On Thursday the 9th of May 2013, Harold and I walked from Val de Samos to Sarria. The Brierley distance today was 13.3 kilometres. Sarria is the starting point for peregrinos who do not want to walk the full length of the Camino, but who nevertheless want to receive an official Credential certifying that they have indeed walked the Camino. The minimum walking distance needed to be given a Credential is 100 kilometres and the starting point for the final 100 into Santiago de Compostella is Sarria. The number of peregrinos on the Camino increased noticeably once we left Sarria
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This stone peregrino did not need to use the water fountain when we left Val De Samos in the morning of the 9th of May 2013. It poured with rain.
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I was completely saturated before we had even started walking on that Thursday. I wanted to borrow the pilgrim staff from the stone pilgrim; the stone pilgrim surely didn’t need it.
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When the rain came, it decided to stay and show us what it could do if it wanted to. The rain bucketed down that day.
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The rain simply never stopped falling on Thursday, that 9th of May.
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When we walked from the top of a hill, Harold saw a sign advertising beer and said there would be coffee there, so we went in. This wonderful lady made us sit in front of a wooden fire and served us some home made soup. She refused to let us pay for it.
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The streets of Sarria were soaked and slippery on that wet Thursday.
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We were just outside the albergue when I took this photo. The rain had eased but was still unmistakably there.
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This mosaic shows the Sarria coat of Arms.
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Sarria was a large town, made larger by being the official designated starting point for obtaining a Camino Credential.
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Diary Entry Made on Thursday 9 May 2013 at 4:55 pm
We arrived at the albergue in Sarria just after 12:00 noon after leaving Val de Samos at 8:45 am. This was a relatively easy walk of about 13.1 kilometres. [Note: The distance was actually about 13.3 kilometres and not 13.1 kilometres as recorded in the diary entry.] It rained all the way from Samos to Sarria. At about 10:15 am we walked into a small bar in a tiny village. We were soaking wet and the bar did not look promising from the outside. Inside, the bar was clean and warm with a wood fire slow combustion heater burning. The lady told us to sit by the fire and dry our clothes. While we were drinking our coffee, she set down 2 bowls of delicious homemade soup. The soup had at least three different types of meat in it (chicken, chorizo, plus more), plus vegetables. She would not let us pay for the soup.
I spent the afternoon relaxing in Sarria. The rain eased in the afternoon. The next two days are likely to be long ones if I am to arrive in Santiago by Monday night.
Distance Walked Today: 13.3 kilometres.
Total Distance Walked So Far: 652.3 kilometres.
Total Distance Covered So Far: 673.5 kilometres including the 21.2 kilometres by taxi.
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Soul Song Number 30 - Guru Grino
(8 May 2013)
Harold is 81 years old,
Although sometimes he anticipates and says that he is already 82.
Perhaps he is trying to obliterate the short months to his next birthday.
Harold was born in northern England,
Although he has now long been a Canadian.
Harold watched in fear and wonder,
As Hitler's air force tried to obliterate the nearby city of Liverpool.
After a lifetime spent educating the children of Canada,
Harold eventually decided to walk the Camino.
So at the age of 71, Harold went on an 800 kilometre walk.
He did it just for fun.
Having convinced himself that he truly could walk 800 kilometres,
Harold decided to do it again.
After that he kept on doing it.
You met Harold on Thursday 2 May 2013.
You could call it a slightly delayed birthday present.
Harold is so much more than a very fit man.
Harold is a very fit man with a brain that he actually uses.
Who else would even think of asking why photons of light always have to move?
Who else would deny being a linguist,
While speaking fluent English and Spanish,
Plus speaking passable French, German and Italian,
Although his knowledge of these languages seems to be much greater than merely passable.
Of course, Harold also knows much about the Camino.
He has a knowledge that can only be gained by constantly walking it.
Harold truly is a Guru Grino.
But he is much more than that.
Harold is a thinking, knowledgeable and compassionate human being.
Who could ever hope to be better than that?
Long may you keep walking Harold.
You are so much more than a mere Guru Peregrino.
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Soul Song Number 31 - A Bowl of Soup
(9 May 2013)
You were walking to Sarria.
It was good weather for walking,
Even though it was cold and raining.
The waterproofs kept most of the rain out,
While the walking kept you warm.
So it wasn't too hard to climb the long, winding hill out of Samos.
Still, it was a relief to see the sign indicating the presence of a bar.
It didn't look impressive from the outside,
But you pushed the door open anyway.
Inside the bar was clean and warm.
The lady shooed both of us towards the combustion heater fire.
She told you to warm yourselves and to dry your clothes.
As you sipped your coffee,
The bowls of soup arrived.
One for you.
One for Harold.
The soup was steaming hot,
Full of vegetables.
It contained at least three different types of meat.
You devoured it thinking "This is delicious".
Right then, this was the best soup you had ever tasted.
Eventually, you reluctantly struggled to your feet.
It was time to resume walking.
The lady refused to let you pay for the soup.
It was her gift and you cannot pay someone for a gift.
Even though it was still raining when you left,
The day seemed much brighter,
Your backpack much lighter.
All because of the kindness of a stranger,
And the taste of a bowl of soup.
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