HANKS TRAVEL BLOG

Sitting in the albergue beer garden, having a coldie with Mark and Helen went down very well. Dinner was a generous salad, bolognaise, and cheese cake, swallowed down with the help of some very nice vino and bread. Like usual, I slept well. This morning left early, as a long day ahead and going to be warm. Second last day and prefer to walk almost thirty ks today, leaving twenty tomorrow. With all the extra pilgrims now having joined the way from other caminos,del norte and primitivo, the day packs, and because Sunday is a holy day, Pentecost, which commemorates the descent of the holy spirit upon the apostles and other followers of Jesus, which empowered them to spread the word.  Many religious people will walk a two or three day pilgrimage to be in santiago de compostella on this weekend to celebrate,with prayer in this holy city. Also pilgrims drinking and celebrating their achievement. So the road is going to be packed tomorrow. Many impatient pilgrims will be praying a different way, by means of, Jesus why are there so many bloody pilgrims on the way. Today was much like yesterday, no shortage of hills, up and down. Some reasonably steep. Lots of wooded paths sheltered from the sun. Also crossing the main highway on occasions, at least mostly going under the highway via viaducts. Nice and cool as I left the albergue. Would not have enjoyed if I had to walk in the sun all day, as by the end I was happy to relax in my tent after a steaming hot and then a freezing cold shower. Yeah, a pilgrim camping site with tents. A double bed, very comfy. A fan for warm weather, and electric blanket for cold weather. This evening I’ll be sitting outside having a beer and pizza for dinner as it is quite warm. Mark sussed out the pizzas and found out they were frozen and reheated, so we gave that idea a miss. Ended up next door at a restaurant. I enjoyed calamari and salad.I must have had one too many vinos as I had the wobbly boot on coming back.I’ll look for an early night to walk the last leg. Amazing, how quick the time has gone. So much has happened. Met so many wonderful people from all over the world. Sorry my friend Jeff couldn’t finish this with me.

This morning, I didn’t want to leave the flash place I had fallen in love with as soon as I arrived. I requested a kettle from my inn keeper, and he was gone and back in a flash with a jug. Brilliant. Five minutes from bars and restaurants, I could easily have stayed a week. When I finally tore myself away this morning,  it was already warming up. No fog, no rain, just brilliant sunshine. I came across three of the siblings during peak hour, but hard to spot familiar faces. I walked with them for a short time but decided to go alone. More hills, manageable, and as many down hills. Funny about that. When I arrived at Melide, I just had to stop at the restaurant that does octopus. Melide is very famous for this delicacy. I joined a young spanish couple, who spoke very little english. We managed to order a plate of octopus and a plate of pig’s ears. Sounds off, but tastes good. My hearing actually improved. We said our beun camino and look forward to catching up again. Walking today was mostly on natural paths in wooded areas, sheltering from the sunshine. With the sun filtering through the landscape, walking was very pleasant. Before arriving at Boentie,my destination for the day, I did stop several times to enjoy the scenery, and nice to remove the pack from my back. I’m back in an albergue with twelve beds. It’s a nice one with bar and restaurant. I have stayed here on a previous occasion. Helen and Mark are also in the village of Boente at a different albergue. We will catch up later for a drink and dinner. Some of the day pack pilgrims obviously don’t even know what the yellow arrows and markers mean,because they can be standing on or next to a large yellow arrow showing the way,  looking at their google maps for directions. Also the people that move the luggage, are making a fortune. It costs seven euro seventy cents to have one bag or suitcase shifted daily. We are talking twenty to twenty five kilometres. There are heaps of people doing this in their vans and station wagons. They cram them in, and off they go.

