Distance: 21.6kms, Steps: 29,026, Time total: 7.5hrs.

We had a well rested sleep, I woke up once as my hands felt so unbearably itchy. And we over slept, probably what our bodies needed. We joined Adriana & Mario for breakfast where Mr D said, “I could easily stay here another day & just rest! It’s so quiet out here!” This accommodation had originally been a Pilgrims hospital way back & been renovated into a private retreat accommodation. We shared more laughs & funny stories. Mario loves to talk, Adriana is a very honest & lovely lady. She told us when they did the Portuguese Camino that she acted like a child one day. She dropped her backpack on the ground, sat down & refused to walk anymore so Mario had to organise a hitchhike ride into town. She did not have a repeat episode on this trip. They were carrying their backpacks, but since Leon, decided to get them transported daily. We have seen those vans that do the transportation of backpacks go pass, they drive very fast speeding around the road bends to get these backpacks delivered to their destinations. Almost taking out walking Pilgrims in the progress.

We shook hands with the hostal owner as he wished us Buen Camino. It was cool with heavy mists again. As soon as we stepped out onto the road, Sioux, David & their new female friend, Montserrat, were coming up the road. Sioux asked Derek about his allergies & he explained our little dilemma. She said to me, “Those bugs must of thought you tasted delicious!” as I’m covered in bites. We walked a little with them, but Mr D wanted to walk at a slower pace so we left them to go ahead of us.

It was a fantastic morning, the mists make walking on the road more enjoyable. We headed down into surreal looking woodlands of mist & green trees. It was so enchanting & beautiful, the camera cannot capture the place, you had to be there. This was Mr D’s favourite spot as well. The mists cleared as we headed into Palas De Rei, quite a nice looking town. We stopped in the church to get our first sello & David, Sioux & Montserrat were there also. The priest was a warm friendly man he stamped our passports & then wished us a Buen Camino as we left. Then we followed the 3 into a bar where we had tea & coffee. A very nice bar it was. David & Sioux hadn’t even had breakfast yet & it was 10am! So they veered off to a restaurant & never caught up to us during the days walk.

Galicia had put on a perfect day of blue sky with some clouds. But the wind was freezing cold so we kept rugged up. The days walk was pleasant through towns & pastures & woodlands. There were a few locals about. One lady was meandering along with her little pooch for a stroll. There was an adorable older Spanish couple slowly walking through the woodlands admiring the trees & plants. We caught up to Adriana & Mario that were sitting having a break. So we chatted as Mario can talk! Along came a Pilgrim man heading the opposite direction to us with his two dogs. Both wearing scallop shells on their collars.

Well, we walked briefly with Adriana & Mario then went ahead as we were walking faster than them & we had our backpacks on! We stopped in at Casa de Somoza cafe at 12.30pm for lunch. There we met an Australian older couple from Darwin. They were only doing the 100kms from Sarria to get the compostela certificate & they had been everywhere! The lady was telling us all the places in the world they had been to since August & where they were going after the Camino. And she was struggling – unfit & overweight carrying a light tiny backpack & going, “Geez! That hill climb out of Portomarin was horrible!” We had steak sandwich with our cokes. Mr D did not finish his as the meat was too tough again. I have an appetite like a horse! Then Mr D sneaked some red wine he was carrying into our empty glasses – to help with the last 8kms you know!

Those kms seem to stretch out as our feet were getting tired. We just needed to stop for the day. We went through the noisy industrial part outside of Melide before crossing down into more woodland & emerging outside an old part of Melide. Over the narrow stone bridge I went & a bloody car came driving over so I couldn’t stop to admire the views! Damn those cars go EVERYWHERE in Spain – on footpaths, they don’t care! The old part of town was pretty but we still had another kilometre to the town centre. We saw Adriana & Mario ahead but didn’t catch up to them. We had to find somewhere to stay – a private room preferably.

We ended up doing a useless wide loop finding Albergues closed before we came to the Pension we had passed at the start! The Pension Berenguela. We saw the American couple from the climb up O Cebreiro & said hello. But the man was a soot & ignored us, the wife looked like she was having a bad day. The lady at the Pension was so lovely. She showed us right up to our room, put up the blinds for us & turned the heater on as she knew it will get very cold. Even though I couldn’t understand a word she spoke, she was a gem! So we decided to kick back, rest & drink red wine in our room until it was time to head out for dinner.

It was so bloody cold outside, the Pension lady was correct in saying we would need the heater on. Our room was very cold as well still. We went out to the Farmacia & supermercado stores first, bumping into David & Sioux whom were heading out for dinner. Mr D said we would join them if we saw them. We wandered down the Main Street but the restaurants looked very quiet. In Melide, they specialise in Octopus dishes but Mr D didn’t mind not having it. We headed back up & saw a nice cosy little eatery. David & Sioux were there as we joined tables with them. The not sick man was with them too. We found out his name is George, from America, he has had some bad luck on the Camino. He tripped & fell head first into a ditch and had severe concussion. He had to stay in a hospital where no one spoke English for 2 days. Then they released him to get on a bus & find his own way back to the town where his backpack was. He said he couldn’t walk straight & had to walk 12 kms to the town. Poor fella. And we were trying to avoid him like the plague. We had a good evening, chatting, laughing, telling stories. Mr D couldn’t finish his burger. I wolfed down my steak & chips, then Mr D’s wedges & a dessert! We all said goodnight, Mr D & I stopped at the bar adjoining the Pension for a nightcap. Mr D had two shots! I had one Irish cream on ice. He wanted to sleep well tonight. The Pension lady served us, she is a real gem I say again! Can’t understand her as she only talks Spanish fast, but she is very helpful & friendly. I have enjoyed my stay not in Melide so much, but the Pension! Such a good day today & this epic adventure is soon coming to an end. Hard to believe thinking back how far we have come, how many places we have been through. Feels surreal….

Distance: 20.7kms, Steps: 28,995, Time total: 6hrs.

We are still tired peoples. Mr D was kept awake to after midnight due to the party going on upstairs in the restaurant. There was loud chatting & chairs scraping across the floor. He said he actually went up to see what the hell was going on & glared at the people keeping him awake! He also had a panic attack about bugs in his sleeping liner so he sprayed his silk liner again & out crawled a spider! I fortunately slept through it, however was awake a couple of hours early morning feeling so damn itchy all over. I had slathered on tea tree oil before bed so there was a strong aroma in the air! When Mr D interpreted my sleep in with, “It’s 6am, we get up now.” I snapped back, “We didn’t discuss the time! I’m not getting up right now!” So he knew to leave me alone. I got up at 6.30am very reluctantly. I wished to stay in bed all morning.

It takes too long now to get ready as we have to apply medicated cream all over ourselves & now I have red spots on my face that stick out like dogs balls! Feeling self conscious & down in the dumps I’m afraid to say today. We had breakfast in the restaurant – Mr D’s favourite plain crossiant made a comeback haha! But then he paid when I went to the ladies restroom & we have a routine that I pay everything & he is the bank. But he didn’t tell me he already paid & I was demanding to pay for breakfast & not understanding the young ladies not good English. I got annoyed with her until I understood her. She said, “Boy paid”. Ok then. I was eager to get going after that.

