Sarria

Choices, choices, choices...once again this morning there was two routes to Sarria from Triacastela. Once again we chose the route over the mountain.  You'd think we'd learn by now, but we really prefer the woodland paths and the beautiful views you have from on top.  The route we chose was a few miles shorter than the other however had a steep climb.  We climbed to the top of Alto Riocabo and crossed the Rio Ouribio today. We walked about 12 miles through mostly farm lands, some forest and through several straggling villages.

We are in Sarria tonight.  We are expecting the Camino to get a whole lot busier starting tomorrow as this town is a major starting point for pilgrims with limited time but anxious to pick up a compostela in Santiago.  Starting from this town a pilgrim can walk the requisite 100 km to the Cathedral in Santiago and receive their certificate/compostela.

We now have only five days left to walk!  I can't believe we have come this far.  I am starting to get a little emotional as I get closer to the finish.  We have met so many wonderful friends along the way, seen so many interesting things, experienced joy and some pain, laughed a lot and even learned some Spanish.  The few paragraphs I write each day only gives you a small sampling of our experience on the Camino and the pictures are just snap shots of our journey.  The Camino is much, much more than that.  There is a saying here "The Camino choses you, you don't chose the Camino".  If you are one of the lucky ones that get to walk it some day you will live and experience it as we have and perhaps know how we are feeling as the end draws near.  We leave tomorrow for Portomarin...over yet another mountain!  We hope you enjoy the pictures from today and the "cow jam" we got ourselves into.