Day 12 Portomarin to Palas de Rei

Portomarin to Palas de Rei - Friday 8 June -25Km

"On all the peaks, lies peace" Goethe   
 "Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible" Dalai Lama

I think that the Galician weather report should read "If it's not raining now, it probably was not long ago, or will be sure to do so sometime soon" !

Started off overcast but dry today, rain from 11.30 till 12.00, then again at 2pm, but was at the hotel soon after that. A steep incline for about five kilometres out of Portomarin, then walking through rolling farmland to Palas de Rei, about 26 Km away. 
Walked with Abbey again for a while today, and we were joined by two other young women. Those three are at the front of this group, and the two immediately behind them are Joss and Mary Jo, who stayed at Villavente on my first night, so it was good to see them again.


At a small plain chapel beside a tiny village out in the country, the door was open and I was about to go in. Someone came out and quietly told me that there was a man in there stamping pilgrim passports, but he was completely blind. He liked to do the stamping himself, so people needed to guide his hand so that the stamp went in the right place. I saw that there were donations on the table, so put one there. He thanked me, then reached over and held my hand so I didn't move away, while he reached in to a container beside him, and then  gave me a  Mary Magladene prayer card. 

The minder of the St Mary Magdalene chape

One of my favourite Camino photos

I must tell you about some of the determined, but challenged, pilgrims who are also walking this Camino....... 
An older American man who is completely blind is being accompanied by his adult daughter, who talks to him the whole time, describing what she is seeing. 

There is a woman about early 50s who has quite advanced multiple sclerosis, and can only proceed slowly, with the loving support of her husband's strong arm.

I was talking with a French lady Lisette, one day.  I asked whether she was by herself, and she said no, she is now one of a Camino family of five. She started travelling with her husband. One day they came upon a German woman who had no English or Spanish so had been having difficulty communicating and was feeling very lonely and isolated. To the point where she was about to give up and go home. Lisette could speak some German, and Gerda had a little French. Coincidentally, that same day, Lisette's husband, Jules, had met a Japanese girl who was also by herself. The four of them had lunch together, and were joined by another Frenchman. The five of them decided on their destination and arranged to stay at the same albergue. So they had been looking out for one another in the week since, and staying in the same places.

Lovely outlook from my hotel room at Palas de Rei

A pleasant day, but my legs thought they had done enough and a long hot shower mid afternoon was very welcome.
To bed soon. 27Km day tomorrow.

Today's Gratitude Item:

All the beautiful trees we are seeing with their fresh spring leaves. Some of the larger older ones provide shelter along the way. Amazing that they have all started from one tiny seed, with the characteristics of their DNA determining what species they are, whether or not they will bear fruit or berries, and how tall they will grow.

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