Wednesday, March 28th

Portomarín - Palas de Rei

This morning, Conny wakes up with the words: "I dreamt that I miss the second day of hiking because I'm in the swimming pool. That was terrible!" She doesn't yet realize how much this sentence will accompany us today.

Today we start in Portomarín at 09:30, at kilometer stone 92.231. We leave Portomarín by crossing a bridge and then hike high above the city towards the west. We say goodbye to Portomarín, which shimmered so beautifully in the sun yesterday, under gray skies and 8C. Even though we sweat in our rain jackets when we climb the mountain and look down on Portomarín once again, we still joke about Conny's wet clothes. "Maybe a little bit like a swimming pool after all." The sky is getting darker and the conversations are getting fewer. Today we cover many kilometers along the road. We take a break at a bus stop around 12:00. When we're finished, the friendly welcome of the Camino is definitively over. It gets serious and starts raining steadily on us. Despite the proximity to the swimming pool, Conny is no longer in the mood for jokes. She is freezing, and quite a lot. So we all try to hurry. I think, despite all the haste we have now, the Camino still teaches me patience. Patience with my fellow travelers and their needs, but also patience with regard to our stage goal. Because no matter how much we hurry, we have to walk the path. Every step. There are no shortcuts, no alternatives. Every step must be taken, no matter how slow or fast.

Around 13:00 we enter a hostel. Every day we need two stamps in our pilgrim's passport, and we still lack the second one today.

We can stamp it ourselves in this hostel. Quickly make the stamps, no comforts, and definitely don't get warm.

Conny can handle it for another hour. Then she has to say goodbye to Mom and me. She walks the last section, it's just too cold and the rain doesn't stop.

Once again, the Camino teaches me patience, because actually, nothing could be further from my mentality than staying behind and "lagging behind". But I'm still far from letting my mom hike the last 6 kilometers alone.

The last hour and a half, the path becomes significantly more beautiful, we pass through small villages and are back on field and meadow paths.

At 15:20 we reach Palas de Rei and kilometer stone 68.408. Conny has been in the motorhome for about half an hour already. A warm shower and a strong coffee have reconciled her with the day. I could have walked a few more kilometers today, but I have the utmost respect for tomorrow and the strains of the last few days.

The realization today is: everyone walks their own Camino. But patience is always needed!

In the evening, the circle closes with the discovery that there is actually a swimming pool next to our motorhome. :)