Camino a Santiago Day 29: Portomarín to Palas de Rei

Distance: 25.4K (15.84mi)

Elevation gain: 585m (1,919ft)

Duration: 6h 18m

Steps: 30,742

Calories: 1,770

Can you imagine standing in the middle of ruins that date back to 400BC…With only one other person for company?

That was, but a part of yet another extraordinary day on the Camino a Santiago, that included getting a Templar stamp from a blind man and a day out for vintage car owners.

On my 29th day. I sit here, writing in the backyard of Casa Blanco, my country home for the night. I have a glass of red for company, and there are cows from a nearby shed mooing in the background. It is quite idyllic.

I confess to be exhausted. Each day this week has gotten progressively harder. The weather is partly to blame. We went from 90’s and dry to 50’s and rainy in the blink of an eye. It’s been a bit of a shock to the system. Next time I embark on a six week trek, please remind me to pack my fleece and lightweight down jacket, even if it’s June in Spain. I’m a Chicagoan. I know better.

A few minutes into my walk I encountered Tom, a man from New Jersey I met at the hotel all the way back in Roncesvalles, at the end of day one of the Camino. I never saw him again after day two when he took my picture at the entrance to Zubiri, then helped me locate my bed and breakfast when my phone died. It’s crazy how these things happen. It’s almost like now that my journey is nearing an end all of the different story lines within it are coming full circle.

Leaving Portomarin today I once again encountered the crowds of the day before. It turns out a large group of students overnighted in the albergue that is attached to my hotel and they were getting ready to leave as I finished breakfast. I jetted out of there in order to get ahead of them and off I went.

The walk once again transpired through gorgeous forests. Galicia is truly stunning. Along with Basque Country and Navarra, it is undoubtedly among the most beautiful parts of the Camino Francés. It makes up for the crowds. After all, you can always get away from them if you make an effort. Today it didn’t take much of one.

About five miles into my day I reached the village of Castromaior. I knew to look for the ruins. I also knew from my guidebook they were not really marked. So I asked a local woman how to find them and off I went.

The ruins are but 150 feet—50 meters— off the Camino. From there I could see the streams of people walking right past them completely unaware. It felt so magical. Like I’d discovered some secret place. And yet….it’s not really secret right? After all, it’s in the guidebook. It was then I realized most people just blindly follow the yellow arrows, without any thought to leaving the established route.

There is a metaphor for life in there as well. Imagine what you could discover if only you deviated slightly from the prescribed way of doing things? Food for thought.

Accommodation: Casa Blanco is the place to stay. I should start by saying it’s not in Palas de Rei itself. The city itself has little personality. While it has a long history, most of it appears to have been rebuilt in recent decades. Casa Blanco is a few kilometers out of town and the owner will pick you up. It’s lovely, isolated and the property has been in the same family for several generations. It’s the perfect place to relax and unwind after a long day on the Camino. Their breakfast the next day was delicious with its homemade jams and cheese.

Lunch: Mesón a Forxa. Arriving here after hours, with not much else open, this place was packed when I arrived, and I had to wait about half hour to be seated, but truth be told it’s nothing to write home about, food and service wise. Menu del día, including wine. €12

Dinner: Casa Blanco. Lovely communal meal with the other guests. We were shocked to find dinner was a la Carte, especially when you have two people doing all the cooking. That’s a lot of work, and we greatly appreciated. We were able to try several different dishes, and everything was very good. The owner also brought out an anis-like liqueur that is made in the area.