Another scorcher on the trail today but at this moment I'm well placed in a bar with a boccadillo, a cold Galicia cerveza and a grande bottle of agua, sin gaz. I was up before 6 and on the road very early, but it still wasn't enough to beat the heat. That said, it was a brilliant walk today after the gut busting hill away from the Casa Rural. Speaking of the Casa, the meal last night was brilliant. I was so hungry that I ate the entire massive meal they placed in front of me...all three courses plus some excellent grapa based liqueurs. It was a great experience and the couple who own it have two very nice children.
I'm kind of pleased with the morning sunrise image today...one of the benefits of an early start...and there was a full moon as well!
While it's hot here, it's 40C in Sevilla where this all began some 6 weeks ago. You may recall I experienced some of that heat down there, and my heart goes out to those walking from Sevilla at this time. It's too late to begin, but some still try.
It was a day of ups and downs with the ups always longer...not sure why, but it always seems to happen that way. However, this is Galicia and I'm just happy it's not raining and I'm not pounding through the mud...a nice breeze would be welcome though:) When it rains here...
Yet another beautiful Roman bridge...unfortunately at the bottom of a steep sided valley! I would have walked a steeper, longer climb to see this, so not too bad.
I caught up to, and passed some 7 peregrinos who I've shared an albergue in the past week as well as 5 new walkers looking at just the last 100 kms. A few fresh faces. Billy just arrived as well so a fairly full alburgue tonight. As I was a bit quicker than others I was able to get a pretty basic room to myself above the bar with a shared bath. Not the Woldorf, but at $15 the price is right and the food good, beer cold! Of course the answer to the question in the title is...when there's no hot water! No big deal...I was so hot when I arrived, I'd have had a cold shower any way:)
So the other big news in Spain today is the World Cup opener when Spain will play the Netherlands. Huge anticipation as these two countries met in the final of the last World Cup...a very poor game with Spain prevailing. The games starts here at 9 pm, around dinner time, so will watch in the bar which will be fun. Guess I have to cheer for Holland quietly...inner voice:) Late to bed, but only 21 kms tomorrow and 18 the next day, so I can coast now before ramping it back up for the last 145 to the coast.
Still lots of flowers here....spring the whole way!
Just a couple more days left! Remember the advice Bob from Salisbury gave me: go to the cathedral dirty, in your traveling clothes. That was easier to do when you could take your backpack into the cathedral; now you have to drop it off at the peregrino office down the street. Still, I do agree with Bob that it makes the experience of arriving more meaningful. I wonder what it will be like for you, having gone through it once already!
ReplyDeleteFor me, taking Bob's advice meant walking 35 km and stopping at Monte do Gozo. Of course, you're walking 35 km everyday so it would be less of a shock for you than it was for me!
Ken
Hi Geoff,
ReplyDeleteHope you can cheer for Holland a couple of times (quietly of course).
Brave of you to watch the match in a Spanish bar. Perhaps you should also cheer for Spain a couple of times, so the locals will still like you. But of course I hope Holland will win. Have fun !!
And for tomorrow a good walk in this nice part of Spain.
Puck
Hi Geoff: Sounded like a good walk today after that great dinner you had last night!! No wonder you are looking healthy at this stage of the trip. And over the next two days the map we have suggests you will be on a generally downward incline - except for a couple of bumps and grinds - and with the wind at your back you won't even notice the upward stretches. Glad to hear that you will have company on your arrival walk into Santiago. I think your decision to walk on to the coast is a good one . Isn't that where you get to burn your worn out travel gear - and you won't have to do your laundry??
ReplyDeleteCheers Dad