Thoughts from my Camino Frances Journey- Day 23
Date: May 2, 2025 Friday
Where did I begin today?
Samos (Casa de Botica)
Where will I stay this evening?
Sarria (Albergue Don Álvaro)
How far have I come?
14.54km (9.04 miles)
Leaving Samos
Fitting that it rained for my last day of walking
Treacherously slippery
The bed was super comfy so decided to sleep in and have a relaxed morning since it was only a short walk today. I packed slowly and ate the leftover cheese for breakfast. I left Casa de Botica around 9am just as it started drizzling and I put on my poncho.
The closer to Sarria, the more shell architecture
A tiny shrine
The Camino soon left the roadside and became a beautiful woodland path by river. There was some mud up a steep, rocky incline but I still managed in my sandals. After a good night’s sleep and some gel applied before walking, my knee only slightly hurt going downhill. There were no cafés to stop at along this route so I felt tired around 10kms of walking. Luckily, the sun came out just before the Samos route joined the main route in Aguiada.
Almost to Sarria, a couple and their dog having a snack
Where I started vs. where I’m going (in June)
Escalinata Maior to the central hub of Sarria
Rua Maior in the old quarter of Sarria
Once the paths merged, it was back to walking along the road into Sarria. I arrived at my first choice, Albergue Don Álvaro, just before 1pm and they had room available. The dorm had all low beds which was nice so I unpacked, showered, and paid for their laundry service (they did it for me). Then I headed next door for highly rated pizza at Matias, it was delicious. Afterwards, I relaxed and researched what to do tomorrow in Sarria. There was a pilgrim’s massage so I decided to book one for noon. I also decided to book a private room at Albergue HR for my final night since it was a little closer to the train station and typically Albergues don’t let pilgrims spend more than one night.
View of the castle ruins from the Albergue roof
Best pizza on the Camino
Around 6:15pm, it had stopped raining so I went out to see the castle and Sarria sign, then went to pilgrim mass at 7pm in Santa Mariña where I saw Meisie (horse riding companion). She invited me to eat dinner with her and some friends; I wasn’t too hungry but I still went and just ordered Santiago cake and a bottle of Coke. Aside from Meisie, I met married couple Anne and Jerry, and also Andy who owns a house on Whitbey Island of all places. He lives on a military base in Germany but rents out the house for events/weddings. I told him how growing up, I spent a lot of July 4ths at my cousins’ cabin on Whitbey. You never know the connections you can have with people on the Camino.
Where a lot of pilgrims begin their Camino
Iglesia del Salvador
Fortaleza de Sarria y Torres
I said goodbye to the group and returned to my Albergue at 9pm. The downstairs room had a big fireplace and I enjoyed warming my feet by the fire. I wasn’t the only one, there was a group of three older Korean men sitting nearby. After lighting the fire, the host passed out shots of some sort of local liquor (I didn’t catch the name) that was super strong. Before drinking mine, I said “geon-bae” (cheers) and the guys were surprised I knew how to say a couple words in Korean (Thank you BTS haha).
Iglesia de Santa Mariña
Last pilgrim mass on the Camino
I ended up having a lovely conversation with one of the gentlemen using Google Translate. He talked into his phone before handing it to me to listen to the translation, then I did the same thing back. We shared about our experiences on the Camino, what made us come, and what we had learned on our journeys. He told me that he rode a bike for just part of the Frances but I was curious to hear his perspective since cycling and walking the Camino are very different. I said goodnight “jal jayo” and went to bed at 10pm.
The fire gets lit promptly at 9pm every night
Relaxing by the fire
My last dorm on the Camino
I definitely did not finish the whole shot
