The Beast of Castrillo de los Polvares

Trip Start May 29, 2005
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Trip End Jul 29, 2005


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Sunday, July 17, 2005

The Plodding Pilgrims are in a town called Portomarin at the time of this diary note. We were supposed to have been here yesterday but as it was very hot we gave up after 13 km and stayed in a hamlet en route. We are hanging around to get a sight of the church before we move on as we only did 9.5km to get here and feel we need to do another 12.5km. The markers to Santiago show a mere 90km to go - as of yesterday every step we now take counts towards our get-out-of-purgatory-card.

Since our last diary note, the camino has given us the luminary of Bertrand le Beau to shine upon us and speed us to Santiago in the hope of catching up with him and falling at his feet in an ecstasy of adoration. We first met this apotheosis of French masculine beauty about 13 days ago in a town called Astorga - at the beginning of the mountain crossings. He was lying on a bench in the sun in front of the cathedral as we left town to head into an area that looked like the set from a spaghetti western. Along the way, we tried to go visit a traditional Maragato (muleteersī) village but were menaced by a pack of hell hounds howling for human blood. Angela braved the sons of Cerberus but Suki decided discretion was the better part of valour (Maragato village-Schmaragato village) and scarpered pdq back along the way we had walked to take the direct path to Santa Catalina de Samoza. Suki arrived in Santa Catalina and promptly made for the nearest bar for a nice soothing drink and snack. Whilst she was waiting and waiting, Bertrand turned up and so she asked him for news as the last time she saw Angela, a red-eyed, slavering, unchained, hideous, black beast the size of a small stone cottage, whose howls said " From hellīs heart I come for you, for hateīs sake, I will bite you and gnaw your flesh from bone" was moving in purposeful fashion in her direction. Bertrand said he had seen nobody and sat down whilst Suki poured out the dolorus tale of Angela and the Beast of Castrillo de los Polvazares and how she was now faced with the grim task of going back to discover what might remain of Angela (if anything). And just as Suki was preparing to do her painful duty - i.e. get up and trog back, Angela turned up and saved her the bother. Angela had doubtless been saved by divine intervention and had spent a pleasant couple of hours wandering round the Maragato village and drinking cafe con leche whilst poor Suki had worried her socks off, admittedly in very charming company, but of course that Angela didnīt think of that! Humph!
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Comments

roobarb
roobarb on Jul 19, 2005 at 08:24PM

Slavering dogs?
Suke I am amazed you found the French for such earnest conversations...but well done Angela for braving the rabid dogs- man's best friend my arse you wouldnt get that behaviour from cats.
And anyway thanks I realise that you are racking up the get out of Hell free points but I am sure you spare a bonus gift (see what I'm doing here mixing Monopoly, Boots loyalty card and guilt/fear -ridden Agnostisism- try and keep up you lot in the cheap seats!)for little me.
Incidently, all our ill- informed relatives from the other side of various ponds phoned to see if you and middle sibling had survived. Ma and Pa said yes you were both intacto and all the aforesaid rels had to sit down after bellowing 'she's where?' and 'she's doing a what?' Most amusing. Can't believe you have been all over Spain- did you see the Napoleonic tour weirdos? Sir John Moore retreated from there, the Spanish Armada sailed from there. Lots of exiled Irish nationalists landed there. Look out for Cidade Heroica de Chaves- brave city of Chavs- heh heh heh! Whats Spanish for 'yer but no but yer but no'?

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