Day 18 to Day 21 - Pieros to Sarria

Mom and Dad have decided to match each kilometer that I'll walk by biking; they've accumulated over 200 kms so far, although I haven't actually calculated how many kms I've walked thus far in my journey. Very cool feeling to have this kind of support from home!  How cute are they??  xx

Day 18 - PIEROS to LA PORTELA 
(20 kms with stiff uphill and downhill)

A great view of cloud-shrouded Villafranca del Bierzo

Check out Villafranca's castle

What a slog uphill -- this awesome path through the mountains was called the Camino Duro -- ''The Hard Way''. There was a much easier but less beautiful option, following the flat highway down below. But guess which way I picked! The steep walk downhill gave me 4 new blisters and made my knees swell up like soufflés. Easily one of the Top 3 toughest days on the Camino.

Day 19 - LA PORTELA to O'CEBREIRO 

(18 kms with major altitude gain)

Last night, I finally got sick of the constant pain and ripped my toenail off!  It was just too much to handle every day, and I was surprised by how much less pain I was in when walking around without it! Yay!

Today marks the day that I arrive in a new area of Spain, a region called Galicia. This area has a Celtic past, which is felt in its heritage and heard in its folk music. Today, I'm walking with my two German girls, Julia and Meike, yay!

Coming up through Galicia, on my way to the town of O'Cebreiro. One of my German girls is climbing up the path. Such hard work and such a beautiful, hot day!

Almost there!

O'Cebreiro is the first village you encounter once you enter Galicia, and what a little village it is!  Perched over a high mountain pass, you get 360-degree views over its stunning surroundings. 

This ancient church in O'Cebreiro was founded in 836 and is supposedly the oldest church on the entire Camino. Due to the town's precarious position, it gets hit with nasty weather on a regular basis and so, to minimize damage, the church was built embedded into the ground, its base sunken down a few feet.

A typical Galician house called palloza, built hobbit-style with a thatched roof. There are a few of these stone igloos left in the town. The Galician people lived in these homes from 'Celtic' times -- 1,500 years ago -- right up until the 1960s.

Meike and Julia with the iron-stick pilgrim. We worked hard over the past few days to get here!

The thatched hut of the 'grocery' store, where we bought an excellent bottle of red wine for 1.80 euros, some much-needed chocolate and a ton of Compeeds (Europe's solution for blisters).

Say hello to my supper. Yep, pulpo (octopus) is Galicia's regional dish and I simply had to try it. As tasty (and chewy) as it was, I could not bring myself to eat the 2 curly tentacle ends. But I finished my plate like a big girl.

Awesome 360-degree sunset with Meike and Julia. My German girls. I have been nicknamed 'Little Hobbit' on account of my lack of height (relative to them), my curly hair and the fact that I'm constantly raiding the blackberry bushes along the trail.

O'Cebreiro sunset

Day 20 - O'CEBREIRO to TRIACASTELA (22 kms)

Wow. Setting off again before sunrise, catching the mountain tops peeking through the clouds.

Day 21 - TRIACASTELA to SARRIA (18 kms)

One thing I haven't been mentioning on my blog is the phenomenal amount of cow dung one must walk through on the Camino. It's not just trekking on the trails; nearly every village you encounter (every 6-7 kms) is a farming village, made up of countless barns and manure stockpiles. The smell is incredible. And you cannot avoid stepping in cow patties. You can try, but you will fail. In some cases, it's not clear whether it's a flattened cow patty or a stone from which the road is built. You just trek on through and make sure you don't slip.

Oh man. Today, I woke up with a giant head cold -- my eyes feel nearly swollen shut. Not a great time to be up and about, but I've got good company to distract me. Another good thing: with my nose clogged up, I can't smell the cow shit.

Day 22 - SARRIA to PORTOMARIN (24 kms)

Today, Julia, Meike & I start walking from Sarria, which is just over 100 kms from Santiago. The last stretch! I am feeling quite sick and having a hard time fitting my feet into my shoes, they are so swollen and blistered and taped up. As long as I keep infection away from my toenail-less toe, I'll be good.  Ultreia! (Onward!) 

Technically, in order to get your Pilgrim's Credential, you only need to walk from Sarria to Santiago and not actually do the entire Camino. This proximity to Santiago encourages busloads of tourists to walk only a few hours of the Camino before jumping back on again.... Cheesy souvenir stands line the roads.... A literal highway of bodies moving like ants along the trails... Being elbowed out of the way by schoolkids and tourists carrying tiny little, weightless daybags. Argh. Breathe in, stay calm, patience, namaste. Everyone must do the Camino in their own way. 

A sweet little shelter for pilgrims, thoughtfully put together by the farm owner. Note the fresh pears waiting to be eaten and the tacked-up note, inviting us to help ourselves and to rest our feet.  ; )

Arriving in Portomarin. You can see the old Roman bridge waaaay down below and the new bridge I had to cross on foot!  Oooooh, I did not like that.  It was HIGH!

Thanks for reading!