During the night, I could hear it rained a couple of times, but we slept very well, well pass 7am.
Going down Alto do Poio, well wrapped and prepared for rainThe morning was foggy and rainy, so we had a relaxed breakfast and by 9, after a short squall, we said goodbye to Remedios, made sure everything and ourselves were well wrapped and we started our descent to Triacastela.
Micael in TriacastelaFrom there, we took the option of going through Samos (to visit the monastery there), where we reached by 10 (it was all downhill). The monastery had an only guided visit at 12:45, after mass, so we went to have a hot chocolate and then to visit the Capilla del Ciprés (year 980), where the girl from the hostel volunteered to go and give us a brief of its history.
Río Oribio
Capilla del Ciprés, SamosBy then, it was time for the mass, which we attended, celebrated by six priests. We then did the visit, guided by a young Benedictine monk (one of the 13 left in that huge monastery).
Monasterio Benedictino de San Julián, Samos The monastery has been destroyed by fires twice, one due to the explosion of a liquor storage room, so we were surprised to see that now they have allowed to have a petrol station right next to it!
Visit to Monastery, SamosWe left by 2pm, by the road, towards Sarria; the afternoon was cloudy. On the way, we could hear both the rumbling of thunder and fireworks, as several towns were celebrating their fiesta de San Froilán. In Sarria, we stopped at a bakery where we had a bocadillo and coffee. From there, it was uphill againg by the road, passing dairy farms, pig farms, and corn fields.
Towards Portomarín The route by the road is about 6km longer than the camino, but the landscapes were green and pretty. Close to reaching a highest point on the road, Oscar stopped to put his rain gear, but we continued, only to stop some 600 m ahead and rush to put ours as it was starting to rain hard. It turned out to be a short shower and once we started downhill, it stopped.
There, Oscar said that his bike's back brake wasn't working. We checked it and it was really worn. Micael and him adjusted it and we continued down to pass the bridge over the Loio river and from there, we could see the Belesa dam (quite empty this time of the year). We crossed another bridge and then it was another steep hill to reach Portomarín (the town was relocated in 1962 when the dam was created).
Belesar dam, Portomarín
We stopped at a supermarket, surprised that it was open on a Sunday, and there we met our Italian friends, who were staying at a hostel nearby which was almost full, so we decided to try our luck at the Ferramenteiros hostel, which turned out to be a nice new place, almost empty, very comfortable, with a designated "bike garage", nice big kitchen and even a TV room with cable, so Oscar could watch the football game that evening.
Albergue Ferramenteiro, Portomarín
After a nice shower and washing our clothes (badly needed!), we hung them in a nice covered area for that purpose, and went off to find a place to have dinner. We asked a local man for his recommendation of a "pulpería" (where they sell pulpo, octopus) and he said, go to Pérez. The problem is that it was still quite early, not even seven, and they had not open. So we went for a walk around town and saw the church, which was relocated, numbered stone by numbered stone from it original location, where the dam is now.
We returned to Pulpería Pérez and were the first costumers that evening. We ordered the Pilgrim menu: caldo gallego, octopus prepared Galician style, potatoes, bread, a bottle of Albariño (a Galician grape variety) and to top everything, cheese with quince jam. We were so full!
Iglesia de San Nicolás, moved stone by stone, Portomarín
On the way back to the hostel, we stopped to buy things for breakfast and a bottle of Mecía wine (another Galician grape). We arrived in time for the beginning of the football game between Real Madrid and Sevilla, which we watched with the intermitent participation of our hospitalera, Diana, who is also a fanatic of this sport.
Belesar dam, PortomarínWe stopped at a supermarket, surprised that it was open on a Sunday, and there we met our Italian friends, who were staying at a hostel nearby which was almost full, so we decided to try our luck at the Ferramenteiros hostel, which turned out to be a nice new place, almost empty, very comfortable, with a designated "bike garage", nice big kitchen and even a TV room with cable, so Oscar could watch the football game that evening.
Albergue Ferramenteiro, PortomarínAfter a nice shower and washing our clothes (badly needed!), we hung them in a nice covered area for that purpose, and went off to find a place to have dinner. We asked a local man for his recommendation of a "pulpería" (where they sell pulpo, octopus) and he said, go to Pérez. The problem is that it was still quite early, not even seven, and they had not open. So we went for a walk around town and saw the church, which was relocated, numbered stone by numbered stone from it original location, where the dam is now.
We returned to Pulpería Pérez and were the first costumers that evening. We ordered the Pilgrim menu: caldo gallego, octopus prepared Galician style, potatoes, bread, a bottle of Albariño (a Galician grape variety) and to top everything, cheese with quince jam. We were so full!
Iglesia de San Nicolás, moved stone by stone, PortomarínOn the way back to the hostel, we stopped to buy things for breakfast and a bottle of Mecía wine (another Galician grape). We arrived in time for the beginning of the football game between Real Madrid and Sevilla, which we watched with the intermitent participation of our hospitalera, Diana, who is also a fanatic of this sport.
It rained all night.
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