Our inn keeper kindly drove us from the valley depths of the casa rural back to the Camino this morning. We were very, very happy as a 3 km uphill in the rain was not appealing. Our walk did continue in fairly easy ups and downs. Galacia is a land cloaked in the greens of pine, birch, oak, chestnut and eucalyptus forests, opening onto grassland where the healthiest looking cows graze contentedly. This pastoral walk would be incredibly calming, however, the weather was like a blustery, wet March day on Vancouver Island. We were calmly trying to keep dryish and warm😊
Today a very nice fellow pilgrim from Wisconsin joined us for the final few kms. We walk the same pace so our paths have crossed before. However, today’s farewells were final as he is continuing on without rest days. Such are encounters on the Camino— moments shared with spiritual understanding and concern.
On one stretch we heard someone calling out, “Canada, Canada!” It turned out to be a couple from Russia who had seen the little Maple Leaf on our packs. They wanted to share that they had visited Vancouver and Calgary and loved Canada because it reminded them of Siberia! We were not sure how to respond.😊
We were passing through one of the ” forgotten” villages when we came upon an abandoned stone chapel with wild flowers peeking out between the stones. It was so pretty, Rod stopped to take a photo. All the while, an elderly villager who happened by, watched us. After we left we saw him standing gazing in bewilderment at the ruined chapel, wondering what we could have seen to photograph…….
Walking into the valley where Triacastela is situated was like coming through a tunnel of green as the tree boughs overlapped above us. Triacadtela translates to “three castles” but it seems they have all been victims of time
and disappeared.
Our casa rural is once again very rural— we met the inn keeper at a local restaurant and he drove us to the casa. Although dressed for the weather, we were cold and damp, but thankful that the forecast drenching did not occur. The casa is a large stone building, once a grand manor house. The heat was not yet on……Brrr.
It was good to see a Spanish couple there who had shared our last chilly casa rural. They spoke a little English and had visited Vancouver. They, like many working Europeans try to walk the Camino in small sections each year. It is their annual spiritual renewal.