We walked across the bridge from our Hotel & immediately started along the Camino on Day 4. In the older part of Sarria (we'd been staying in the newer part), we came across signs for hostelries that had been offering pilgrims lodging for hundreds of years.
We crossed ancient Roman built bridges...
...walked alongside modern railway lines...
...crossed more bridges ...albeit NOT of Roman origin...
...through mist that we wondered if it was really FOG...
...and through 'corredoiras', Galician forest trails past hundreds of oak trees...
...through quaint hamlets with stone built buildings & farms bordered by ancient, moss clad dry stone walls. One of the farms even had, of all things, an OSTRICH in one of its fields!!!!!! On the camino went...
When the marker indicated that we had 100km to go before reaching Santiago, we had a sense of jubilation...even though we had walked such a pittance compared to the authentic 'pelegrinos'.
After our 14km walk we were very happy to let the bus take us to Portomarin for lunch. This town was originally located at a lower level, closer to the river...but then a terrible flood came & completely destroyed the village. They had to rebuild on higher ground. As I understood it, the only building to have every block of the original building located, numbered & hefted up to the higher level to be reconstructed...was this church! Sadly, it wasn't open for us to go inside & take a look, but what an amazing story, feat & commitment!
That night, we stayed in Melide, with it's 10century cross. It had been another great day, & we again appreciated walking in the morning rather than the afternoon. Today, I really felt I was getting into a pleasant rythmn of walking & enjoyed companionable silences, not necessarily to think or contemplate....just to 'be'. It gave me a great sense of well being...enough so to enjoy a glass of Tinto con Limonata ( local red wine spritzer...very refreshing!) before dinner at the local pub!
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