PORTOMARIN – A CALZADA
There are several features of the Galicia which stand out. One is the greenness of the fields and grass, it is verdant and lush. Two, the small villages are unlike other Spanish villages in that they lack the play park and outside gym. Three, the forests are vast, mostly coniferous, but also eucalyptus, the scents of both are clean and fresh. Four, the locals are not as friendly as previous sections of the Camino, they only say Buenos Dias if we say it first. Five, small elderly women wearing headscarves and aprons work diligently and enthusiastically outside their properties with rakes, picks and secateurs preparing for winter. Six, the houses are large detached affairs with neatly kept gardens including vegetable gardens and a small paddock for sheep. Seven, farming is mixed, cattle and sheep in fields, but the pigs and chickens are still kept inside 😢Eight, the largest mushrooms grow here. Nine, large aggressive dogs guard the properties and run out to bare their teeth as you cycle past, and they bark all night too. Ten, it rains a lot!
But the most noticeable difference along the Camino in Galicia are the numbers of pilgrims walking towards Santiago. In order to qualify for your Compostela certificate you have to complete at least 100km (60 miles) of the Camino. This means a lot of pilgrims start at Sarria which is just over 100km from The cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
These newbie pilgrims seem to be younger than those who walk or cycle the whole 800km (500 miles) from the Pyrenees, possibly due to having shorter holidays, or not wanting to commit to the epic without dipping their toes in first?
Anyhow, there are so many, even at the beginning of November, that they can surely only see the line of humans in front of them, crawling along with large backpacks and brightly coloured rainwear.
