Last night at about 7, grumbling as we strolled down from the hotel that supper was only available from 8.30 (and resolute in our decision to resist the allure of the local beer), we chanced upon a supermarket ! We shopped happily for supper and enjoyed our assortment of nuts, potato chips, ham, cheese and chocolate pud in Derrick’s room sitting at his French window. I was in bed lights out at 9.15.
After a substantial breakfast, we hit the road this morning at about 8.30. Cloudy skies but no rain and a bracing 1 degree showing on the luminated sign above the pharmacy.
The first 5 kms/1h30 took us on a lovely mountain track steadily climbing from 550m up to just over 900m. The views down onto Tineo and beyond were glorious. We stopped at the top to ‘oo’ and ‘aah’ and wax lyrical about the weather. Within 10 minutes, we were in rain gear and that remained the appropriate dress for the rest of the day (though we did have some longish spells without rain). We remarked on the frozen droplets clinging to the grass clumps next to the path which prompted buff and gloves.
On the long descent we were past by a young chap from Poland and we then past a couple of pilgrims from Mexico battling through the mud. Yes! The first pilgrims we’d gone past- we were definitely on the fast track today; we caught up and pasted the Polish chap a few kms later !!
Just before Campiello (about 14kms) we were back on the tar road and decided to abandon the boggy mountain tracks for the rest of the day’s walk (another 17kms). How to describe the enjoyment of a hot cup of coffee prepared by the charming hostess at Casa Ricardo Bar in Campiello? Poetry from my long past youth comes to mind – how do I compare thee to a summer’s day ? Yup that was the level of my pleasure 🙂 We met an older Italian pilgrim at the bar who was doing a longer walk than us …..over the mountains.
We stopped an hour later in a bus shelter for lunch which was an assortment of left overs from last night’s feast (no chocolate pud unfortunately) and attended to an embryonic blister on one of Derrick’s feet. The young American we met shortly after this emerged from the Camino track onto the road and was relieved and delighted to hear from us that there was an alternative to the muddy route ….but we didn’t see him again.
The route over the last 15kms was up dale and down moving in altitude between 600m – 800m. The last 3kms zigged and zagged descending into Pola nestled in a valley.
The hotel reminds me of something out of the Wild West. The reception desk is in the dining room and access to the bedrooms is through the saloon (bar). My room is small. I can’t remember ever trying to shower in a smaller space; a contortionist would be proud of the maneuvers required to wash one’s feet and armpits (Derrick’s room has a bath and a bidet …..).
The end of another memorable day on the Camino… definitely time for a beer and/or a glass of wine 🙂
Onward Christian soldiers !
Sorry I haven’t checked in, been doing a lot of nothing, 20 years younger and couldn’t imagine doing this, everything looks hard.
Hope there’s a bit of sunshine soon to warm your feet. Careful over the slippery paths. x