Straight out in the chilly morning, low mists enveloped the town of Portomarin as a whole train line of Pilgrims left, walking back over the bridge & straight up a hill again. I took it easy & let people pass. Their loud chattering voices were annoying & I just wanted peace & quiet! This section isn’t at all like yesterday’s & I found it rather dull in comparison. We tended to follow the road a lot or be on the road. And there wasn’t much views to look at so my camera didn’t get as good a workout. I noticed ‘wild sheep’ was back after being absent for some time. Who is wild sheep? Well that was the question on many people’s minds in the early days when the graffiti tag appeared on every Camino marker. In fact, there’s so much graffiti & vandalism on the Camino markers, street signs & such. It’s a real shame.

We ended up going 7 odd kms until we saw an Albergue cafe open in Gonzale & stopped in for a hot drink. The day had started quite pleasant, cloudy & blue skies. But the wind had a certain chill factor. Sitting at the cafe was the sick man whom wasn’t sick any more. No tissue stuck up his nose. But he was having a deep conversation with a lady about mortality, life & death. It was too depressing as we quickly finished up & headed off. But the not sick guy stopped Mr D to ask about his Aarn backpack so the getaway wasn’t so quick & easy.

A group of 3 light packers had a dilemma just before the cafe as one had hurt her foot or something. She was sitting on the ground with her shoe & sock off. A kindly Spanish local driving along stopped to see if she needed a lift. Not sure what happened with them as we continued another uphill stint passing what looked to be a human poop on the side of the path. It takes all kinds out here….

A group of annoying loud Italian light packers were behind us, I slowed to let them pass but then they stopped for a break. We saw them later as they pulled out in front of us, luckily they moved fast, their loud voices disappearing in the distance. One brave little mutt started barking & chasing a Pilgrim cyclist through town which was hilarious. We headed down into the town of Ventas as Galicia turned on some waterworks for us. Just a drizzle rain but we were coming up to another Albergue cafe & it was almost midday as we ducked in for lunch. Cokes & a simple hamburger which was really a cheeseburger. And a side of Patatas bravas. I tried them again but the ones in Santo Domingo were great & no one else makes them the same unfortunately. Again the chilli sauce was too hot. This one had no white sauce with it. The not sick guy had also stopped at the table next to us. Kim came in & sat talking to him. Mr D laughed, he said Kim was pretending not to notice us. So he waved at her so she had to acknowledge us. Don’t know how we may of offended her but anyway, don’t cares if she don’t want to talk to us!

As soon as we left, the clouds were coming over again & dumped more rain on us. I had to fish through my backpack lid to get my bag cover out & rain jacket. By the time I had done this, it had stopped raining – typical! At least I started feeling better again as I cracked jokes & acted silly. Not sick man pulled out behind us from an Albergue in town. Was he heading to the same Albergue as us?! We had overheard him say he was only doing 19kms like we had planned. We were headed to Portos to an Albergue called A Paso de Formigo – Ants Way! And it looked a nice hamlet in a quiet rural countryside. But the buggers had closed for the season already! There was a group of 4 people outside there disappointed as well. Now I get the Ants Way – they have several large metal Ant statues in the garden.

So we had to continue onwards, much to Mr D’s dismay. He was a very tired boy & in need of a rest. We only went another kilometre & Mr D spotted a Casa Rural – Rectoral de Lestedo in Lestedo, a town of not much really. But the place had an open sign up – very promising. A very nice looking home where we payed a lot for a private bedroom with bathroom. We didn’t care as we didn’t wish to walk any further. Our room has two single beds separated in the middle with a side table. The bathroom is a bit grotty & smelly but the bedroom nice, sheets looked cleaned. Mr D anyway was not taking any chances & sprayed his insect repellent over both bedding & pillows. Then all we had to do was rest up! Drink vino, eat some yum cheese from the house owner’s & wait for dinner in a nice sunroom. Outside the temperature dropped to below freezing, two guys walked past with their big backpacks at 5.40pm – I will never understand these people that walk till late in the day. Mr D got a sloping bed again. Not wanting him to put his back out as we already have enough to deal with, I swapped beds.

We went for dinner that our house owners were providing. A 3 course meal followed by a liquor shot. It was a pleasant meal with good company. A South African couple by the names of Mario & Adriana that have been walking the Camino Frances since the 20th of September! They too are enjoying the walk, taking their time & going off on a train or car to another place on the weekend & then returning to the walk. We spoke largely about the Camino & other walks, particularly the walks they do in South Africa. Maybe we see them again as they are walking to the same town as us tomorrow & plan to also finish in Santiago on Thursday. During the course of our meals, the power cut out twice plunging us in darkness – well that’s different! Damn these awful itches – hang in there we must – 4 days left baby!

Distance: 22.1kms, Steps: 31,879, Time total: 7.5hrs.

We were meant to get up early to leave at 7am, however, we got up close to 6.30am & left at 7.30am. We had brought a cream pastry yesterday to have for breakfast & Mr D went downstairs to get a coffee at the vending machine. He came back with a profit of 70cents. It was 90cents & he put in 1€, got 10cents back plus the change still sitting in the slot from other people’s purchases. I had multiple red spots all over both feet, ankles & arms / hands. They all look similar to Mr D’s except mine are flat red lesions & his body is having a reaction to his so they swell up & become puffy. Yesterday, his knuckles & hands were so swollen he couldn’t close his hands properly. Today they look better but still everywhere. So I guess we can only put it down to bed bug bites unfortunately.

Outside was dark, the sky very overcast with a lot of mist hanging over the town. It didn’t feel as cold as I thought it would be. We exited out passing the Sarria cemetery which in the dark & mist felt a bit unnerving. There was a whole line of Pilgrims at the start leaving & they all marched past us, some had their very small packs on. It is late in the season now so luckily it isn’t that noticeable the increase in Pilgrim numbers. Straight off after leaving town & passing the railroad we climbed up & up. Beautiful misty dark woodlands that reminded me of New Zealand minus the chestnut trees. And when we got to the top & walked across an open clearing, everything was covered in misty fog. Just delightful & enough to distract me from my itchy bites.

The total climb up was 300metres. The paths changed from road, to stone pavement, to packed sand tracks, to rocks & gravel. The views changed with the tracks to pastures, trees with vines growing up their trunks, stone walls covered in moss, many small hamlets or small towns. It really was a sensational track, it drizzled with rain then stopped for a few hours, then drizzled again. The mist took most of the morning to clear. It stayed cool, at one point the sun came out & there were blue skies.

