To Vieli

DAVE:  we are entering the zone of the Partial Pilgrims! A lot of pilgrims start from Sarria to walk the last 100 kilometers to Santiago.  The "rule book" states that to get the Compostela or certificate from the church, you must walk at least 100 kilometers.  (The Credencial, with the crucial stamps obtained from the albergues, churches, and restaurants along the Way provide the only proof of the effort. DO NOT lose it!). Hence, many start from Sarria, which is a little over 100 kilometers from Santiago to make it an "official" effort to get the Compostela. 

We look at fellow pilgrims with a careful eye, these days. We check out their shoes, the type of pack they are usung, whether they smell or not (very important!), to determine if they are like us: pilgrims that started about 700 kilometers back in Saint Jean.  Maybe the new Partial Pilgrims look at us as rock stars!  Who knows. 

Everyone has their own Camino, even the Partial Pilgrims.  Likewise for the Tourist Pilgrim, the ones that travel on fancy buses, get dropped off at select staging points, walk several kilometers, then get back on the bus for the next staging point.  Yes, everyone has their own Camino.  Take for instance the sub-group of Lithuanians we nicknamed the Parade Pilgrims. These folks are a group of about 25 walking together, carrying a huge cross of Jesus (prone, not vertical), chanting religious verses, hoisting huge banners and flags. Trust me, you dont want to get caught behind the Parade.  I mean, if you want to pass them up, how do you pass Jesus on the cross? Do you wish Him "buen, Camino" as you pass? Is it a sin to pass him? What are the implications? Too stressful for us so we keep ahead of the Parade. 

Getting back to the Tourist Pilgrims, ther has been such an influx of these type of folks that apparently it is now required to get TWO stamps a day from Sarria to Santiago.  This new requirement is due to the chirch trying to crack down on the Tourist Pilgrims that travel on buses, stopping to get stamps, then traveling onward to Santiago to get their Compostela.  At any rate, I intend to get two stamps from here on out.

The walk today was another special day.  The weather was perfect with no clouds.  It was another chilly start from Triacastela with temps around 40 degrees.  The cold isn't that bad sinnce huffing up a hillside with a 24 pound pack on your back really heats you up in a hurry. Another day of walking along country roads winding along rolling hillsides of farmland.  

We passed little villages with tan-colored cattle kept in line with Australian Shepherd dogs.  One particular field had longhorn cattle with horns so large, they would be perfect for the hood of any '65 Cadillac from Dallas.

We arrived in Sarria for lunch and checked out the local crowd from our outdoor seating.

Yep, the new pilgrims are around.  They look (and smell) too good.  It will be crowded from here on out, I'm afraid. But another chance to meet new friends.  All is good for us.  Soon, the journey will end for us.  We are less than a week away from the end.

Buen Camino!