From Sarria to Portomarin (24 km)

For diner in Sarria somebody recommended me the restaurant in Hotel Roma next to the railway station. After mass I get on the 2 km march through Sarria to eat at this gourmet Mecca - their speciality: meat - just what I needed after the day. The courses were so gigantic that I could not finish even half of them and that means something! When I left the restaurant I saw just the last taxi taking off from the taxi waiting area, so I sat down and wanted to wait for the next taxi to come back. 10 minutes later there was still no taxi but a BMW driver who rapidly parked in the taxi zone and jumped into a bar with a bag. When he came back out I decided to ask him to give me a lift - and he agreed since he had business in my Hotel - filling up the cigarette vending maschine in the lobby:))

This morning I get up a little later and start the hiking at 7 am.  Up the long stairs to the main Church of Sarria and then up through a forest to the 1h far away Monastary in Barbadelo. By now I am SOAKING sweaty and decide to simply keep going as I don't want to sit down and cool down. The mainly natural trail this morning is rather challenging - no valley walk-along paths today.

Short after Ferreiros then it's official: less than 100 km to go to Santiago. This realy makes me happy and let's me feel much better despite a very painful rush on my thighs (sorry, had to through this in even if the vision of it is groce). I should have brought along boxers only instead of tidy whities - guys when you will do this walk: BOXERS only please so you don't have to live that burning
sensation I feel all morning.

The Camino gets maintained so well - I already mentioned it previously; today alone I pass by 3 construction crews working on Camino improvements.

Finally in Portomarin I check into the rather overprized hotel and try to have lunch, but can't find any decent place in this town. Well, I will have a hot dog later and feast on the various nuts I have been carrying along.

When I passed by maybe a dozent pilgrims on the other days then it's 100s now. If you want to receive your Compostella in Santiago you need to walk at least the last 100 km of Saint James way and Sarria is the last mayor city from which you can accomplish that.