Day 16 - 10.07.2020

 I forgot to tell you a story yesterday, after leaving Samos, walking full of boredom but still admiring the beautiful oak and chestnut forests, at one point we met a pilgrim who was returning from Santiago on foot.

Among other things, I related with the lady when I was able to sympathize with her feelings during the pandemic. I had a deja-vu and it was as if I went back in time 8 years ago, a few months after my accident, when it had been months since I had seen the sun's rays, except through the window.

Maybe you remember those who read my "story", at that time I lived with my family in an apartment, on the 2nd floor without an elevator, so if I wanted to go out I needed a real adventure. This is probably why I missed being on the go, but also my stubbornness to motivate other people to travel, even if at first with fear or shame, but then I can guarantee that it is worth it.

Let's go back to our story, everything goes smoothly until we reach the albergue in Portomarin, when we want to take up quarters, we notice that we do not have any identity documents. Crazily, we unpacked our bags to look for them as we didn't understand how or where we could lose them, because we always kept them in our fanny pack, and the other things were all in place. Scrolling through the previous day, we realize that the last place we used them was at the pension`s reception in Sarria. We check to see if they're there, and the gentleman on the phone tells us he forgot to take them out of the scanner and return them to us. The gentleman offered to send them to us in a taxi, so that we don't have to go back after them, our forgetfulness cost us 25 euros.

Being the only pilgrims in the hostel again, the owner lets us use the kitchen, make our own food and coffee, even use the cutlery and plates in the albergue. The owner of the albergue tells us that every day at 7 pm there is a service for pilgrims at the church of St. Nicholas. To our surprise, about 30 people gather at the church, the priests were very nice and at the end of the service, they stopped to talk only to us.

A pleasant sensation warms your heart, being a stranger thousands of miles away from home, when someone tells you that you are a person with a gift and a special mission.

We didn't expect that. 

Everything is divine.

Day 15 - 09.07.2020

From Fonfria to Triacastela there is a continuous descent, as we started on the road quite early and the fog and low temperatures are tiring, the wind in front makes the descent even more unpleasant. We didn't really recover after the previous day and we don't feel like talking.

Arriving at Triacastela we stop for a coffee. We are in a real dilemma, where to go? Through San Xil, a shorter road in the valley or through Samos with 7.2 km longer? We choose to go through Samos to visit the famous monastery, a beautiful road with impressive oak and chestnut forests on both sides of the river Oribio (Sarria).

In Samos we are looking for the monastery, mentioned above, dedicated to San Julian founded in the sixth century, which unfortunately is closed under the given conditions, we barely manage to stamp our credential. After we leave the small town, I can barely move my arms, which puts Vasi to an extra effort. 

With great effort we arrive in Saria, we take accommodation at a boarding house, because no one answered the phone at the hostel. We weren't very inspired because the bathroom was very small, and it was impossible for me to go to the toilet or take a shower.

 

We rest the rest of the day without worries, we know that the albergues will be open. We didn't even think much about tomorrow, but in order to not get bored, life gets us in a little hassle tomorrow, which we could have avoided today.