Villafranca to Sarria
Trip Start
Jun 05, 2011
1
15
18
Trip End
Jun 24, 2011
Sarria, Galicia, Spain
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Adam told us stories about one Sir John Moore, the commander of British forces that were in league with Spain to counter the incursions of Napoleon's French armies in the early nineteenth century. The British were in full retreat, the soldiers accompanied by pack animals, women and children, and followed hot on their heels by the French. As Adam said, "they were in terrible disarray, dying as they went". The snow lay thick and most were barefoot, but General Moore refused to stand and fight the French, and on they went until finally they reached Coruna where they had no choice but to face the French and try to fight them - and unbelievably, they won. This was part of what the Brits call the Peninsular Wars in 1808. Later on, a young George Wellesley was to take command of the british, and he of course finally triumphed over Napoleon at Waterloo and was created Duke of Wellington. Fascinating to see where it all happened - in fact the route the British and Spanish soldiers took was basically the Camino.
We were set down at the village of O Cereibro, which is approximately the summit of the mountain range. It was cold and misty, and I thought that probably I didn't hae enough layers with me. The appearance of the buildings was very different - the stone was thick and grey, and the roofs were of grey thatch or of slate, unlike any we had seen earlier. The tiny church was very simple in design, and held a statue of St Francis, reminding us of course that the saint had in fact walked the camino himself (though there is no proof of this apparently). Later in the day as I walked along, I liked to picture St Francis in brown habit and sandals striding along, talking to all the birds and animals that he passed. The church and its associated "hospice"were often the final station for pilgrims who were too sick to continue on their way to Santiago. If this was judged to be the case, especially if they were dying, which many were after the strenuous climb over the mountains, they received all the benefits they would have if they had made it to the tomb of St James in Santiago.
The walk from O Cebreiro to Sarria was pretty much all downhill. The countryside again very different to that we had walked through previously - now, as well as forest, there was pasture and dairying. Saw a number of herds of white ot Freisian cows, and in one paddock a collection of bulls with the big wide horns that you see in pictures of bullfights. The path led through a number of farm yards, and I enjoyed watching the chooks and roosters going about their daily chores. The landscapes I thought were the most atractive yet, and with the weather warmer than at O Cebreiro and the clouds rolling away it was all very pleasant. We stopped for a picnic lunch near the village of Pintin, including a local cheese called "testa" or "tit" from its breast shape. Very delicious. Also enjoyed some more of yesterday's honey on pieces of bread, fresh cherries, apples and apricots.
The group arrived in Sarria in ones and twos about 3pm, and collected on the patio of the hotel for a beer before repairing to our rooms to wash, do the laundry and in my case the daily blog. Later on I plan to go for a stroll in the town before dinner, and probably an early night. A big day tomorrow - we reach our destination. This isn't just a long, enjoyable walk, it's a walk with a purpose. The true feeling of a pilgrimage we are all starting to experience.
