Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Negreira to Olveiroa June 1 - 33kms

"Always look on the bright side of life, da dum, da dum ....".

Digging deep for that silver lining! There is no bus from Negreira to Olveiroa and the taxi arrangements turned out to be the baggage run, literally the baggage run. I am now being shipped ahead with the rest of the baggage or as the rest of the baggage; it is all perception. What should have been a quick 20 minute drive by car turned into a two and a half hour rural tour to every albergue, Casa Rural and hostel in the province of Galicia as suitcases, backpacks and pilgrims were picked up and dropped off. If there is a silver lining to be had it is that I arrived alive which was never a given considering the texting, the telephoning, the speed and the tailgating of my friendly but distracted driver.

One could walk this Camino time and again and it would always be a new experience; the people and the weather are everything. Two years ago, when we walked from Negreira to Olveiroa, we sloshed through eight and a half hours of a torrential downpour. Today was the opposite, a beautiful bright, sunny and warm day. When the taxi finally pulled up to our hostel, I figured the best way to deal with the insidious envy I was feeling towards those who would arrive hot, sweaty but victorious after walking more than 33kms, was to dump my pack in our room, grab my hiking poles and go for a walk. I walked about six kilometres along the path out towards 'Opcion', the place where the path splits taking pilgrims one way towards Finisterra or the other way to Muxia. This has to be one of the prettiest sections of the Camino Fisterra and it felt wonderful to be out on an undulating country path moving up into the hills looking down into the lush valley and the river below. On the way out I walked and chatted with some other pilgrims matching their pace and then had a very quiet peaceful walk retracing my steps back to our hostel. There is nothing like a walk in nature to neutralize any negative thoughts or feelings and get oneself out of a funk.

Our hostel/albergue is a lively social centre as it has a convenient restaurant with a large outdoor patio and there has been a steady stream of pilgrims coming in since 2:00pm. I am amazed at the number of pilgrims still walking at 7:00-8:00pm in the evening. I know I would be an anxious mess worrying about finding a place to stay. Another lesson to be learned here..letting go of worries and trusting that all will be just fine.

 

 

Leaving Negreira.

 

 

 

Dayton found the path out of Negreira absolutely beautiful.

 

The 'horreiro' outside our pension.

 

 

1 comment:

  1. It seems as though all our experiences were similar to your previous one, a wet long day to Olveiroa. The photos here show a landscape transformed. I am ready to go again. Congratulations, Karen, on keeping your spirits up. You are doing just fine as I trust Dayton is. All the best.

    John and Robin

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