Last night, after a drink with Helen and Mark and some other pilgrims, I went to a nice restaurant and had salad entrèe,a beef stew and chips. Actually the Spanish call it stew,we in Australia would call it pieces of pulled beef. It was very nice. I finished with ice cream again and vino of course. I slept ok in the albergue of around fourteen beds. There are always snorers that wake you, but you manage to get back to sleep. Mark woke me at six as we were leaving early to miss the day packs. I knew that maybe miss some,  there will be many out there, so go past and enjoy. They left before me. I had a couple of really nice experiences this morning. I rang Gayle from the kitchen in the albergue this morning for her birthday, where three south Korean ladies were having breakfast. The south Korean people are friendly enough, but apart from beun camino, they don’t talk. Just a warm friendly smile. But that changed this morning. Gayle insisted I sing happy birthday. I sang quietly not to disturb the ladies. However,half way through, they realised what was happening, and in full voice, joined my singing. That was really special.I then walked outside and very chilly you couldn’t see the sky as the fog was thicker than I have seen. Once out and crossing the river of Portomarin,the hill climbing started. The first hill was on natural paths. After a village, the next hill was huge along bitumen. I found my first swarm of south Korean day packs here. Probably twenty five, all having the same colour ribbon on their pack to recognise them for the tour guide I guess. As I went through at great speed, I shouted, come join me. Two guys in their fifties joined me stride for stride. The first one lasted, maybe fifty metres. The second bloke screaming at him to keep going without luck. After about two hundred metres, old mate was still with me, stride for stride. At this point I couldn’t see the top of the hill for the fog,but I knew there was still a long way to go and I wasn’t going to let him beat me. He kept with me for another hundred I reckon, and then stopped and buckled over, and with no air in his lungs, I could barely hear him say,you win.I hugged him,said beun camino, and left him to resuscitate himself. I charged on, and when I got to the top, turning around, I could only see fog. Again a special moment. It was probably ten ks on before the first cafe arrived, and I was quite ready for a break and some food. After I left here I was still on the alternative route away from the road on natural paths. Another huge hill, and I found the two American sisters, Karen and Donna. We walked for the rest of the day together and pleasantly chatted and walked in lovely sunny conditions. There wasn’t a shortage of climbing  and plenty down hill. Nothing  I couldn’t handle,  I guess. But glad to find my pension and get the pack off. This place is brand new. The double bed is the most comfy I have had. I  washed all my clothes as  weather warming up the sweat is coming back. After a really nice shower, I relaxed. Later, I met up with my American friends for a drink, and we had an awesome meal. Garlic prawns, and a big steak and chips. No vino or dessert. A first I think. I caught up with a few other pilgrims, ex copper David and his siblings, Adrian, the dutchie, my new friend Father Jack, and others. As I was making my way back to the pension, a French pilgrim said he was impressed the way I handle myself whilst walking. I hugged and thanked him. Nice feedback. It’s almost nine in the evening,and sitting in a bar outside is just divine. The sky is blue and the sun is still beaming. And no shortage of people.

I caught up with Helen and Mark, and like me, we were knackered. Not only because of today, but it’s now been thirty odd days of busting your arce through hell and back. I’m definitely not complaining, it’s been very rewarding and very satisfying. I could see Helen was ready for a good night’s sleep. After a couple of drinks, they headed back to their patch and me back to mine. It’s almost nine pm. Crickey, time most pilgrims are snoring and farting. But I’m not ready to go to sleep. It’s on dusk and the locals are out and about, so I stop at a patisserie have some grub and another beer. I then stop at one of the dozen or so more bars that are rocking with plenty of punters and have a cup of tea and some cheese cake. It’s now ten pm and I think I should walk the kilometre back and get to bed to prepare myself for tomorrow’s walk. I slept well. As I leave my hostal,after a nice hot shower, there are heavy clouds,but not icy cold like it has been. Leaving Sarria I don’t see many pilgrims,until I get outside the town area. Holyy shit!!wall to wall day packs on backs. Looks more like the boxing day sales at a major shopping centre than the camino. Swarms of them like flies gathering around cow shit. So, I’m out of here. As I was climbing, I kept getting past a swarm before the next swarm. Then I thought, what the heck, as I settled into my walk. Apart from some country roads, a lot also on natural paths. On occasions rain started, but only lasting a minute. So no need for poncho. The wind however, did keep temperatures down. After ten kilometres I saw the first cafe for the day, and decided to walk by. Mark spotted me amongst the aliens 👽 🤣, so I went in to tell him that I didn’t like this cafe, he agreed when he found out you could only buy coffee from a vending machine. Helen, Mark and I left there and stopped at the next cafe, about four kilometres on. A much better cafe, but it took a while to get served. That is how our camino will end, so get used to it. On the afternoon run into Portomarin, we did chat with american sisters Karen and Donna, sunshine coast sisters Christene and Jane, mother and daughter Vicki and Sophie, also from Australia, and some others. Also the way did seem to thin out a lot. I guess it will be much the same over the next few days. The many vendors set up along the trail are selling much merchandise as you would see at a football game.