We had stopped twice, the first at Rente at a little cafe for morning tea. Then at midday as we were descending, we came to Mercadoiro which is an adorable hamlet restaurant with adjoining Albergue. They say in the book the population is 1 person. There were several people working in the restaurant. The outside wasn’t flash, but the restaurant inside was devine with a lovely warm fireplace going! We had hit a gem! The waiter man was very kind & the food just gorgeous – not too much & cooked to perfection. The chef is fantastic! Mr D ordered 2 cokes, then added on two wines. Why not? he said. He wanted to celebrate 700kms. Then realised after we are 20 odd kms short of 700, so he celebrated the under 100kms to go instead. I had very nice chorizo in cider sauce, Mr D had pork cheeks with baked potatoes with paprika. We also had a bowl of delicious roasted capsicum with sea salt seasoning. Even my cuppa tea was perfecto & we had the restaurant all to ourselves!

We left just as people had discovered the spot & were coming in to order. I was talking to the waiter while paying the bill & he asked about the dangerous animals in Australia. He had not been but said Australia looks like a beautiful country. Then he said I was a sweet person & hope I return to Spain again. A very nice experience to forget the dramas we were going through today. It was all downhill to Portomarin. We passed through another one of those villages that the book describes as ‘having an earthly smell of cow dung’. That’s putting it nicely! Then as you enter town, there’s more steps! The first Albergue in town called O Mirador I had ticked on the list was open & looked very nice & smelt clean. The restaurant upstairs has lovely views over to the river, what there is of the river I guess! It’s not very deep & full. We scored our own private room with two bunk beds at 10€ each. They don’t have the views – the rooms with 4 beds have the views but that is ok. We have privacy to attend to our embarrassing looking bodies covered in red blotchy lesions.

The first shower of two showers in the ladies room I used was hopeless & the water dribbled out so had to move everything to the next shower. The button turns the water off after 30 seconds! Sooooo frustrating! After we had attended to the usual chores we went for a quiet walk about town. From Sarria, we must get two sellos (stamps) per day to obtain our compostela certificates. So after browsing through the shops, we went into a bar for a drink & stamp our Pilgrim passports. I was starting to feel off colour so I hope I’m not getting sick as well. And I wasn’t feeling hungry which is not a good sign. Off we went back to our room to rest up. The temperature outside was getting too cold for us and it started to rain again. Portomarin is a lovely town with a nice looking central street & plaza.

We went upstairs to the O Mirador restaurant. Kim was there reading the menu. We saw her yesterday staying at the same Albergue as us but she appeared aloof. She said, “Oh! We must be reading the same guide book!” But as no peregrino menu was on offer, she left to go elsewhere. We went out onto their enclosed balcony area which was very nice. The restaurant is very American themed with all American stars, places, street names decorating the restaurant. I particularly liked the tall Elvis figure made out of wood. We had a nice meal through, Mr D’s fish wasn’t cooked properly so he politely sent it back for more cooking. I managed to eat well which is good. We are both very tired peoples. And we need a good nights sleep without too many itches. No itches would be perfect actually……

Distance: 19.4kms, Steps: 27,377, Time total: 6 hrs.

David & Sioux must of gone out for dinner with the two Alaskian ladies as all four trooped back into our bunk room at 9.30pm last night. They were in fact our bed neighbors! The long haired Alaskian lady joked “Who is following who then?!” But I was like “But who was here first?!” They all are nice people, most Pilgrims you meet are friendly with a few exceptions of a few undesirables we have met. Mr D didn’t sleep too well, got up at 4am to attend to his skin issues. We got up to pack at 6.30am which was hard as everyone was still sleeping so had to pack quietly in the dark & bring all our stuff in another room.

The young lady at the Albergue that fixed our breakfast was very friendly, good hospitality again. We had a big plate of small toasts to devour through. David came downstairs with one of our iPhone leads that we had missed while packing in the dark. It was very kind of him. I also remembered seeing a green towel hanging off the window knob next to our beds. It was Mr D’s so lucky I had mentioned it! We hear stories of people leaving some belongings behind; pants, socks, toothbrush, comb. The two Alaskian ladies have each left one of their poles behind, one at a mountain summit. So now they walk with one walking pole each. Now I don’t know how you can forget a pole, the only thing I left behind was my stone at the Cruz.

We were blessed with good weather early in the morning. There was the sight of blue skies with some clouds about. The town was enveloped in mist, the temperature on the chilly side. However, as we started to climb again, I soon got too warm, the temperature warming up. There was an increase in Pilgrims going past us today. One set of women were excitingly chatting loudly away as Mr D said, “Its started already! Look at this lot with their heavy 1kg packs on their backs!” The route goes two ways. One way the normal way to Sarria. The other detours around Samos which is popular for having one of the oldest & largest monastery’s in Spain. This path is 6.4kms longer & is mostly via the busy roads. With Mr D’s allergies going on, we stuck to the normal route which I believe would have to be the nicer route to take.

The Camino has put in new woodland paths along this route now. It was very pretty, quiet, lots of farm animals about. The weather can turn & I could see rain clouds closing in. That it did rain but not for long, & not too heavy. One group of cows went by with their farmer on the track, which explains all the poop everywhere! Mr D had briefly spoke to one pair of guys that started in O’Cebreiro. They asked him where he had started from, “SJPDP?! Why you walked so far?!” Because he can! And the cyclists Pilgrims going through were annoying to Mr D as more cyclists came barreling through with no warning on the narrow pathways.

We stopped at the popular Casa do Franco  cafe just before the smelly poop village of Furela for a late morning tea. There the cafe owner was chatting away to a couple of locals that talk so loudly. That annoyed Mr D as well, he has developed a sensitivity to high noise levels & can’t stand these Spanish that sound like they are yelling really loudly to each other, but this is how they talk normally?! One cute little dog was begging at the table for food from Mr D, very cheeky pooch!

As we seemed to be going slow again, we sped up for the downhill walk into Sarria. Mr D is suffering so much, his body is one big itch & unfortunately he can’t enjoy these last days of walking. He really is over the Camino & ready to cross the finish line – still a week away. We came into Vigo de Sarria 1km out of Sarria for lunch. It was pretty good besides the meat being too tough again for Mr D. It was a cheap lunch for 14€ which included two big combo plates of food, 1 big bottle of water & my glass of wine – 1€! Unbelievable. We then continued into Sarria, up the ancient granite steps that takes us to the central hub of Pilgrim Sarria.

Here there is heaps of Albergues, but now some have closed including the ones I had wanted to stay at. So Mr D found the first one still open & we stayed there. We ended up paying for a room with 3 beds so 30€ as the Albergue worker had sent us to a room of 6 beds but only the top bunks were available. Mr D not happy with this, so we pay extra for our own room opposite the toilet & showers. And they are fun! The bloody light timers flick off quickly, the shower turns off quickly – yep, look forward to never seeing these again! Last night I was thrown into blackness while sitting on the toilet! Lucky a woman came in to trigger the light back on. We had a meander through & Sarria which is really not a nice looking town – it looks grotty, dirty & not appealing in the slightest. It is large with a population of 13,500. We came across the Alaskian short haired lady coming back whom happens to be staying in the same Albergue on the same floor 2 doors down. They are following us! I seem to have developed red spotty rashes on my ankles & feet in sympathy with Mr D! I think we are allergic to the Camino!

