Traveling from Tricastela to Sarria today, our group covered some 12 miles over the winding hills of Galicia. “Winding” we’ve found means different things on different days, depending on the landscape and on the condition of our bodies as mileage adds up!
Today “winding” meant ups and downs, with some breathtaking heights and inclines that literally took your breath away. Still, we persevere! Every up promises a down, and the downs offered highlights too, traversing swaths of woodland trails.
As we move closer to Santiago, the trails are getting more full of pilgrims. In fact, in order to earn the certificate for the Camino one must travel at least 100km of the Way, so Sarria (at 113km from Santiago) is a starting place for many.
The towns in this area are clear together, which means pacing our stops as well. Today we found a rare “pay what you can” stop. Here pilgrims gather to share snacks & an on-site host provides hospitality for all who need it. In our case this meant comfy outdoor couches and banana-date smoothies!
Along the way, we met a puppy that tried to follow the girls, encountered fellow pelegrinos from past walking days who we’ve built relationships with, and cascaded our way to Sarria.
Arriving in the early afternoon, we discovered that we were in store for the celebration of St. Xoán (St. John the Baptist), who is the patron saint of the city and who is celebrated throughout Spain on June 23 & 24th. This feast (the Nativity of John the Baptist) is marked with bonfires in coastal towns and offers a vibrant, centuries-old summer fiesta.
Thunderstorms (which will bring a welcome cooling to our days) rearranged concert plans, but the spirits of the people of Sarria would not be dampened. On the way to dinner tonight, we encountered one of the roving bands (a drum line) that parade through the city on this day. All women, they swayed to the beat and walked in unison to lift up the great saint and the life of the city.
Even now as I write at nearly 11pm, music echoes throughout the city and an occasional canon blast brings cheers! What a gift to encounter this cultural event & given the many miles we’ve walked and still have yet to go, there’s no worries that the noise will keep us up. The trail is calling- and we know that St. John the Baptist will point the way (it’s kind of his thing) all the way to St. James in Santiago!