Last night, the sun was warm, so I enjoyed a couple of beers in an outside area, with a retired victorian copper doing the camino with his brother and two sisters. I also had dinner with them. I had cabbage soup, salmon and chips, and a beautiful Neapolitan ice cream. A couple of wines and ready for bed. This morning I saw Helen and Mark while I was filling my flask but they left before me. The way today was under ninteen kilometres going by way of the road, or twenty six taking the alternate route, which was mainly on natural paths and wooded with the sun filtering through. This way also had lots of streams and waterfalls. It was absolutely delightful. I took my time and walked the first half with two aussie sisters from the sunshine coast of Queensland. When we reached the halfway point, there was a village wrapped around an old monastery. The girls decided on the cafe. I decided to sit by the river bathed in sunshine and enjoy my take away baguette,of ham and cheese and flask of tea. A couple of camino moments occurred this morning. Yesterday whilst walking with Helen and Mark, I found a camino shell. The shell is your pilgrim’s badge, and believe me we carry them with pride. Mark recognised the pilgrims a hundred metres in front of us as two australians he had spoken with earlier and thought maybe one of them might have lost theirs. I didn’t realise that the ladies I was walking with this morning were the same ones. However, as I was walking behind Christene,I noticed the shell on her pack looked similar to the one I found. Then the penny dropped. I turned around to Jane and said, by the way, you haven’t lost your shell have you?she said she was quite upset as the string holding hers had  frayed, and she had lost hers. She was absolutely over the moon when I told her I picked it up and I had it in my possession. Then as we were walking, I picked up a lady’s glove. For the next hour, every woman I passed, I asked if they had lost a glove. Well again, I found the owner who also was over the moon when reunited with her glove. I too felt good for being able to find the owners to these items. I can’t understand why pilgrims walk past things dropped on the ground, as over all my caminos, I have found a number of things and been able to find the owners by just keep on asking. I then joined up with Bill from Las vegas, who served for the police force there for twenty five years. He now works as a private investigator, and told me some interesting stories. Sorry, me no tell.I was quite tired, but really satisfied with the way my day went today. A perfect day before the last one hundred. Mark has just contacted me. They are about fifteen minutes from where I am,so we’ll meet half way. I’m starving, look forward to some good tucker tonight 😋

Last night, it was pleasant sitting around the fireplace in the albergue bar and having drinks with pilgrims I had not met before. Normally, you can’t get anything to eat before seven thirty, even eight o’clock in some places. Not here, food available all day, and going off at eight pm. There was no pilgrims dinner, just pub food. That was ok. A popular meal was currouzo sausage, with chips and fried eggs. And bread of course. I had that . Tasted good and washed down with the local vino 🍷, couldn’t ask for anything better. After dinner, we kept chatting, till slowly there were no more pilgrims left in the bar. By the time I went to bed, the room had seven occupants. Four women and three blokes. When I woke in the middle of the night to go to the toilet, there was some fine snoring going on by both sexes. Equality here. Funny how everyone denied being the snorer in the morning. As I left for the final ascent, the mist and cloud was heavy, but as they came and went, and the air was freezing, the views back over the valley were sensational. When I reached O Cebreiro, I was shocked. This beautiful human rural settlement on top of a mountain, from medieval times,  was swarming with tourists/pretend pilgrims. Dressed like eskimos,waiting to board the tourist buses. No one was walking, too cold. There were so many, I didn’t think I could get past,so I screamed, as loud as I could through the mist BEUN CAMINO. It was like the parting of the water as I barged through, with all these quiet replies of beun camino. I felt good. The ascent was not as hard as I remember, and the track was fast. Then after Cebreiro, although a down hill descent, there were still a few sharp ascents. I caught up with Helen and Mark after about eight ks at a nice cafe that served very nice potato tortilla and hot sachet chocolate. The rain mainly stayed away, but the misty rain was enough to pull on the poncho on probably four occasions. At one point, we chose the alternative route as it took you away from the road. Not that the road was any problem. We also walked amongst the cows that were moving from one paddock to another. Only one hundred and forty kilometres to go. We will need to adjust to the thousands of pilgrims that only walk the last one hundred kilometres, as it will be very busy.