We decided on the furthest Albergue restaurant for dinner. The waiter was very friendly & funny. Instead of a peregrino meal, we had wood fired pizza each. My tropical pizza had pineapple, ham, corn, mozzarella cheese on it & tasted the best I have ever had! Mr D couldn’t even finish his. I had dessert, Mr D couldn’t work out how I found room for dessert, but I had walked up an appetite! I think I expect to have gained weight not lost weight on this adventure!

Sarria is the town where the newbies ‘wannabe Pilgrims’ come to complete the minimum mandatory 100kms to obtain the compostela certificate. But it is still about 120kms to go. ( Not sure as someone got angry with the kms on the markers & they have been ripped off most of the markers coming in today! ) This is where the Pilgrim numbers increase 3 times the number. For us ‘seasoned’ walkers from SJPDP & beyond, we have our own ‘views’ & comments to share around regarding the 100km Pilgrims in their clean, fresh clothes, new shoes & gear, as they merrily spring along in first day walking excitement. We shouldn’t sneer, or glare or stare down our noses at these Pilgrims. Rather smile sweetly with a ‘Hola! Buen Camino!’ & make them feel welcomed. Yes I will try this 😜.

Distance: 21.6kms, Steps: 30,735, Time total: 7 hrs.

After a reasonable good sleep last night, we had a quick breakfast in the restaurant – just one piece of toast with our drink. Mr D was not in good spirits as several more red lumps had come up overnight after they had appeared to be clearing up. Then he thought maybe it’s the washing powder used for washing bed sheets as he had slept directly on them instead of in his silk liner. I had expected it to be quite chilly but the temperature was humid & not that cold. It was very overcast with ominous dark clouds. This region felt very unpredictable & anything could happen in the blink of an eye.

We climbed some more as soon as we left the village before descending, then more uphill to the San Rogue statue of a Pilgrim leaning forwards as if struggling in strong head wind. Then down again – Mr D was not impressed with this as had expected it to be more downhill walking. It started as a light drizzle of rain which came & went. At the town Hospital, Mr D wanted to stop for a quick coffee break. It had already taken us a couple of hours & we had only done 5 kms. Mr D was annoyed we weren’t progressing quicker. The woman in the restaurant yesterday said it would only take us 4 hours to Triacastela. What a load of baloney! Maybe the fast workers but not us! And I’m not going any quicker, I like to admire the views & take my time in the mountains. Also Mr D’s new lumps on the back of his neck were itchy & uncomfortable.

So onwards we pressed with another steep rocky path ascent to the highest point along the whole Camino Frances at 1,330m called the Ato do Poio. I almost stepped in what suspiciously looked like a big human turd just by the path when I spied a great photo opportunity overlooking the small village & church Padornelo. Someone had left behind a pair of jeans on the steps of the church. After this it NOW is a gradual descent. At the next village Fonfria, Mr D was hungry & it was only 11.45am. So we had a small ham & cheese sandwich & Coke each. It didn’t help eating cold food & drink on a cold day. The drizzle of rain still came & went. I felt cold but at least not wet. Heading out of the village, some random older lady emerged from a building offering us crepes that she held in her hands. One, we had just eaten & two, she would ask for a donation probably if we took them so I declined politely & we moved on as it was already starting to drizzle again. The path started to follow the road but on the wrong side where I couldn’t get the views of the valley as I walked. Cyclists whizzed by taking me by surprise as they don’t use a bell or yell out to alert the walker. These ones were rude, the last one brushed past Mr D, leaving him cursing the cyclists receding figure.

The tracks were covered all along in big piles of large animal poop. It was smeared  across the path, some looked diarrhoea like. And the stench of it was so bad, especially going through the small mountain villages, the stench of dung was overpowering! Totally yuck. I had expected to see more Pilgrims as we completed a stage in the book that most tend to follow. But there really wasn’t many that passed us. Mr D is not happy with the new Camino markers in this region – each one shows how many kms & meters to go to Santiago. It is a constant countdown. Mr D said ‘ It takes all the fun out of it! I enjoy counting how many kms we have done altogether & how much more to go at the end of each day! ‘

The book spoke about a steep descent after the second last town we pass through, which really wasn’t that steep. The gravel wide path was easy to walk on. But the weather was closing in as I saw the rain approaching my way. The cold wind picked up & the rain came so briefly as it passed through. Not so bad! I hardly got wet! We finished our steep part & then it was only 3kms into town. Pass more poop & angry barking dogs. The last 2 kms pass through a tunnel of trees through chestnut woodland which is very pretty.

There is pently of Albergues to choose from. We picked one that looked nice on the outside called Atrio Albergue. Old stone & wooden 2 storey building. Very nice inside if anything, it’s dark, not much lighting. We settled into a bunk room of which there were 2 guys already in there. Mr D was in dismay – more of his lumps had come up on his lower leg, his face even. It appears to be out of control. He is so itchy & frustrated & there’s nothing I can do to help get rid of them. So annoying to have this drama close to Santiago. We were lucky to have made it inside when we did as the rain became heavier outside.

We went out looking for a Farmacia for Mr D to get more creams for his allergies. We bumped into David & Sioux from Torquay, VIC, Australia. I had spoken to David yesterday at O’Cebreiro briefly about the accommodation there but didn’t know his name. They were also the ones sitting with the Alaskan ladies last night in the same restaurant as us. And they had just arrived from O’Cebreiro after 4.30pm today which is late. So David was asking where the Albergues were again & where was I staying. They seemed friendly enough & we are sure to bump into them again.

They went to find beds & we decided to head over to the closest restaurant to share a bottle of red wine & then have an early dinner. We had a standard peregrino 3 course meal which I enjoyed more today as I had not pigged out. Mr D’s grilled steak he told the waiter was a bit tough so the waiter very kindly gave him another plate for free with the bisket steak I had which tasted very nice. The temperature had dropped to FREEZING as we walked back. Still noticing it was after 7pm & dark with Pilgrims JUST arriving in town – crazy bloody people! Our Albergue bunk room had filled up with more people now. I guess it will be like this from now on to the end. Mr D attended to his problems & noticed in the meantime that more lumps had come up, his left foot covered in small red lumps. By tomorrow morning he may be covered in lumps from head to toe – I sure hope not. Well, we will get an early night & see what the morning brings.

Distance: 13.1kms, Steps: 18,687, Time total: 4 hrs.

Mr D was pretty exhausted last night as he snored so loudly for an hour, our hosts must of been kept awake! Last night was such fun. As it was only the two of us, Rodrigo kept calling the dinner ‘Romantic dinner for two!’ Then he even lit up a couple of tea light candles to create a romantic atmosphere. Mr D had joked & asked him, ‘So how long will it take to get up to O’ Cebreiro? 1 hour right?!’ Rodrigo laughed. He didn’t have to say anything. Mr D always has a way of leaving a lasting impression on people! I thought it funny when Rodrigo was saying where he was going at Christman ‘What?’ We couldn’t understand, he goes ‘ho ho ho!’ Right Christmas he meant but he pronounced it wrong with an ‘n’ on the end.

