Full Camino Frances with Kids: Day 27 - A mass of people!

In April 2024 we walked from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela as a family of five.
Camino Update Day #27
Everyone was very hungry when we woke up. The last few days of intense climbing and weather are catching up to us. We ate, got out the door, and were met with two surprised: a major climb right away, and hundreds of other pilgrims. It appears that the convergence of several things made the perfect storm. First, Sarria is the last main village where a pilgrim can begin the Camino de Santiago and still get their compostella (certificate of completion). Second, today is a weekend so people are out doing short hikes. Third, Wednesday is a holiday in Spain, so people are capitalizing on the short workweek to take time off and walk on the Camino. What that meant for us was a lot of other pilgrims who were fresh, chipper, and clean, none of which fit our description.
We walked on in the long stream of pilgrims, and were surprised to meet up with a friend from earlier in the trek, and then Gaspar our friend from Ponferrada. He helped push the cart and allowed me to rest my legs. I would need those for all the hills later on!
We worked our way down a very tight and slick crevice before Portomarín, with the help of two other pilgrims, and then crossed the reservoir. We skirted the city, and thankfully left the mass of pilgrims behind. That should have been our stop, but due to the large amount of new hikers, we couldn’t find reservations for another 13 kilometers. We kept walking.
Thankfully Gaspar helped again on a few hills and then left us to knock out the last 10, which we did a little slower! We should have had an easy day today, but because of the issues with lodgings, we logged another 35 kilometers (nearly 22 miles). We found some supper, showered the kids, and everyone got to bed!
Tanzen Joke: What do you call a grumpy hiker? A “Pill-grim”
Number of steps: 49,140
Next stop: Melide
Percentage Completed: 89.7%