Monday, October 19, 2009

Day 24 Down to the Monastery Day




Alto Poio to Samos 24km
After a great Smiley breakfast we headed down the road with Bob. We made good ime on the road and went through many small dairy farms. Gallicia countryside is full of wafting " barnyard smells " and the country is rich in agriculture. After a while the non farming pilgrims must get used to the farmyard offerings and sights. There are tractors and farmers busy everywhere in this rich region.
Cattle are kept in barns and also the lower parts of houses as I think it would get very cold here.
We reached Tricastle at noon and witnessed a very stricken young lady pilgrim who came by taxi with torn leg muscles.

The camino could be renamed the COMPEED CAMINO. Compeed is a type of blister band aid and if put on to hot spots on the feet can prevent blistering. Betty has been using them all the way and it has been a real saver.
We loaded up here with cheese, buns, muesli bars and fruit. betty was reprimanded by a lady fruiter for touching the bananas " no tocar..no tocar" It is not the Aussie way of testing fruit and threy must think it is ripe or it wouldn´t be there... just a spanish way ....be warned
We ushed on a long 11km to the monastery at Samos.
It was claimed to one of the oldest Benedictine Monasteries in the world and it is an enormous building set into a valley.
We stayed at the rather austere Monastery albergue and caught up with Bob and newcastle Magnus.... the late afternoon beer is a highlight of the day...
Guess what? Irish John ( remember from weeks back) turned up in full kilt. He has said he has walked all the way but given we bussed 180km he must be a fast walker.... maybe something about a flying kilt
We went to dinner with Bob and magnus( Magnus said he is camping under the stars tomorrow night...well its freezing so hope he is OK) and then to the monks Vespers and Mass which was officiated by the abbot. It was entirely sung by the monks, who were small in number but strong in voice. It was a religious and quite spiritual ceremony.

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