Well this morning Rodrigo slept in. The lovely Giovanna served us breakfast. There was an amazeball sunrise coming up as I went onto the balcony to take pictures & then quickly went back in as it was freezing cold! Giovanna makes earrings out of paper as a hobby & sells them. I quite liked the unusual jewerally & thought it nice to buy a pair that will remind me of this lovely stay. Giovanna was delighted that I brought a pair, ‘Now one of my creations will be in Australia!’ After our hearty pieces of toast & hot drink, we were on our way, Giovanna gave us a hug goodbye. What a memorable visit!

The temperature had dropped low overnight, there was frost on the cars & grasses. It was still pretty damn chilly, but rugged up & with my windproof gloves, I felt warm enough. We made our way through a couple of villages, also pretty, nestled in valleys, still following the river which branched into side streams. Cows bells kept dinging loudly in the fields as they constantly moved & grazed, sticking their heads up & staring as we passed. In one field of sheep I noticed a dog whom thought he too was a sheep, his coat colour was similar to the sheeps as he grazed away with them. We passed Al Paso stables where you can pay to ride on horseback up to O’ Cebreiro.

We had been walking gradually upwards as we continued on road a bit longer until the turn off for hikers to continue up the mountain. Here we entered dense woodland up a rocky steep path with more chestnut trees & more people gathering chestnuts off the ground. The whole way up we had to dodge mounds of horse poop I assumed from the horses that carry people up. The first part was sweaty work but we went nice & slowly until we reached the hillside village of La Faba. We met one American couple there & the bloke was having a laugh & saying, ‘So all that has been said about this climb – where’s the hard part?!’ We stopped in one of the bars for a quick morning tea & rest before continuing.

Onwards we climbed again, the path being less steep & not too bad to walk up. Plus we were now out of the woodlands & had fantastic views all along the valleys & other mountains. I stopped to take pently of pictures. By this stage, we were pretty warmed up & jackets & gloves were off. It was cloudy & cool – a perfect day for climbing a mountain! One bloke from America asked me to take a picture of him. He asked where I started from & then said, ‘Wow! I admire you to be able to walk that far! I’m only doing small sections. Tomorrow I bus further down & walk the last part to Santiago.’ We arrived at the tiny hamlet of Laguna de Castillo where many Pilgrims had stopped for a break. There was only 2 kms to go to the top so we continued. The climb wasn’t that bad at all! Irish Brian had told fibs about how terrible it was going to be, how steep & dangerous the track was & had Mr D worried about the climb all for nothing!

All up, we had climbed an ascent of 620m to O’ Cebreiro which sits at 1,300m high. We passed the sign before the village that says we have left the region of Castilla y Leon & entered the region of Galicia. Another milestone achievement! And we now stay in this region all the way to Santiago about 160kms away now! Once you enter Galicia, there is an immediate change in weather. It suddenly became freezing cold as the temperature must of dropped 10 degrees, with strong winds. Galicia is known for frequent rain showers, thunderstorms & up here, thick mountain fog. There is no escaping the rain now!

We found our accommodation we had booked. Our first stay at a Casa Rural which is like a Bed & Breakfast. The non English speaking lady showed us to our room as soon as she was paid. Very nice place with the restaurant downstairs, you go outside & up a flight of stairs to access the bedrooms. As it was lunchtime, we dropped our stuff & went looking for an eatery. The village is tiny but a popular tourist halt so there were tourists everywhere! They must of just got off a bus. They crowded the walkways & bars which quickly got on Mr D’s nerves. He spotted a restaurant that had no one in it. Yes they serve lunch so we gladly sat in the restaurant all to ourselves away from the crowds of people.

We had a 3 course Pilgrims menu for 10€ each – what great value! We both had Galician soup as we had to try it now we were here! I had fried trout which was a plate of tiny baby trouts fried up whole. There I was expecting one big fried trout on my plate! Mr D had pork chop & then we had cream caramel all with wine & a basket of bread rolls. More people spotted the restaurant & were coming in so it was time to leave. There was a couple of souvenir shops & I had a look, found 2 pairs of nice earrings so was happy with that. The area is reminiscent of Celtic lands & the souvenir shops were very Celtic with their Celtic music playing. Very nice atmosphere here. Mr D went for his afternoon siesta while I walked & took pictures. Damn! This village is so photogenic I could spend all day taking pictures. I quietly laughed as this Italian lady kept bossing her husband around all afternoon, taking photos of him in every spot of the village. The poor man. If I could translate what she said, it sounded like, “Stand there. No! Move over to your left. No! Stand further back there!” And that sums up me when I’m ordering Mr D around for a photo haha! So pretty with the stone buildings some with these roofs made of wood / straw type material & the cobblestone pavements. Yes, I’m so happy to have arrived here. What an achievement so far! The supermercado is so cute hidden beneath the road down some stairs. Everything is so cute here! I couldn’t even say which town is my favourite as there are too many!

And it is so cold, so many more Pilgrims arriving late in the afternoon. In fact, some were continuing onwards to the next village – why would they do that?! Mr D was bored. There was no guitar to play. He came out looking for me just as I spotted the two Alaskian ladies. They had stayed in Vega too & just got here – they went very slow! In fact, we didn’t realise they get their backpacks transported! The one with short hair was saying that she forgot to leave money with her backpack & that it hadn’t arrived. So it might still be in Vega! Well we only see them at towns eating or sightseeing. Never passed them on the track. So they were looking for a hostal place too as the ladies sleeping bag was in her missing backpack so she couldn’t sleep in the cold Albergue without a sleeping bag! We left them to it as we rested in our room which was warmer than outside! We had another 3 course peregrino meal for dinner! We cut out the starters & just had main & dessert. Too much food today. I feel sick from over eating! The two Alaskian ladies also ate in the same restaurant with people they knew – David & Sioux whom I had briefly met earlier outside the souvenir shop. The short haired lady had her backpack delivered so all is well. It is a bit sad not having anyone we know to chat with over dinner now. There is I think, only 5 of us from the 26th of September group left on the Camino. Hard day tomorrow – beat the rain & go down the mountain!

Distance: 20.7km, Steps: 28,794, Time total: 7 hrs.

Our room got very warm overnight, especially the bathroom that felt like a sauna room. We opened the window to let the morning cold air cool the room down. Mr D saw the heating racks in the bathroom & goes, “Damn! They are heating racks! I could have dried my socks on them last night! They are still damp!” I said, “Yeah, I noticed it yesterday & tried to turn it on but it still felt cold.” Then I touched it & it was quite warm! I had turned it on alright & it had been on all night heating up the place, hilarious! Geez we were so tired yesterday!

We went down for breakfast & the breakfast buffet was pretty good, not as extravagant as the other Parador, but we wolfed down a hearty breakfast. Mr D’s welt lumps had gone down considerably which was a relief. His only concern was the one on the ankle. It was still big with a hard red lump in the middle. He hoped it wouldn’t burst & blister while he was walking. We left late at 8.30am after paying for our expensive stay. Feet were still feeling sore as we set off out of town, over the bridge where there is 3 options to take: Dragonte – hardest goes over 3 mountains & is 32kms long. Pradela – scenic route over one mountain before rejoining main route. Takes an extra couple of hours. Pereje – main Camino route that follows the main highway. Easy but noisy walk.

