Sunday October 4th, eleven miles in a driving rain storm and five miles in the sun. Everything is wet including what's in the backpack. I'm as wet inside as I am on the outside.

I'm awake at 8:00 which is good for me. I slept well. I think the fatigue is catching up with me. My battery is lower at 8:00 pm now than it was three weeks ago. I guess that's normal. The walk to Palas de Rei was more difficult than expected.

When I wake today the first thing I do is take a look outside for the weather. I knew what was coming but you can always hope they get it wrong. My father use to say that you can't trust a guy to tell you what the weather is when he doesn't even have a window in his office. I agree. I take a look and it's raining sideways. This is no shower, this is the all day version. I head to breakfast hoping that may it slow down. The wind is at least twenty mph. I take my time. 

After another who cares  breakfast I'm back in my room trying to figure out what to wear in the storm. I know that as far as the Limos are concerned it won't make a difference ... My feet will be wet. I pick the best wardrobe available and leave. It's 9:45 and the rain is just relentless. I have to leave, it's going to be a long day regardless of when I leave Portomarin. It's seven miles up hill to Lingonde. It's hard because it's a driving rain storm and it's very difficult. I'm into the climb and within the first thirty minutes  I am soaked to the  bone. I still have six and a half miles uphill to go to the first resting point. It does not take me long given my attitude to recognize that I'm alone. I have not seen another pilgrim in the first mile or two. Where are yesterday's Sarria people? Don't know but I'll soon find out.

I'm into the day for about three hours and the rain lets up. It does not stop it just slows down. I reach  the village of Lionge about seven miles from the start and well beyond the hill test. As I cross a road into the village a mini- bus with the same group of American women from yesterday pull up and exit. They all go immediately into the tiny cafe. I stop and just watch. Some of them I'm sure pickup on my presence but don't look at me. They buy someting, coffee etc. and are then lined up to stamp their credentials. Then it's back on the bus to who knows where. I would so like to say something but what's the point. They can go home and tell their friends just how difficult the Camino is and they will all know it's just bullsit. Sorry, I just can't keep that in. In spite of the fact that they do have a string bag with a Camino shell attached to it carrying their lipstick I will not refer to them as pilgrims ... They are tourists.

There is a great ending to today. The sun comes out about five miles from the end. I'm tired . It gets warm and I'm down to a tee shirt, as wet from the inside as I am outside. The balance of today's walk is flat and uneventful. I arrive at my Hostal at 5:45 making today's trip an eight hour day. It's been a long day. 

I check in. I've stayed here before and I tell the clerk that I was here two years ago and ask if breakfast is still in the lower level. She now knows I was really here before. I ask for a hair dyer and she just laughs and asks "for the hair or the shoes"?. I don't lie to her and just say shoes and maybe the hair. She smiles goes into the back and brings out a dryer.

I get to my room and it's laundry time but it's unlikely anything will dry in time. I do have a ceiling heating unit and before you know it I have arranged my laundry to take advantage of the heating unit. I think this might work. The Limos are a completely different problem. There is no way they will dry but the hair dryer will help. I need to buy something to wear when the  Limos are wet like for, next two nights.. I get lucky the Camino store is open and they have one pair of cheap slip on's my size. They are power blue and they are a bit tight but I'm going to need them for tonight and the next two nights because it is going to rain through Tuesady. I buy them, they cost $35 US.

Here's the good part of today. I leave the Camino store and go to a restaurant I've been to before but it's packed. I go to the center of the village and run into a couple I've met only briefly before. Terry and Alan, from Calguary Canada. We sit and have a glass of wine. She is a roit! An Italian living in Canada and she is just plain funny. Let's just say she us not an introvert. They are headed to the Camino store because her jacket is not waterproof just water resistent. That will not work for the next two days. We agree to meet again. Hopefully that will happen. I go back to the same restaurant and I get a table. The food was terrific, a great ending to a really tough day. Just an FYI , the Hostal is having wifi issues so I'm not sure when this will be posted.

Tomorrow I will walk (in the rain ) to Ribadiso, sixteen miles. I will then be within twenty six miles of Santiago . Nearly one million steps! Tomorrow will be the "A" day. Good night and Buen Camino.

SANTIA _ _.