The late afternoon/evening sun was nice to be sharing with Mark and Helen having a quiet beer waiting for a seven thirty dinner. There was Amelia, the two poms, sisters from the States, Karen and Donna and two other lady pilgrims, and of course our hosts Susie, an ex pat from Australia and her Spanish husband,and me. The wine started flowing straight away.  The first course, a very nice pink rose with soup. Second course, a rice and vegetable dish,followed by a yoghurt and coconut milk mixture. Gorgeous home made food washed down with lots of red. We all had to get up,say our name and reason the camino brought us here. Always very heartening stories. I finished with a cup of tea and stacked many thousands of zzzzz s. This morning, like most, I laid in till seven.I don’t normally eat breakfast till later in the morning, but sat down to cereal, yoghurt, toast and VEGEMITE, you little ripper,and a cuppa. After putting my pack together, I filled my trusty flask and walked out at eight thirty , the latest I have ever left. The first ten ks was slowly ascending towards the highest point in Galicia and a close second to the highest point of the camino. Many ks were along a road, but only very little traffic. Lots of streams running beside the trail made for pleasant noise. Also the bells around the cows necks clanging,  as they peacefully munched on the grass was also soothing. Way up in the sky, you could see the motor way. From up there looking down, you could imagine being in an aeroplane. I did chat and see pilgrims I hadn’t seen for a while, including Bill from Las vegas, a lovely guy. After a stop at a cafe,I joined up with Helen and Mark for an assault up towards the top. Now away from the road, a muddy terrain straight up. I had to grab a horse’s lead and hand him back to its rider as he was descending. I would gladly have bought this fine looking animal saddled and ready to mount. We finally made it through a couple of villages and I thought I must be getting close to my albergue. Then all of a sudden, a farmer moved his cows from a barn onto the road and about one hundred metres into a paddock. It was a lovely sight and Bill like the rest of us enjoyed this experience. As we started climbing again, I felt I didn’t have much further to go and could only see mountain ahead. I yelled to Mark and he said they only had a mile and a half to the top. I then realised I had done it again. The excitement of the cows,especially when the bull was mounting one of his girls, I again had walked past. I headed back down, thankfully, only three hundred metres and checked into another lovely albergue. As I write, there are seven beds, but only four occupied. Just got my washing in and placed it over the heater, as even with sunshine, I don’t think it would be more than five degrees. It will be icy tomorrow,doing the last bit into O Cebreiro. On one of the camino forums, a pilgrim has placed photos of the Pyrenees, and it’s snowing. Four weeks ago,when I was there, it was a heatwave. Crazy weather in Spain. I’ve always wondered why there are so many dilapidated houses left to collapse in so many of these lovely old villages. The people here are friendly and make the pilgrims most welcome. Last night, Susie, our Australian host revealed in her story after walking three caminos,she wanted to leave Australia and be part of the camino. It took her two years to purchase this old barn, and then another two to realise her dream. Then she met her Romeo, and now they are living their dream. Many people try to purchase these properties but give up and throw it into the too hard basket. Why?I ask, this is farming country. Dairy and or cropping. Yesteryear, every body had five to ten kids to help run the farm. It was a way of life. Then enter automation. Namely, the tractor. Kids then became obsolete and left for the city. When mum and dad died,the house was left to the kids. But they have moved on. They are all on the deed, but probably like my family, live all over the place and not necessarily in contact with each other any more. So to buy, you need to find and contact all stakeholders before negotiations begin. Not an easy task.

