Christine… HAPPY FATHERS DAY to me, and thank you for the gift of children!! It is also the longest day of the year.
Another brutally hot day. I fear for Europe and perhaps for the Midwestern United States this summer.
We have had very limited Wi-Fi and cell signals, so I am going to limit my comments to captions on the photographs:
Love you, Christine
Peace Everyone. Buen Camino. Pete.
Ancient chestnut trees lining the route of the Camino I am about to be overtaken by high school children here on the Camino. There are now literally hundreds of them! Kind of like ants lining up for a picnic..Occasionally we encounter people who are offering stamps for our credentials in return for a donation. This couple was dressed up as a witch and a warlock. He was using a hot melt glue gun and zodiac stamps. Me and the witch! Here in Galicia witches are considered good luck. More ants lining up for the picnic! .This is a real milestone. 100 km to Santiago. ...Bicyclist must ride the last 200 km as a continuous journey. This is a horreo. It is a kind of old world grain elevator that has become a symbol of independence and self-sufficiency in Galicia. They were used to store grain by families and are designed in such a manner that rodents cannot reach the grain. This one dates to 1901. Phone home! This is the Church of San Xoán (or Saint John) of Portomarín. It was declared a national treasure in the 1940s. It was also located hundreds of feet down the hill with the rest of Portomarin, next to the Mino River. The river was damned as part of a hydroelectric project in the early 1960s. The entire town of Portomarin was then relocated hundreds of feet up the side of the valley, including the church. The church was disassembled like so many Lego blocks and reassembled. In a following picture you can see where the blocks were numbered for reassembly. The church dates to the 12th century and was a refuge and stronghold for the protection of pilgrims on the Camino. .Numbered blocks! Madi having some fun at the expense of the statue of Santiago.
Hello and HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to both you and Charlie! Your pictures are breathtaking- Charlie sent a video of walking amongst the eucalyptus trees. So proud of you both as I’m sure this hasn’t been easy. Loved seeing you both at the 100km mark- the end is insight – carry on my friends- may their be peace in your journey and good wine at your next dinner!
Laura Wank says:
Hello and HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to both you and Charlie! Your pictures are breathtaking- Charlie sent a video of walking amongst the eucalyptus trees. So proud of you both as I’m sure this hasn’t been easy. Loved seeing you both at the 100km mark- the end is insight – carry on my friends- may their be peace in your journey and good wine at your next dinner!