After a decent night´s sleep, we started off at about 7:30 this morning, destined for Portomarin, about 24 kms away. It was a beautiful sunny day and we very quickly shed our excess clothing. The walk was generally very pleasant and quite often on a shady pathway but on occasion it got muddy and we even had to walk along the bed of a fast flowing stream. The Camino went through a number of picturesque but smelly villages. We climbed from the first moment we started, decended and climbed again for the rest of the day until we finally had a great downhill to master. That has to be the hardest thing on our knees. The highlight of the day was crossing the 100 km marker which means we are now within a 5 day walk to Santiago. We are now in the village after doing our daily laundry and having our shower and it is pouring rain. The forecast seems to be more of the same for tomorrow. During the day while stopped for our usual cafe con leche, we met some people who had just started in Sarria. They were all full of vim and vigor but when we finally got to Portomarin around 2 p.m., they were nowhere to be seen.
Portomarin is on a river and as we entered the town today, we were faced with crossing the bridge over that river and, from afar, we could see a staircase leading up to the town, a very long and steep staircase. (remember, we had just made it down). You have no idea how discouraging that is when you have been walking for almost 6 hours, in mud, water, and more... Once at the top of the stairs, we were faced with a long steep hill leading us to the town itself.
We have not been to dinner as yet and we are not looking forward to having to make it back to our Albergue in this torrential rain. I hope tomorrow is not as bad as this. We´ll let you know next time we find an internet cafe.
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