October 5: Bubble bursting

We were braced for the greater crowds from Sarria, but, even so, today was a shock.

Breakfast was rammed. We perched in the bar for a coffee. It was the best we could do. Much of the breakfast crowd was an Italian group, gaily decked out in matching maroon wind breakers. They were a, friendly, animated bunch and seemed to be having fun. A second cohort, in royal blue fleeces, was a church group from Seattle. I can’t say that they were having less fun, but there was fewer noise and considerably fewer smiles from them, quite possibly due to jet lag.

We let them all leave well before heading out. Even so, we, courteously, threaded our way through them for the couple of hours. We said “Buen Camino” (pilgrim code for, “please let me through”) more often today than throughout the entirety of the trip so far.

We met a few other “long timers” at the end of the stage. We are all reeling from the number of people, and the noise. No gentle reintegration back into society for us: definitely a “rip the band-aid off” experience!

Our decision NOT to chase a Camino certificate came into its own. By obtaining one (now two) stamps each day along the trail, you can present yourself to the Camino office in Santiago for a Certificate of Completion. For me, this always seems to “lean in” to the kind of “badge earning” I need to put down. So, I have always consciously declined. Each station we passed today, (six in total), had a queue of pilgrims, in their dozens. It is a big part of the experience for many. The passport/certificate is a meaningful souvenir. We were quite happy to skip the lines.

Something about the crowd lit a fire under us. We knocked out the 22km, 500m climb in 4 hours. We arrived in Portomarin just as the restaurants were opening for lunch. We climbed high(er) up the hill, to the top of the town, and enjoyed a delicious meal with a largely local clientele. We lingered, enjoying a fresh-cooked and generous meal in a bustling, but not swamped, dining room. By the time we strolled back down to the bridge, the main albergues, hostels, were humming with walkers. Most of our day was done, and on our own terms.

The day started cold and foggy, but the sun was strong. The light effects, as the sun rose and the fog and dew boiled off the fields were extraordinary. White whisps rose up like spirits between the glittering dew, still clinging to the grasses, and the bluing sky. The sun, slanting through the shedding trees, created dramatic sparkles, slicing rays, golden dapples. The photos can’t do it justice, but we tried (See Week 5 Album).

It was a bittersweet day. As we cruised uphill, we really felt our stamina and sinews. We also began accepting this experience is ending. The Camino “bubble” is bursting, but, also, we will soon be home.