Day 31 - Sarria and the Fortress of Solitude - 25k

We got up late and left in minutes, Jess had been unwell and up several times in the night so we just walked and talked all day, reaching the Monastery of Samos as part of a detour of 7k extra for the day.

Instead of visiting said Monastery, even though attempts were made to persuade us by a large jolly gentleman called Emilio who they’d met back at O Cebreiro we sat in the sun and had hot drinks and a cider. Megan was raving about the local stuff called Sidra so we had one each. It was perfect, refreshing, like applejuice but six percent so quite a kick.







House with a tree growing in the doorway





We just carried on walking and following the river making it thankfully to Sarria where Megan’s perfect Spanish was starting to make everything easier although it’s harsh to put that on someone.







The Merry Wanderers - Oy wait for me































The last stretch was up loads of steps into the old town, I saw pilgrims I recognised everywhere including Funky Chick but not Snorey guy, I wonder where he’s got to? We headed for the place that our guide books said had a kitchen as we planned to make our own dinner this evening and boy did we choose the right one.

Albergue Don Alvaro was on the main street at the top of the hill that the Town was built around, a large Town house it had beautiful tiled floors, wood panelling everywhere and tapestries and paintings covering the walls even in the bunk rooms. We were shown around and offered our choice of rooms, the kitchen was perfect with a hob and work surfaces, the garden had a koy pond and a separate dining room through patio doors, there was also a room further down the way with a huge fireplace surrounded by stools. There was a guitar by the door and shot glasses with bottles of various brown and clear liquids on the table, we were invited to join our host after dinner, once his kids were in bed. Two sun terraces including washing lines on the top one with wonderful views of the whole of Sarria in every direction. Jess had made it this far but was flagging even after she’d managed to down a bottle of water during the day with one of the sachets I’d carried with me for nearly five weeks of salts and sugars replacement powder and went to bed, fair play to her for soldiering on though what a trouper.

Jeff, Megan and I left her and Rebecca to it to go sightsee as we’d heard about the Fortress and wanted to check it out. It was a bit of a let down in that all there was left of it was one tower with a castle-y bit of brickwork on top and cow sheds where the rest of ‘The Fortress’ was on the map. Apparently someone, the descendants of the original owner, still lived there although it was a tiny little place with a huge garden and not much else. The walk took us down and around past the Monastery school for a visit to its church and quiet courtyard, then onto the streets below where the Church we were looking for was either gone or had been surrounded so closely by tower blocks that we couldn’t find it. Two old women who looked so old, almost as though they were already dead, directed us towards a supermarket after an exchange between them. I wondered how many years they’d sat in that spot and watched everything change around here.

I must admit to making myself scarce while the preparations were being made for the meal but you know what they say about too many cooks? There was a huge spread of pork steaks with red peppers and garlic, fresh bread, salad, the most wonderful tortilla and lots to drink so we got stuck into that. A marvellous evening as Jess awoke in time to join us feeling a lot better and we all got a chance to get to know one another a bit more and tell our tall tales of the Camino so far to the shock and delight of our new friends. The wine went fast as did the Strawberries I’d bought for pudding, many conversations revolved around the cultural differences between us, especially the word pudding. After dinner our host invited us to join him in the fireroom for a nightcap but he wasn’t there when we made it through so we burned the rest of the midnight oil with a few shots of varying strengths and a chat whilst sat enjoying the flames and warmth.