Casanova - Azura, 22 kms

A Bad Ass Cloud!

I have a really nice sunset that I was going to lead with today as has been my process this camino, but late yesterday afternoon a cloud drifted in off the Pacific that was truly powerful and dramatic. 

I first noticed the changing sky after completing work on the flower beds at the front of the house.

I finished what I was doing and noticed that the sun had disappeared, the air temperature was dropping and there was a different feel in the air. I decided that this worked nicely as I'd just completed sorting out a front garden that I hadn't been looking forward to doing. I put my tools away and by the time I finished what I was doing things overhead had changed. A bad ass cloud had developed and was heading our way.

It was beautiful! Growing as it drifted slowly in. I was actually kind of surprised just how slowly it moved.

I'd expected lightning and thunder as per the forecast, but oddly it just never developed. We get very little of that sort of thing here anyway, but if it was going to happen then this would be the type of cloud that would generate the positive and negative ions necessary. Didn't happen though. Just another interesting cloud pattern at the end of the day: )

This morning we set off early to fit in our walk before Annemarie's other obligations. Though it was cool, we dressed very lightly and walked with determination. Not sure why, but I guess the limited time available pushed our mind sets to push our bodies. Not a bad thing as we climbed twice and it was good to find that all relevant parts were functioning ok.

Had I been able to travel to England to begin my walk to Rome I would have met up with Rob by now transiting the Swiss Alps with the aim to reach the Grand St. Bernard pass by just after mid-month. I'll have to look and see what date they end up opening the pass this year. Yup, as this pandemic inconvenience goes on and on I'm really starting to resent the interruption. Of course I'm not alone. We met our friends Corie and Jim on a pathway today and they are feeling the same. It's everywhere. Then today I read that someone I'm familiar with and lives in Spain is planning to walk the Camino Frances this August for those who can't. I hate him.

It was a gorgeous morning for walking.

Early enough to find the deer out browsing for their breakfast.

I wanted to pass by the place where we chatted with the woman who was clearing the blackberry brambles by hand a couple of weeks ago to see how her project was progressing.

It was evidently completed and to our surprise we found a fence and unexpected signage posted. I thought Ken would find this interesting given the discussions we've shared about blocking off the right to free passage. This trail has clearly been here for years and used regularly by local walkers. Now it's been sort of sealed off. That said, some have thumbed their nose at the signs and have passed around the fence. I'm guess that a new humongous house will be making an appearance in the not distant future. Seems that the owner could wait until that happens and then block access.




Back on the virtual camino we continue to press ever closer to Santiago! The terrain is flatter, but still some ups and downs. 

Beautiful walking paths along this stretch. I wonder what it would be like to walk this pathway in the warm sun? Crowded no doubt as it would be summer and this part of the Camino extremely busy.

Approaching Melide.

In 2018 I was walking with a young fellow from Texas and we stopped at a pulpo bar to torque up our energy. So good!

Then through the colourful street markets and out of town.



Always someone or something to chat with.





2013, wet.

2018 no rain.



It would suck so much to loose your poncho in Galicia, particularly in October or November.





As I said, many of the pilgrims from Sarria carried too much stuff.

















Ken was walking to be grateful for experiences along the camino in 2013, but I think he was having a bit of difficulty on this particular day!

Arzúa:

Eating terrible chips and drinking beer after long day in the rain. Municipal albergue a warehouse for pilgrims--the woman in the bunk below, is monopolizing the space and is keeping her boots beside the bed, Is the dormitorio dingy or is it just the lights are off on this dark rainy day? It’s certainly cramped and crowded (as bad as Hornillos, frankly. But it’s a bed, I know, and the private albergues here are likely full (one was when I popped in) and any bed is better than no bed, and I am (sort of) grateful, but still.

I’m grateful for the mostly rainless day and even the rain which is okay with the big coat--and which one gets used to pretty quickly; the clean shirt, fresh (!) from the parador laundry to carry me into Santiago; finding a computer this morning and having e-mail to answer.

I stayed in a room in a private home in 2018 and I was lucky to find it. Just about everything was closed. I wrote my blog post then went out for dinner to a place my hosts had told me would serve traditional Galician cooking. They warmed me that it wouldn't be inexpensive, but I didn't care. After a tough 30 kms I was depleted. I found the meal I needed that night which gave me the energy for the final 40 km day into Santiago I'd decided on. It was a wonderful meal with only a couple of others in the small restaurant on that Sunday night. There was enough food for two people and I ate every morsel. The Alboriño wine was made at the family's vineyard just north of the Portuguese border where I'd walked with Rob in 2016. A meal that will likely stay in my head for many years! Sorry Ken that your experience kind of sucked. I know you would have loved the meal I enjoyed that night and your company would have made it even better!




Buen Camino!