What A Long Strange Trip It's Been

So today I got up and did the usual. I checked the coffee machine and they had a button for tea, so I pushed it. Seemed like the logical thing to do. It produced a cup of hot water. Not exactly tea, but no problem. I had bough some tea bags before I left Sarría. So I ha a cup of tea and half an apple for breakfast. I cut the apple and the lemon, to add to my medicine, with my little tiny two inch knife. Maybe I'm exaggerating. It might even be 2.5 or 3 inches. Here is a picture next to my finger for reference. 

It has been with me on every Camino. It has come in handy many times. It has a nail file, scissors, knife, screwdriver, tweezers, and toothpick. Sometimes it feels a little silly to be sawing off a piece of bread or cheese, or sawin a lemon in half. But hey, it works and it hardly weighs anything. One of the things I love about the Camino is that it forces me to make do with what I have. Or to rely on the kindness of strangers. 

For instance, today I needed more apples, bananas, a lemon, and rice. All for my prescribed cure by the doctor. There weren't any supermercado a on the route I took which bypassed Portomarin.  I found the apples and bananas at little donativo stands outside people's houses, like this one;

Just a little make shift stand outside the gate with peanuts, nectarines, bananas, apples, and water. How thoughtful. This wasn't the only one. There were several today. They must realize how few stores and bars there are along here. 

I also went into this trinket shop that sold some food and asked if he had rice. He showed a package that would have too much weight to carry. I told I was sorry but it was too much weight. He asked me if I just wanted some to eat today. And I said,"Yes." He told me to wait a minute. I thought maybe he had another smaller package in the back. But no, he came out with about a cup of rice tied in a plastic bag. I asked him how much it cost and he said nothing. It really is amazing. 

By the time I reached the Albergue in Gonzar, I still didn't have a lemon for my medicine tomorrow. I asked the hospitalero where the nearest store was and he said it was back in Portomarin, which is a 14 km walk there and back on foot. So I went next door to this little bar and told the woman at the counter that I needed a lemon for my medicine and could she possibly sell me one. She went in the back and talked to some guy and came out with a lemon for fifty cents. 

I did finally trip and fall. It happened this morning walking out of the Albergue in the dark right before sunlight and I Tripp over a tile lip about three inches tall. I went down on both knees and both hands.  There were several people standing around who gasped when it happen. How embarrassing. I'd rather do these things when no one is around and just roll around on the ground until I can get myself upright. One of the bicicleta guys helped me up which is no easy task when you're pulling me and a twelve pound pack. 

Once I was right side up I thanked everyone a took off. I walked the rough rocky road in the dark without another incident. There were some lovely morning shots. 

It is unusually hot in Galicia right now. It's 8 pm and it is 36 C or 97 F. I thought it was hot today. Guess I was right. I had my long sleeve shirt off by 9 am. I walked about 24 km or 15 miles from Barbadelo to Gonzar. I think I owe an apology to Galicia. I have been saying I wasn't going to walk from Sarría to Santiago because I've done it twice, there Ane two many people and the scenery isn't that great. I don't know what eyes I saw it through the first two times or what tricks my memory is playing, but the magic of the walk repeats itself over and over so far. 

They've changed the last part of the route to Portomarin. It used to come in on a side walk from the right of the bridge. It now comes in what can only be described as a very steep narrow watershed. It is more than a little dangerous. I did part of it on my back side and the other part fearing for my life. If you started to fal it would be very difficult to keep from tumbling or sliding for a ways. Even the young ones, who usually just fly over hazards, were a little freaked. There's another longer, which is the road the bicycles take. I think if I do it again that is the way I would go. 

The other change in Portomarin is tha the space under the bridge is full of water, with boats and swimming floats. The last time I stood on the bridge all I saw was a mudflat. But here it is today: 

I didn't go into Portomarin because I've stayed there twice and I still had 7 or 8 Km to walk to Gonzar. The walk from Portomarin to Gonzar was a long hard climb with early afternoon heat. I was getting very tired and running out of water. Then I found a stand selling water, and guess who was sitting there? It was Daniel and Mat and their friend from London, Susan. I thought They were a day ahead of me, because of my doctor visit. So I didn't think I would see them until Santiago. So that was delightful. 

I'll just finish this off with a couple of slug photos. This was a baby one I saw today. 

And I put my shoe next to this one to give you an idea of the size, of the slug, not my feet.