Last night we enjoyed a sundowner in the old city sitting at an ancient fountain before returning to the hotel for an early supper. We were fascinated watching a scraggy tough older fellow strip open his shirt and tuck his head and neck into the pouring fountain then shake off the water like a shaggy dog; again and again. We both had hamburgers for supper eating out alone on the roof top terrace of the hotel. Very special.
After a hearty breakfast and last look over the roof tops to the cathedral towers, we set off on our 28km walk. I was very apprehensive after suffering quite a bit with a painful knee (ITB?) towards of the end of our previous walking day but had done some research on the rest day and compiled what I hoped would be a good pain and drug strategy ……… and it worked. Alleluia! Alleluia!
We posed with a Roman soldier guarding the bridge out of the city after a steep drop before tackling the long precipitous climb over the next 5 kms on a narrow tar road ( little traffic). And this is an easy day ?? We removed our shirts and walked the rest of the day in t-shirts. My shirt was so wet I hung it over my backpack to dry.
The next 10 kms were most enjoyabable; some on tar and lots on country tracks running between farms with both newly ploughed fields and lush pastures and small villages. Blue skies and the sounds of insects, birds (including a cuckoo), cows, sheep, goats, tractors and very angry sounding dogs thankfully either behind walls or on a leash.
We expected to find a rest spot for lunch at about 18kms which didn’t appear and by 20kms we both had the mutters. Fortunately there was an albergue not much further on that served food; there was little selection and we bought whatever we could see – salad, bread, slice of custard tart and coffee.
We set off again in high spirits with only about 8kms to walk. And then !! Goodness me ! Some of the steepest and longest up and down hills followed right through to ponte Ferriera. Unexpected and unwelcome 🙂
Again we past through villages, made up perhaps of 12 houses, every few kms and some pretty cemeteries ( you know what I mean).
A good day’s walk and grateful it’s over; that’s our last long stage before we reach Santiago which is 72kms away.
Blessings and thanks for the prayers, good wishes and thoughts that have carried us thus far.
Looking good, almost there. Godspeed for the remainder of your journey x
Guys wow impressed and Derrick so unfair you walking with bionic man hee hee sounds like you are both being so wonderfully blessed and experiencing such depth within the Holy Spirit. Go Go love the stories and really look forward to your bloggggs. Travel on safely and enjoy every moment. Rain is coming slowly but it has been falling so some small relief here in CT. Loads of love mark Jen