Monastery at Samos then Samos to Sarria - 15 k

Corrections: John read part of the blog -- in O Cebreiro we had gone 24 k, 6 k to go on the descent. I bonked at 1 k up -- no wonder it seemed so long -- we had 5 k to go! Apparently the guidebooks all call this the most arduous stage because it is over 30 k. The early stages in the Pyrenees are much shorter.

Saturday, October 10

Samos:

We were up early and after our usual breakfast in the bar -- brioche or pan tostado (toasted bread) and coffee (this time we also got yogurt). At breakfast we met a young couple from Mallorca -- a policeman and a ballerina. Then we were off to the monastery at Samos. This Benedictine monastery from the middle ages was once very powerful and influential -- there is also a small church dating from about the 8th century -- and a huge monastery complex which has a modern pilgrim refugio --dormitory style with bunk beds -- all for only a few euros each -- bring your own sleeping bag.


To my delight, Padre Augustin, an eldery monk, was still there as the porter and he remembered John and me. I had acted as a translator for him when he took us and some other pilgrims (German and Danish) on an impromptu tour -- English was the common language. This time we were on tour with a lovely young local woman -- and just as we were about to start two other pilgrims walked in. -- a young American student from California, Tim, studying at the American University in Cairo and Sam, an Australian just out of architecture school. Our guide speaks only Spanish -- Tim is very good with languages -- so between us both we feel we can translate for John and Sam.


The monastery grounds are lovely and have the largest cloister -- covered rectangular walkway and gardens -- in Spain. Two novices are here now and about 15 monks -- in the middle ages there would have 80 or 90 monks and over 200 other persons to help with taking care of the monastery, the fields, and to oversee all the villages and other churches that were under the monastery´s care.


Out of Samos, John was ahead of me as usual -- espeically down or uphill. I am faster on the flat trails though. As I rounded a corner he was talking to a fellow pilgrim. In a few moments, the pilgrim´s wife caught up behind me. And here is one of the most serendipitous things abou the Camino -- the people you meet.


Alberto and Carmen are a couple in their 30s from Valencia. They are doing the Camino together as a kind of celebration and affirmation of their relationship - and they are getting married next year at a Redemptorist monastery in Burgos, Spain. They are absolutely delightful. Alberto and John walk at the same pace and talk about rock and mountain climbing experiences and owning small businesses. Alberto speaks marvelous English as does Carmen. And Carmen matches her pace to mine and we speak Spanish. She is a wonderful help as I try to improve my pronuncation and vocabulary, and it is very fun to hear about her life in Spain, and her work. Carmen used to live in Mallorca and worked in community involvement. She now is in charge of the administration of Alberto´s business -- pool maintenance for the municipality, schools, and private and public clubs.


Once in Sarria, a fairly large city, we have trouble finding a hotel room. There is a huge festival for San Froilan in a nearby city, and the overflow has taken over the hotels. Luckily, Alberto has a cell phone and he manages to find us rooms in a Pensione -- a small hotel with rooms with private bath and some without. We run into other pilgrims we have seen on the camino and stop to chat with Justino and Fernando. People on the camino don´t talk right away about what they do for ¨trabajo¨ - work. As we talk about the city, I find out they are from Mallorca and are police officers.


They explain that there are many different jurisdictions of police -- they are municipal- but they both have law degrees. The worst crimes in Mallorca revolve around tourists -- drinking, fights, pickpockets, etc. But there are an incredible number of tourists to deal with from so many countries. I tell them about the Justice Center and the Alaska Justice Forum publication -- and they ask if it is online. So soon we will have readers in Mallorca!


That night we eat a pilgrim´s dinner with Carmen and Alberto in a great nearby restaurant and it´s early to bed.

(As I post this in Arca -- one day out from Santiago -- the Italian guy in the next internet booth is playing some kind of internet game. All the waiters in this cafe seem to be Italian and they are constantly leaning over me to see his screen and cheering him on. I am not sure how coherenet this post will be.)