17. Etappe Teil 2 nach Portomarín

After Sarria we went out into the countryside again with many other pilgrims. There were also a few larger groups there. Every now and then I chatted with a few people, but I usually picked up speed after a while. I think running pace plays an important role. That's one of the reasons why I wanted to do the Way of St. James alone. I find it exhausting to adapt to others, be it too quickly or too slowly. Funnily enough, I have an experience of what happened. Normally I overtake people, but suddenly 2.3 people overtook me and I wondered if my strength was dwindling. Then a girl came racing past. And with a literal sense. She didn't say anything and seemed a bit fucked up. But then I got ambitious and chased after her, so I increased my running pace slightly. The fact that she was slower than me downhill also played into my hands. So we walked 5-15 meters away for an hour and overtook many pilgrims. But while people greeted people in a friendly manner, they mostly just walked past, sometimes in places that were very narrow. And then I thought about how you affect others. Others can see me the same way they do. As she passed one, he said something in German. When I passed, I talked to him briefly and he said that you can also walk the path slowly. She also didn't take any photos and drank while walking. She then looked for a bar and then I overtook her. And immediately I walked a little slower again. I have to say, before that the pace was definitely too fast for me, so I couldn't really enjoy nature, but it spurred me on and somehow I instinctively always try to overtake people. It's probably a quirk of mine. Anyway, a short while later I took a break in the sun to take off my jacket and relax. Five minutes later she came rushing by. The experience showed me that I have to enjoy and savor the journey even more, especially when you realize that I only have 95 kilometers left. Life is not a race. As the saying goes, “The journey is the destination”. So I continued walking relaxed afterwards and chatted with a few people. I met a couple from America who are doing the Camino de Santiago for the second time. It's fascinating that people have to travel such a long way to go. It kept going through smaller towns and then we went one last bit down to the road. The section went steeply downhill and was of course muddy and damp again. But I mastered the path with careful steps and came to the street below, where you could already see Portomarín. We then went over the bridge into the town. Although the book described it as very lively, it felt like the city was deserted as I spotted a few people here and there. But of course it's siesta time again, which you have to take into account. So I got to my accommodation in PortoSantiago and I have to say, for 15€ it really has hotel character. I'm in a 4-bed room and have a single bed. There's this oblong blanket on the bottom of the bed, which I always wonder what it's supposed to do other than look nice, which in my opinion it doesn't. Everything was spotlessly clean. Towel, soap and blankets. There is a patio for sunbathing and a kitchen. What more could you want? After the shower I relaxed for a moment and then went shopping and planned the next stage. Luckily the supermarket was less than 100 meters away. I already got the standard baguette and cheese for myself. For me the easiest meal on the Camino. So cut up the baguette, put tomato sauce on it and then cheese and then briefly put it in the microwave. Quick to make and always delicious. I prepared my food and then ate it. Then Beth, my bedmate, came into the kitchen and we chatted for an hour. She also walks the Camino Frances, but has been on the road since mid-October. She comes from America and then visits relatives in Hamburg. It was a really stimulating conversation and another opportunity to practice my English. She told me that my English is very good, but I feel very insecure. But only practice helps. Afterwards I booked accommodation in Melide for tomorrow and relaxed in bed. Really comfortable with the right duvet and nice and warm. So I'll go to bed straight away, as there's another long stage tomorrow.