I was pretty keen on the Dragonte route but Mr D wasn’t, “It’s too long & the climb too high! And it’s not marked well!” So we agreed on the Pradela route which is still a challenge & takes longer time than the flat route. So we set off up the very steep incline. One man in his car was trying to tell us we were going the wrong way, but we told him this is another Camino route. The steepness soon eased into a gradual climb on dirt rocky paths, winding up & around. Views out over Villafranca & the Valcarce valleys & the noisy highway below. We have been so blessed with good weather. Another cool day with slivers of clouds breaking up the blue sky. Soon I was removing my jacket & gloves as I quickly warmed up.

I didn’t rush it taking my time to take pictures & admire the views. We had the mountain all to ourselves as we saw no other Pilgrims on the same route. We climbed into an area full of pine trees with the lovely smell of pine, the birds chirping & the distant noise of motor vehicles far below. We climbed 400meters & was at the highest point of 930meters. Heading down we moved into chestnut woodlands & passed two cars – up on the mountain?! What & how did they get up here?! People drive up & they take their baskets & fill them up with chestnuts fallen from the trees. Well we came to a junction where we were meant to go left but turned right, following the arrows 1km into the town of Pradela & the new Albergue. Feeling annoyed, we had to u-turn around & head back to the track. Waste of time & extra walking! We rejoined the track & headed down a steep descent, passing more chestnut pickers & one person that had come up with his donkey & tied the donkey to a tree while he went chestnut picking.

Descents take so long when you just want to get to the bottom! It hurts the knees, legs & feet. It was already lunchtime & I was getting hungry! After more downhill walking which seem to go backwards & around, we arrived in Trabadelo where the route rejoins the Camino route called Pereje. Only 11kms out of Villafranca & it was 12.45pm! We walked through town but saw no food places open. Feeling most annoyed & frustrated we had to continue on, the next town 4kms away. Now we join the asphalt road again & end up walking besides the beautiful Rio river in the crash barrier next to the highway. They have built an A – 6 flyover which takes most of the traffic away from the highway now. We walked in shade where it was quite pleasant & cool.

It only took us over half an hour when we came to the Hotel Valcarce & ordered lunch. There we enjoyed our cokes & big steak & chips outside on the balcony. They also gave us a big bowl of bread rolls! I think Spain has too many bread rolls they don’t know what to do with them! By about 2.30pm we had to set off & decide where to stay. At least the towns were so close together. Mr D wanted to get close to the big climb tomorrow so hopefully we have a shorter walk. We went through Portela, Ambasmestas where I had picked an Albergue. So we went there & they said they had closed now but could offer a room & dinner for over 50€. I thought that was steep even through it was a nice quiet spot. So we moved on to Vega de Valcarce. The town got Mr D’s tick of approval. Some Albergues had already closed now for the season. But we came to a nice looking one & continued along but turned back to it. Albergue Santa Maria Magdalena. A small townhouse on the street corner. There we met Rodrigo a very warm & welcoming young man that showed us inside, made us feel at home. The upstairs had a very inviting dining room – the guitar we both spotted straight away! Another Camino provides as Mr D had commented recently there had been no guitar for him to play for awhile.

We made ourselves at home & went off to buy a bottle of red wine to celebrate walking over 600kms now. Mr D had a spring in his step, happily saying he loves this town. It is nestled in the valley with hills on both sides. He said, “I could easily stay here 2 nights!” Then we just kicked back what little was left of the afternoon, Mr D happily playing the guitar, us drinking wine. We watched a few other Pilgrim drifters walk through town & continue on. There is a noticeable decrease in Pilgrims numbers now – until Sarria at least!

Rodrigo is from Chile, his girlfriend Giovanna from Italy helps run the Albergue. They took over renting the Albergue this year from the previous people. They are both such friendly & welcoming. Their hospitality 5 star! As we ended up being the only two staying in the Albergue, they cooked us a lovely Italian meal. Pasta bolognese & salad followed by ice cream. Then they both joined us as we chatted & laughed. Mr D & Rodrigo took turns playing the guitar & singing. Their little dog, Noah was cute as & liked to attack shoes with such ferocity. Giovanna bought out a basket of delicious cooked chestnuts that were still warm. Damn they tasted so good! No wonder those people go out on the mountain to pick them.

It ended up being such a super night with the best Albergue hosts we have encountered. Now we need to get some rest for tomorrow’s big climb!

Distance: 25.3km, Steps: 34,303, Time total: 7hrs

Got a great nights sleep, it was hard to get out of bed & get packing. There was a clear window fitted to the bedroom’s sloping roof & we could see out & look at the stars in the sky while it was still dark outside. It also made the room bright with the night light coming through. Nevertheless, we had planned to hopefully cover 25kms today to lovely Villafranca so we had to start walking early. Breakfast opened at 6.30am. It was only us & Kim. Kim is the lady from Alaska that we met in El Acebo. She is walking alone as her husband works away. She said the bunk rooms were full but obviously everyone was sleeping in. There is one man in her room that is coughing, sputtering & sneezing all over the place. The two Canadian ladies also in there were not happy to share the room with him but they were told that the other bunk room was full too. Mr D said Kim was hinting at leaving with us but he prefers to walk with me or on his own, otherwise he feels he has to match the others pace. Which he gets with me as I start at a fast walking pace.

We were walking by 7.30am & set off out the city. The Camino route has changed to allow us to walk alongside the river & out rather than through the busy streets. It was a lovely cool morning & we only saw one other Pilgrim leaving at the same time. We pass through the outer suburbs & then into small towns close by. Going through one town, there seemed to be cats everywhere. One torti cat spotted me as I stopped to take a picture, ran up & started meowing & rubbing herself on me. She wanted food but I had none on me. She looked a well fed cat anyhow! At this stage Mr D had rocketed ahead as I kept stopping to take pictures. I helped out one guy that was lost & couldn’t see the Camino marker.

I could see Rocket man ahead but I couldn’t catch up to him! Nothing could slow Mr D down – he was trooping ahead to get as many kms in before it got too warm or he got too tired. My quad muscles & feet were tight & sore from all the stair climbing I did in the Castle yesterday. They were not happy with me. And today I was going to push the friendship with a long day. So Mr D out of sight now sent a text to say he’ll wait at the next town called Camponaraya. It’s lucky I’m in charge of taking photos for the blog! If it was Mr D – the blog would contain photos of the asphalt road, gravel road, rocks & pebbles, maybe some grass hahaha! And all this walking was on asphalt road with cars zooming past, wasn’t impressed with the amount of road walking, there wasn’t even a side path to take off the road.

I walked over half way through the next town before I spotted where Mr D was waiting. Some pokey small bar / cafe joint. He said it was a dive, dark & smokey inside. Also the sick man Kim had mentioned in her bunk room was there having a coffee. He did alright to get there early! I needed the toilet so I had to buy something. A coffee for Mr D for 1€, I also got for free, a tiny glass of OJ & slice of cake. The damn toilet flush button was broken too. Oh well, we drank up & got moving. We were making very good time. On the way out, there was a wine tasting with cheese – that would of made a better toilet stop! We didn’t stop as we had far to go today.