After a shower, wash my jocks, as I can’t keep turning them inside out and same goes for my singlet, I relaxed, and then went for a walk. Met a couple of pilgrims I’ve been saying hi to and enjoyed a bèer. William from Germany, and Adrian from Holland. I’m starting to wonder if there is any one left in Holland to turn the lights off tonight. Inge is on her way back,that will be her job. I  then entered the beautiful church, and said a prayer for our grandson Teddy. Ended the evening having a beer with Helen and Mark, and Mark and I had a kebab wrapped in pita bread before calling it a night,as we couldn’t find a restaurant. This morning, the jungle telegram said rain.I left with Helen and Mark, Poncho within reach.Stopped at cafe, filled my flask while they had a hot drink. Mark took off his wet weather gear, and we started walking. Five minutes later,it started to spit with a freezing fresh wind. Mark quickly changed his mind and resorted back to his wet weather gear. I kept walking as I  chose the flatter route following the road. Mark and Helen were taking the alternative route, up and down the mountains. I would liked to have joined them, but my knee is still dicky and I didn’t want to chance my luck on the more scenic route. My climb would be enough for me today. Soon after leaving my pommy friends, I ran into Beth from Canada. Hadn’t seen her for a while. We came across a number of familiar faces, including Adrian and William, Tom and his family, and many others. We stopped at a cafe, and later when the sun arrived and the wind dropped a nice spot along the river. There were times that there were many vineyards, but that’s about how good the views were today. The road wasn’t too bad, traffic wasn’t that bad. I told Beth about the main and his donkey, and she hopes that she will come across him some time. After me telling her, we rounded a corner, and who is sitting there?the man. His donkey was also there, but he was standing. After more donkey photos and chatting to the man, we walked on.I thought by now I must be getting close to my albergue, and when Beth decided to use the facility at the last cafe before the edge of the village, I thought I would check Brierly’s book to see how much further I had to go. When I showed a local the name, she told me I had walked three hundred metres too far. Lucky Beth needed that pee, or I would have walked another couple of kilometres before checking. I said beun camino to Beth and walked back to where the donkey was. With all the excitement around the donkey, I didn’t bother to see the name of the albergue. Only ten beds in this beautiful old restored barn. The albergue owner, the nicest man you could meet. When he realised I was Australian,he played a great trick on me. He had hidden one of those tiny little tubs of Vegemite in my camino crededential. Absolutely amazing. I have no idea where he would have got it. He told me in his opinion, eating Vegemite, is like licking the tar on the road. I had a hot shower, rested on my bed and watched as other pilgrims arrived, including my two pommy friends. Tonight should be fun, as we share a pilgrim’s dinner in the albergue

This morning as I woke, my body felt like that donkey had kicked the shit out of me. A burning hot shower, followed by an icy cold shower, helped to invigorate me. Dressed, packed, I met with Inge at eight. As we walked towards Ponferada,we met an Almanian lady who lives in Italy. I also saw the donkey, and he had a silly grin on his face,suggesting he might have kicked me after all. As we chatted and walked slowly, it was the best start for me, on a reasonable track that was level. We reached Ponferada and Amanda,our new pilgrim friend stopped at a different cafe to Inge and I. A hot Spanish chocolate with bacon and scrambled egg on bread filled the gap  nicely. We then walked to the cathederal square and hugged for our good bye, as Inge was catching a bus to take her to the airport, as I continue on my camino. I hadn’t walked far when I caught up with Helen and Ian from Tasmania,who I met last night sitting at the next table. We walked together, trying to negotiate our way out of this city. I then chose to walk alone. Today was a mixed bag. Some city walking, some country roads, which were from a bygone era connecting small villages, heard many birds, including cuckoos, and seeing storks. The last few kilometres were reasonably flat and through vineyards. The albergue I ended up at this evening turns out to be the same as Helen and Mark. It’s a lovely place. I’m in a dorm room with four beds, and we have a nice bathroom to share. The weather today, didn’t warm up at all, but I am at six hundred metres, climbing to thirteen hundred tomorrow. Just praying the rain stays away. My Gayley, God bless her, is telling me to take more care of myself. Unfortunately I can’t control the camino,but I do have faith the camino will take care of me.

