It was pouring rain in Portomarin as we started our 15 mile trek to Palas de Rei. We donned our rain gear and departed the city, crossing the river and reservoir, back into forests and country. We were back on the Camino for our 27th day of walking, a little cold, but looking forward to what the day would offer.
The Camino became very busy again with motor coach tourists walking about 2 hours, getting a taste of the trail, then getting picked back up. Prior to Sarria it was never difficult finding a place to stop for restroom breaks or coffee, but the first couple of hours today were a bit loaded with pilgrims and tourists.
We passed several pine forests and, surprisingly, eucalyptus and gum tree groves. The smell of gum trees in the light rain reminded me so much of Australia and floods of happy memories living there came rushing back. Like I’ve said before, the Camino can have lots of interesting surprises. We passed several old villages, making several stops along the way for snacks from friendly locals.
Jeff and I met a lovely Australian girl today named Katie. We enjoyed seeing her and speaking with her. She has good energy and a beautiful spirit. We shared a few Camino stories with each other before she found her albergue and we said goodbye. It’s interesting how you meet some pilgrims and instantly like them. Although we’d only conversed about 30 minutes, it was great meeting a new friend.
About 5 minutes before arriving into Palas de Rei it started to rain. We got a bit soaked as we were searching for our hotel for the night, Hotel Casa Benilde. When we found the hotel we were dripping wet. The lobby was immaculate clean. We felt a little guilty walking into the pristine lobby dripping on their floor in our muddy shoes. We were then greeted so warmly by the two staff members of the front desk. One escorted us into the garage adjacent to the lobby, hung our wet coats and overpants to dry while the other checked us into our rooms. They then personally took us to our rooms where they had already placed our bags, showed us how everything works and then gave us tips about the town and showed us the best places to eat. The service was excellent. We quickly changed and went to the restaurant they recommended, Meson Froixa. The service and food were excellent and for only 9.5 euro we had an incredible hot dinner with wine. We couldn’t think of a better way to end our 27th day on the Camino, walking in the rain with such warmth and hospitality.
Rick's Camino de Santiago 