Day 11 - Fillobal to Sarria

Fillobal to Sarria 

Distance: 13 miles / 22 kms

Goal for the Day

Kind of a rest day. We took it easier with a slightly shorter hiking day.

Meaningful Moment

Linda and I downing a four-person pizza and a pitcher of sangria after an all-day hike. Kind of sloshed on the way back to the albergue.

Random Thought of the Day

I have hiked Andalucia, Extremadura, Castile y Leon and now I'm walking through Galicia. Pretty amazing experience.

On the Road

Started uneventfully. But soon after, horse riders passed us by.

You can see from the pictures just how beautiful Galicia is, but that contrasts with the dying nature of many of the small fam and ranch towns. Clearly modernization is taking its toll.

Sarria is the point for many pilgrims because it is the closest place from Santiago at which a pilgrim can start and still get credit for doing the Camino. It's legit but for those who have walked hundreds of kilometers, we wonder about the appropriateness.

Altho we wanted to explore Sarria a bit, it  was too much and we were too tired.
On the Camino today, we came across some people doing part of the trail on horseback.


The clouds of the Galacian mountains are below us.
The alternate route via San Xil




Prettier altho it involved more climbing and descending
Country church
Came across this guy
Not hiking
Some trails are harder



On the way into Sarria. It would have to be stairs ...




















Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 10 - Las Herrerias to Fillobal

Image
Las Herrerias to Fillobal Distance: 15 miles / 25 kms Goal for the Day Climb the 700 meters to O Cerebrieo, and possibly descend again Meaningful Moment The beautiful peaks and valleys of Galicia Random Thought of the Day Another wonderful picnic at 1300 metres alongside pre Roman hutches. On the Road Linda and I stayed at a private albergue last night. It was a bit more expensive but well worth it. We had a good night's sleep. We awoke to a beautiful day, got dressed and started our home. The challenge was that we immediately faced a700 meter, 2100 foot climb. It was exhilarating to challenge body and mind, but it was also physically demanding. I knew that I could do it, but at what cost. We started the climb around 8 and finished around noon. I was drenched in sweat, but I met the goal. Don't sell yourself short. Be realistic about your abilities and then go forward and onward. The rest of the day was about how far we would go. We had several options a
Read more

The Final Countdown

Image
Leaving on a jet plane  ... in seven days (next Saturday). -- This page will be updated on a daily basis. Training Accomplished Each Day 7/08 (Sat)     4.25 mile hike in lightly maintained trails. Four Mile Creek Park, Webster     2 hour hike around downtown (High Falls, Genesee River, Corn Hill Arts Fest) 7/09 (Sun)     11.5 mile ( 6 hr ) hike, circumnavigating Mendon Ponds Park with Zeke. 7/10 (Mon): Flow Yoga 7/11 (Tue): Weight training 7/12 (Wed): Weight training 7/13 (Thur): Grandkids for ice cream 7/14 (Fri): Dinner w/Mom & Sis 7/15 (Sat): Falcon Watching in the morn Meaningful Moment Reading  Linda's Blog  with awe and envy as she experiences the beauty of the Camino Frances. Random Thought of the Day I miss Linda and can't wait to join her on the Camino. Here it is the day before ... I am frustrated to get the journey underway. Every since June 26th, I have been marking time by training, working ... If not for the pleasantries of being with f
Read more

Day 8 - Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo

Image
Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo Distance: 15 miles / 25 kms Goal for the Day Nothing special for today. Just enjoy the moments as they come. Meaningful Moment Villafranca Town festival honoring the patron saint, Santiago. A 1 in 365 chance that we would be in this town on this day. Random Thought of the Day How nice cold water feels on tired, sore and aching feet On the Road After a great time in Ponferrada, we hit the road. It was a less interesting hike since there was a fair amount of roads, what with cars passing by and such. We did get some motivation when we passed a road sign telling us that it was only 220 km to Santiago. The coolest thing to happen was that we spent the night in a town that had St James as as the patron saint and it was the day to honor him. Linda and I made our way to the church for the procession and then the mass. At the end the priest invited all pilgrims up for a blessing. Linda and I cooked or first albergue meal of pasta, zu
Read more