After this town it became nicer as we stepped on gravel dirt road that went off through vineyards & beautiful tall yellow trees & bushes. It was so nice & quiet without all the car noises. One man had set up a caravan cafe in a peaceful little clearing, the ground covered in autumn coloured leaves. Some tables to sit at. But it was too early for lunch – such a nice spot. But we marched on! The sick man was following behind us as Mr D sped up to try to put some distance between him & us. The last thing Mr D needs is some germ virus bug from him!

We came into the town of Cacabelos. A reasonably big town with a population of 5,500. It was 11.30am with 10kms left to go. I was pleased with our fast progress. We stopped here for lunch in some nice looking restaurant. There was no one eating so we went in & asked. Yes they could do lunch. We were the first customers. The lady took off to start cooking up our lunches. We took a seat inside, the restaurant was still decorated with Halloween stuff. Fake cobwebs, witches, big fake spiders. Even though they are fake I still get the shivers! Hate spiders!

Much to Mr D’s dismay, the sick man had followed us in! This time he had a tissue wedged in his nostril, half of it sticking out. And he wasn’t happy. He was getting impatient that the lady had disappeared into the kitchen & no one was behind the counter. Then when she came out, he couldn’t converse in Spanish as only spoke English so he asked us if we knew Spanish. Then the lady fetched a man that spoke English so he could order. What a lot of drama! Then more people came, so lucky we got there first, we could of been waiting awhile for lunch. I had Patatas aioli but I prefer the Patatas bravas. The last one was too hot so I wasn’t too keen to try another. Mr D had Calamari again – hoping these ones won’t upset his tummy like the last ones. And our mandatory glasses of Coke. Kim had caught up to us but she said she was not stopping for lunch there so with a wave, she was on her way & we didn’t see her again.

Feeling full & a little rested, we set off again by 12.15pm while everyone was eating their lunches. It was freezing in the laneways, but as soon as we left the town, it was feeling quite warm under the sun. We followed the road again – joy joy. Up, up & up we went alongside the road, feeling hot, feeling tired. We passed the last town with an Albergue called Pieros. So after that, we had to continue to Villafranca. We turned off the road & followed a wide dirt road through vineyards until we came to a small town called Valtuille de Arriba. I call this town black cats town. I passed 4 black cats that came up meowing for food. One was a young kitten that was skin & bone the poor thing. Then just further on was a black tomcat that sat there meowing sadly. It’s terrible, the stray cats must be a big problem like they are in Australia. It was too sad & I quickly walked on out of there.

The last 4 something kms were the hardest. We were getting very tired. Our feet were hurting. Mr D was slowing down…. & down…… the last km took forever back on asphalt road winding down into Villafranca. Then onto cobblestones that made it harder to walk when your feet are so sore! Mr D was keen to check into the Parador there. This one is nowhere near as fantastic as the Leon Parador. The outside looked very bland. With Pilgrim rates, we paid 85€ for the night. I was too tired to care. Our room is spacious & very nice. The first thing we did was drop the backpacks, take off our boots & collapse on the bed! We were totally spent! I took a soak in the bath for my poor aching legs & feet. We cracked open a couple of beers. Mr D stayed put on his bed while I went for a short walk around the town. I didn’t see anyone we knew, besides the sick man sitting in the plaza having a drink. My feet were not happy & protested at me, so back to the room where I rested up too. Ahhhhh! What a hard day! But we had walked fast & arrived at the Parador at 2.30pm so that was pretty good going!

We rested until the kitchen in the Parador restaurant opened at 8.30pm for dinner. There was no way we were walking into town to get any dinner earlier. Baileys & ice was in order & sure went down a treat. Dinner was delayed, the restaurant opened late, we had to wait 10 minutes to order ( service nowhere near as good as the Leon Parador ). One large real grumpy looking older lady at the table across from us couldn’t stop staring & glaring our way. Mr D was getting annoyed but managed to ignore her. We didn’t finish until after 10pm, by this time, Mr D’s eyelids were getting heavy…..and heavy…. So off to bed to collapse & not move until tomorrow morning.

Distance: 16.9kms, Steps: 24,347, Time total: 4.45hrs

We had an extra hour sleep in as Spain winds back their clock an hour today. Mr D had another two big welt lumps come up overnight  – one on his ankle causing him concern hoping it won’t blister in his boot while walking. He worries that he may have to resort to having his backpack transported or that he will have to stop walking – but he is pretty determined to keep walking if he can. We had a simple continental breakfast with the Italy guy planning on a 30km day. We are happy with our short day thank you!

We were on our way just after 8am, now the sun had already come up as we left the lovely hostal. Such a nice sparkling new place compared to the ‘older’ places we have stayed in. Not to mention they have good taste in music & play all of Michael Buble’s songs. Mr D was Rocket Man as he shot off downwards on the asphalt road to the next little mountain village called Riego de Ambros 3.6kms away. It took us under an hour with our speed skates on, through the quiet village where no one could be seen or heard. Only us two stomping through the peaceful streets. Heading out the other end, we had to manage a tricky steep rock defile descent, that if it was wet, would make it more treacherous & slippery. Through more lovely bush tracking up & more down till we reached Molinaseca.

We chose morning tea by the river & bridge, very nice spot that some other Pilgrims also had the same idea stopping there. The two Alaskian ladies we have met before were there. I don’t know their names & we haven’t spoken much. But they seem nice enough. The town looked inviting as Mr D said he could easily stay a night there. Well if we had 6 months, we could stay at all the nice towns we liked! As it was, we had to continue hoping to reach Ponferrada by lunchtime. Mr D was worried about his lumps, at least the day was pleasant & a cool 18 degrees. Rocket Man had run out of fuel & was shuffling along now.

As we arrived through Campo, an outer suburb, their church bells rang out. But not the usual harsh sound they make. These ones chimed out a sweet melody song as I walked along, now on road again through to Ponferrada, a city with a population of 69,000. We passed one couple walking along, their little kid screaming away because he chose to be naughty & the parents ignoring him still talking to each other. I was glad to soon be out of earshot of the kids undesirable noise level.

We got into the centre hub at 12.45pm & couldn’t find the Albergue as it’s location wasn’t correct on the map in our guide book. Feeling annoyed, we stopped for lunch first at a medieval restaurant & had a HUGE serve of grilled steak with chips & salad. Mr D even succumbed to a glass of vino. Then he rang the Albergue & found its location so we headed over & booked another private room. This one called Guiana was the closest Albergue to the centre. And quite a nice building & rooms. They even cater for cyclists & have a bike cleaning station downstairs with the laundry & a games room. The shower is very interesting, it sprays water 4 different ways as Mr D had fun playing with the buttons to see which shower comes on, hilarious! Mr D needed more cream for his allergies asap. As it was a Sunday, most Farmacia’s were closed. But he googled & found a 24 hour Farmacia close by, imagine that?! I didn’t think it possible in Spain. I went to visit the Castle, but it was closed! It had been opened when we were eating lunch. With a heavy heart I went for a stroll around the plaza. It being a Sunday, a lot of places were shut.