Woke up early and enjoyed a hot shower to prepare this dinosaur body for some more pain. My friend Zowie stuck his head out the window and said, looking good, my reply was pigs might fly. As he prepared his bike for take off, we said our good byes as we would never see each other again. I walked to the edge of the village under cloud, but not like it has been. Freezing cold, but maybe no rain. The first couple of ks pleasant. Then a huge climb. No complaints as still no rain. Then, you couldn’t see the clouds, I was in them. I didn’t stop at the first village, as that big climb in the freezing conditions would have made me sick had I eaten or had a drink. Besides, the climb kept going. It was at least five kilometres. The track was atrocious but manageable at this stage, however, some pilgrims taking to the road. I’d rather the track as vision was poor. The next chance for food was idyllic. An open air cafe under an awning which had a roaring fire going. I stopped here and caught up with Ollie and some other familiar faces. With a cup of my favourite thick chocolate and a tomato relish baguette, I was ready to tackle again. The next section was more down than up, but the track was deteriating more. I caught up with Helen and Mark at the next cafe, and we walked, or I tried to, steeply on a track that was near impossible to handle for the last ten ks. At this point I decided to put my knee brace on as my knee was starting to hurt. I also took a tablet. I didn’t know what I was in for, so I tried to prepare the best I could. The  mud, loose rocks, steepness, man a lot of the track had washed away.Could not have attempted this section had it been raining. Many pilgrims took a fall. With about two kilometres to go,I was starting to doubt whether I could get to the bottom. My knees were screaming, and my back was starting to go,and I could feel my body leaning to the right. Mark was concerned for my well-being and kept behind me reassuring me. At about one k to go, I took a fall as my legs now felt like jelly and I was starting to struggle. Mark offered to carry my pack,I don’t know how, as he had his own. He adjusted my straps as with all the swaying from side to side had loosened them. I staggered and finally the last few hundred metres became easier. When we reached the village, and it was an absolutely beautiful village, I was happy to see a bar. When I sat down, a dutchie, Gerard saw the pain in my eyes and handed me the beer he had just bought for himself. I took off my socks and shoes and singlet and we sat there and had beers for the next hour or two sucking in the beautiful sunshine on offer. We spoke about lots of things, and when football came up, he was blown away when I told him Johny Metgod is my cousin,as in his words, Johny Metgod is a football god and is his hero. By now, I’m starting to feel human again. Mark and Helen had found their accommodation, showered, and returned and went to explore this gorgeous village. As it turned out, Gerard was staying in the same hostal as me, and we were having trouble with the self check in system. Eventually, I got in to my room for a well deserved hot shower. As I was lazing on the bed, I got a message from a very dear friend Inge, who I met three years ago, on a different camino. She has been walking and going back to Holland on Friday. I am so proud to call her my friend as she took a bus to come here to catch up with me. I gave her a big hug and we joined Helen and Mark for dinner. I felt a  bit embarrassed, as straight after dinner, my body needed to get rest,and I headed back to my room, and can’t remember my head hitting the pillow. Tomorrow morning I will start late, as I will join Inge for breakfast.