only cost 2 euros in the machine in our common room), and that coupled with a day of rest, should make her fit as a fiddle for the final push to get that certificate.

Another nice thing about our day off here is that Margie and her husband are walking here today and staying in the same resort. So we will be staying in the same towns (likely in the same hotels) and getting to Santiago at the same time. It's so nice to meet up with her again, and have the opportunity to finish the journey with someone we've know the whole way. She's also been in touch by e-mail with jack and george et al and we'll get the gossip at dinner tonight.

Yesterday our enthusiasm was at all time low but today we are feeling renewed, refreshed, energized, happy, and eager to carry on with the journey. We are both asking ourselves the question 'why did I do this?' The answer will likely take many years to reveal itself. But we are both certain it has been a transforming experience.