Day 25: Portomarín – Palas de Rei 25 km

My French walking companion and I decide to leave early to avoid the crowds. It takes us about an hour to pass most of them in the dark before we’re ahead of the pack. Like the Tour de France, but with trekking poles, backpacks with shells hanging off them and dorky outdoor clothing.

When we finally get to the top of the hill, we’re almost at the sunrise, it’s marvellous view, and we’re almost on our own. We stop at a cafe for breakfast, others catch up. My friend says he can’t wait and leaves us. He looks at me with a slightly sad expression, saying we probably won’t see each other. It’s true I later realise. We might see each other in Santiago, but the rest of the walk he’ll end up doing ahead of me.

Palas del Rei is a slightly grey town, made more grey by the overcast day. One of the first on my walk. There’s a circus next to my hostel, it’s bright big top and absurd children’s music stands in contrast to the oppressive concrete and clouds. I meet a pilgrim who has volunteered to be a clown in the tiny tent. He asks me to come in, a nap is infinitely preferable to scaring children. This man will do this job well.

Over drinks after the walk, two interesting topics come up. One is the petering out at the end of the walk. The lady I’m discussing this with likens it to the end of a school term. You have this intense relationship with these people, then all of a sudden, it’s over and everyone goes their separate ways, without much of a send off. The other is the fact that you can be sitting in a restaurant in the middle of a town you’ve never visited (like my French walking companion that evening), and find yourself being joined by a bunch of people you met over the previous two weeks. There were nearly double figures there at some point. This temporary space, intimacy between strangers who have a common goal, shared experience. It starts, then it’s over, and people disperse. Back into their real lives.