Wanderlust

04_The Way Day 1

Today we walk 13 miles to Portomarin.

Day 1 is about 13 miles. While it’s not a packed hike, you are almost never on a stretch alone. Everyone greets you with “”Bien Camino” whether they are also on the hike or not.

Aaaaaaaannnnnd we’re off.

Pilgrims now symbolically carry a shell on their packs. Back in the day, shells were their portable cups for drinking from the village fountains.

These markers and yellow arrows mark the way. Some places that want you to buy stuff will have similar markers guiding you to their shops.

Stopped here for a coke. I wanted the bubbles. These folks drink coffee all day long.

You carry a pilgrims passport and every so often people are selling their stamp for a “donation” 😆. But that stamp is generally tied to where you were on the trail when you got it. And they like to brag about how their stamp is the best stamp on the whole Camino pilgrimage.

About half way through this first day and while you are hiking very rurally, this is at least the third shop stop for pilgrims to pull off and get YET ANOTHER coffee or possibly a coke, water, or, as we are doing, a cerveza.

To get to the hotel, this is your reward for having just walked 13 miles.