Under the Milky Way 25: From Sarria to Portomarin (Keep Walking)

June 22, Thursday, Day 25, from Sarria to Portomarin, 22 km, starting to walk at 7:15am. 

It seemed to be another easy day today. “Flat out!”
(the above two images: App screenshot from an App; Google Images) 

All the accretive arts and temptations – I could almost feel the impulse to buy something, yet better not, unless I wanted to haul it!  

 

Hooray – only 100 km left!! Let’s go!!

A bagpiper was playing an energizing tune, my fatigue evaporated. Magical music! I stood by the trailside, listened to the loud and continuous run of melodies, mesmerized… Forgot the time again – Oops! I didn’t have any euros with me, so dollars for tips would do, I suppose! 

Does this remind my fellow countrymen of the Yellow Plateau? I did. I thought of a song “On the High Hillside of the Yellow Earth”, in which it says – no matter which direction the wind comes from, there is always my cow with me…  Homesick…

2:30pm, I found a cafe for some coffee, and saw some creative and exquisite decorations in the house. I enjoyed them so much, and marveled at the artist’s talents and good intentions. Some American dollars for tips as encouragement and support! :-) 

What a narrow path！

Approaching the town. My bed for tonight would be on the other side of the Mino River (Rio Mino). With the water, bridge, hills, peace and the beautiful landscape in front of me, all I remembered was to take pictures, lots of them, forgetting the hunger, thirst, heat and sun-baking…

Portomarin stretches 115 square kilometers, with a population of 1763.
https://www.aznations.com/population/es/cities/portomarin

 

Cross the Mino River, hike up all the steps (of a 12th-century style bridge), and up another hill, then I should be really close to today’s bed/home. According to some online sources, this bridge was rebuilt, and the original one got flooded in the 1960s when constructing a reservoir. That sounded remotely familiar – about the three-Gorges! Of course, there was no comparison here. One shouldn’t.

Closer yet! The castle-like structure turned out to be a main Church in town – Church of San Juan of Portomarín.

Portraying the Pilgrims in history.

Arts can be so intriguing! How I love it！There had been so many temptations and distractions. I have definitely been super distractible. The time of the day, I was still out wandering… Should I have checked in and cleaned by now?!  

3:30pm. Arrived, finally!  This was where my “nest” would be for tonight! I must quickly clean up, then hunt for food… 

About 25 km today, and it took me more than 8 hours! Yikes!! 

After food and a brief tour around the city, L and I returned to our albergue, and saw that someone was teaching a tap-dance class on the street – it was too hot indoor, and not many people used A/C where I had been. I had always fascinated by tap-dance, and always loved to watch people perform it. I found myself moved about like a tap-dancing student. Silly me!  

Keyword:
Cherish the moment