STAGE 29 - SARRIA to PORTOMARíN

This morning we set out from Sarria which is where most people start out who wish to earn their "Compostela" (certification of completion of at least the minimum distance of 100 kilometers or 62 miles on foot). To give you an idea of the number of people we are talking about let's consider the stats from 2024 when of the 236,000 people who walked the Camino Francés to receive their "Compostela," 151,000 of them started in Sarria. Needless to say, the traffic on the Camino goes from pleasant engagement with nature, pilgrims with whom you have shared many miles of walking and experiences into mobs, loud chatting, and less reverence for nature. This was what it was like leaving Sarria this morning...

Prior to Sarria, you could walk for miles and not see a single soul. We have also seen people on bikes and horses. It is a little jolting to be walking along when suddenly you hear the "clip-clop" of hooves coming up behind you.

Despite the increased traffic, Jannette and I learned from previous trips that if you just let the groups move quickly ahead, you can find some solitude and reconnect with people that you've met from previous stages (like our Swedish-Texan Christina).

Here are the landscapes that we crossed.

You will see in many of the photos these rock walls. They mark off property lines, keep animals in their fields, and form the sides of the Camino.

With all the rain the water has started to seep through the stone walls and create these beautiful little cascades.

Of course, I had to take a picture of the cows. These were patiently waiting for the farmer to open the gate and lead them back to their barn.

And these cows were just living a great life.

Here we are at the 100 kilometer marker. We are almost to Santiago de Compostela. At this point we have walked 654.6 kilometers (406.75 miles). When we ended the day in Portomarín, we had added another 5 miles to our total.

The structure below is an "hórreo," You find them all over Galicia. They were used store food, especially grains, where they could be protected from the humidity nearer to the ground. They were also intended to protect the food and grain from animals. This one is particularly interesting. In 2022 I had paused to take a picture of the hórreo when a gentleman, probably in his 80s, stepped out and started to talk to me. He told me that this hórreo had been built by his grandfather and was over 200 years old. He made special mention of the fact that the colors that can still be seen are original to the structure. It was a good memory to walk by it today and see that it is still standing.

Its seems that feelings against the Francisco Franco are still alive and well. This poor town carries the name but certainly not the reputation of Spain's brutal dictator from 1939-1975.

I mentioned above the abundance of rock walls in Galicia, and especially those that line the Camino. These walls have been here for perhaps centuries and are regularly maintained.

Portomarín in the distance.

To enter Portomarín you have to cross a very long bridge that spans a man-made reservoir.

(photo from 2023)

A great contrast is to see the photo that I took in 2022 when the reservoir was low (below)...

And compare it to the one that Jannette took today of the same area (to the right of the bridge) that is completely submerged. Look at the tree line in both...

 Here is an interesting piece of history regarding the bridge and the reservoir: In the 1960s the decision was made to build a dam downriver. One of the problems was that Portomarín was located along the banks of the river. So, to remedy this inconvenience, the entire city was relocated to the hill. The only thing that was salvaged was the Romanesque church, Igrexia de San Xoán (12th century) that was taken apart piece by piece and rebuilt on the highest point of the town. Now, an interesting aside. In 2022 Spain was in a drought. When we arrived in Portomarín the water was so low that you could see the remains of the medieval city along the banks of the river...

Even more interesting was that because the water was so low, another bridge from the 1930s below the newer one appeared AND....

the remains of the Roman bridge could be seen sticking out of the water.

The salvaged church is a gem.

Known as a fortress-church, the Igrexia de San Xoán, was built in the 12th century by the military order, the Caballeros de Santiago and was associated with a pilgrim hospital. Later it passed to the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem and finally to the Order of Malta. The archivolts of the main portal of the church represent the twenty-four ancients of the Apocalypse with their musical instruments...

In the center of the tympanum is a Pantocrator (Ruler of All or Almighty).

Below the tympanum and flanking the doors are two figures...

On the left is a Demon and to the right an Angel. Perhaps these figures represent the opposition that is consistent in Romanesque architecture where the outer (the carnal and physical) is contrasted to the inner (the spiritual and diviine). These figures dialogue nicely with the scene located above that shows a triumphant Savior.

Above the north door is the Annunciation. A standard image that appears in many representations of this event is a lily, frequently placed between the angel and Mary. The lily is a symbol of purity and anticipates the resurrection. The other detail here is the positioning of Mary's hands (similar to what we saw in a similar scene in San Juan de Ortega). She holds here hands upright with palms facing outward in a gesture of reception or acceptance.

The tympanum of the south doors have three figures. The center figure wears a bishop's mitre, perhaps San Nicolás de Bari for whom the church is named. The other two are unidentified acolytes or followers. One holds a crook and the other a book, both items associated with the saint. 

One detail that I find interesting is the figures' feet. Notice that the sculptor has given the figures additional dimension by having their feet curl over and extend out from the tympanum. Also, note that the Saint's feet are bare and you can detect his toes.

A couple more interesting details that sometimes go unnoticed. First, since the church was moved to its current location, every stone had to be marked. The numbering can still be seen...

Also, stonemasons in the middle ages were paid per stone. In order to claim their salary based on the number of stones they carved, each stonemasons had a unique "mason mark" that identified his work. Here are some examples:

This is all for now.