Tag 31 - Barbadelo nach Gonzar

A month ago today, on April 14, I set off from Saint Jean Pied de Port. Time flies here. It is impossible to share everything you experience here and to have all your impressions ready. I took several thousand pictures here alone. Everything is unbelievable. Somehow all the memories are so present when you talk about them, as if they had just happened, and yet so unbelievably much has happened in that time....
Luckily, the day starts a little earlier than yesterday. When I go to the hostel for breakfast, I can hardly believe my eyes. It is completely overcrowded and there are masses of people moving along the path, even though it is raining...
It turns out that the last stages have begun and since Sarria, where I only had a quick meal yesterday, many more people are on their way to receive the Compostela in Santiago.
There is hardly a moment where I can be on the trail without other people. Only when it is pouring really heavily do some people stop under trees or roofs and then I have a few moments of peace. The hood often limited my view so that I didn't even notice how many people were really around me.
But the weather is completely crazy today. Jacket on, jacket off. Poncho on, poncho off again. Shorts or rain pants. Combinations of everything. Sometimes too warm, sometimes too cold. Suddenly pouring rain in the sun. After every change of clothing there was another change in the weather. From start to finish today.
The route was very scenic and varied. It went over fields, through forests, small villages, narrow paths and roads. It really had everything. As well as uphill and downhill sections. I also met Javier, who is doing the Camino from Sarria with his dog Balu and camps everywhere.
Shortly before Portomarin, the route split into three. There was a route for cyclists, where it was already pointed out that the following walking route was demanding and dangerous. After a few hundred meters there was another warning and another alternative route for less confident pilgrims.
I took the normal route. It became very rocky and steep towards the end and there were a lot of traffic jams because, of course, very unsure hikers had also taken this route. For all the very experienced pilgrims, especially those with walking sticks, the route was challenging but manageable without any problems.
I took a short break in Portomarin before continuing through forests and fields, sometimes in rain and sometimes in sunshine. By now I didn't feel like constantly putting everything on and taking it off, so I went in shorts with an open jacket and an open poncho over it, and when it was raining or windy I just zipped up the jacket. It was sometimes much too warm, or when it was raining, too cold on my legs. But the weather really did what it wanted today.
My hostel today is in Gonzar. A small place that has nothing to offer, but the hostel is modern, clean and everything works perfectly.
Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be similar to today. So anything is possible, anything will happen and you can't prepare for anything.
Cost of the day:
Accommodation 14€ Breakfast 5€ Meals on the way 7€ Dinner 14€