We had breakfast at 7:00 and started our walk at 8:00 to try to beat the heat of the day but we were unable to outpace the sun. We traversed through the streets of Sarria and up 50 steps to a patio where Ana gave a history of the various peoples who conquered the Iberian peninsula from the time before the Christian era when tribal indigenous much like the Celts lived in Galicia to the present day with its more or less politically autonomous regions. From Sarria with an elevation of about 430 meters above sea level to Mercado with an elevation of nearly 600 meters we walked 6.35 miles, mostly uphill but this was in the cooler part of the day through rolling countryside, classic Galician farm lanes, stone paths, meadows and small hamlets. I took time to pray for my family, friends and sisters, for our Laudato Si’ commitments, for the people and land of Galicia, and for my own discernment of what God is calling me to in the next phase of life. The final rise of 100 meters through Peruscallo and Morgade to Ferreriros was very difficult because of the high humidity and temperatures nearing 100 degrees. The Keen hiking boots I’ve hiked in for the past twenty years and the Wright socks and walking sticks Mary Susanna recommended kept my feet, knees and hips feeling fine and absolutely pain free. The challenge the long inclines in the sun made it difficult to breathe and my heart rate started spiking. By 11:00 it was in the 140’s, and continued to increase 10 bpm every hour over the last 2.5 miles of the Camino to Ferreiros. The last 200 meters I had to stop and rest several times because I had a heart rate over 170 bpm and felt like I might faint. I rested and drank water, ate a biscotti and prayed, arriving at our picnic at 1:30, 5.5 hours.