But the Camino provides as they say & as I walked back, I noticed the castle had just opened again. So in I went to pay for a look around. Mr D wanted to rest back in the hotel room due to his welt lumps with a bottle of vino. Ponferrada’s Castillo de Los Templarios is now a national monument. Built in the 12th century as a Templar Castle, it is still in good condition after restoration works have allowed it to be re-opened to the public. And what a good opportunity to look back into some Spanish history. After I had enjoyed my look around that took over 90 minutes, & spotting the two Canadian ladies from earlier also there, I headed back to our hostel room. Mr D had already consumed 3 quarters of the bottle of wine!

We went looking for a light dinner. The earliest for dinner that we could find was at an Italian restaurant at 8pm. The dinner wasn’t light but! There was bruschetta, beef & chips for Mr D. I had a yummy lamb & thyme in pasta with bolognese sauce. Then I squeezed in a panna cotta for dessert! Yum! Our bellies are growing ever bigger! Mr D has said he has had enough of the walk & wished we were finishing in Santiago tomorrow! I’m still excited, each day is different, new towns to go through, different people you meet. And this stage is great, we have flat roads, mountains, lush greenery & more yet to come. And what will tomorrow bring – I wait to find out!

Distance: 14.3km, Steps: 21,121, Time total: 4.5hrs

Last night, that Irish man Brian was a devil. He paid for a 4th jug of wine & filled my glass to the top! We all protested as our glasses were filled. Gonzale was going on in Spanish, it sounded like he was talking about the next days walk. Brian looked to Mr D to translate. I don’t know why, but Mr D always gets stuck as the translater! He pulled out his phone app that translates English to Spanish or Spanish to English but it didn’t work well yet again. It couldn’t translate what Gonzale said as he spoke too fast & too much! Well it was all pretty funny & it was pass 10pm – our bedroom curfew. The man there wanted to lock up so he hurried us along to finish our drinks & sent us up to bed like naughty children! surprisedly,  the other night, the Albergue was totally full & last night only 4 of us! I’m glad we weren’t with the big group of people.

So I slept through to almost 7am again! Mr D was not in good spirits when he got up. His lumps had spread. Now he had 4 big red lumps running across his shoulders & back making it itchy & uncomfortable with a backpack on. We packed & had a pretty simple breakfast downstairs. Cuppa tea wasn’t the best. Then we had to get moving – it was 8.15am & the sun was starting to rise. I took off in front watching the beautiful sunrise unfolding over the mountains & valleys. The towns cats had all congregated for a kitty meeting in the middle of the walkway & I had disturb them as they quickly fled in all different directions. I arrived at the Cruz de Ferro which was only 2 kms away, but it was behind trees & no sunrise came through  so I trooped back down the path where I watched the sun rise over the horizon just in time.

So the Cruz de Ferro is a well known monument on the Camino. A tall wooden pole with a cross at the top, on top of a big pile of rocks, pebbles & stones. Well it wasn’t what I was expecting at all. It was a lot smaller on a little hill of rocks with a road right beside it so people can just drive up to it. People leave a stone or token they have bought from home on the growing pile already there. It can represent a burden or pain that one wants to leave behind. We had our stones. It wasn’t very private as 20+ people were there taking photos & such. But we left our stones, hopefully parting a burden away. As I walked off the pile of stones, I did feel a bit emotional & sad. The French pair was there at the same time as I photographed them next to the pole so I can remember their faces.

We continued slowly on, the early morning wasn’t that cold & we were blessed with great weather again. Clear skies, fantastic views out over the valleys & mountains. We decided to put in a short day to enjoy the mountains more instead of rushing up, over and down in a day that most people do. We arrived at an abandoned mountain village called Manjarin. Population: 1! Amongst the crumbled remains of houses that once stood long ago was one house, one man that runs a donativo Albergue in his home. No electricity, runs off solar panels & fireplace for warmth. Limited water supply. Here is someone living on very basic means – like going back to the old, old days when there was nothing, but with the views of mountains everyday. The village so peaceful & quiet in between his cows mooing loudly to each other.

Not wanting to hang around in that strange little crumbling house, we moved on. Back to the scenic views & pleasant temperature. We were looking for Punto Alto – the highest point side track that we couldn’t see. I spotted a track going up to a group of rock cairns & walked through bush to the track. It doesn’t look like many people go up there – probably because they can’t find it. It’s not signposted. But at the top we got 360 degrees view all around. I could see Ponferrada a large town, in the distance. Feeling happy about finding a nice spot, we again moved on. It was getting close to midday & we hadn’t made much progress. I was getting hungry!

It was all downhill from there to El Acebo. Steep in places. Full of loose rocks & slippery gravel. We carefully made our way down. It was a real workout for the calf muscles. They were starting to burn. The sun was getting hotter. My long pants kept slipping down & I had to keep pulling them back up. The mountain village of El Acebo looked real nice coming into it. A simple village with everything running off the one Main Street. We spotted the French pair having their lunch & waved as we passed through. The Albergues looked nice but I was looking for the Albergue on the advertisement poster – brand new, swimming pool, beaut views. It was right at the other end, going out of town – so worth it!

La Casa del Peregrino – a fancy smancy new hotel, restaurant, bar, Albergue rolled into one overlooking the valleys & mountains. So we booked in & decided to treat ourselves to a luxury double bed room with our own ensuite bathroom. It costed 30€ more. A rather delightful room to spread our gear out in & organise ourselves. A fair amount of dust went in the air as I pulled my socks off my feet. This walk so far had been predominantly dry & dusty. Then we had a nice simple lunch with beer. Mr D’s lumps were feeling worse afterwards so now he thinks it’s the beer. Could be the bread. Could be the tons of dirt & dust out here. Still could be bed bug bites. So now he won’t eat bread or drink beer.

When we decided on a Baileys drink later, Mr D confused the Spanish bar women asking for Baileys ice cream – no! Baileys Irish cream. Confused looks. Baileys ice cream – no! Baileys Irish Cream. Sometimes you are just too tired to communicate properly! We got there in the end & enjoyed the views. I couldn’t believe even at 3pm the Pilgrims still went marching by on the hot road under the hot sun. They pass this beautiful spot! They don’t know what they are missing! Shhhhhhh – must not tell everyone this hidden little gem! We also checked out the swimming pool. Was it the blue colour as in the poster? No it was green tinted, bit dirty not recently maintained as is not the season for swimming. Shame, it was warm enough for a swim!

We had a simple but nice peregrino meal at peregrino hour of 6.30pm at a table with 9 of us. Mr D & I only chatted to one bloke from Italy that walked 35kms today – Crazy! And one woman from Alaska. I know everyone’s Camino is different but there’s no way I want to do 35kms in a day – I wouldn’t stop until dark at the rate I walk taking so many photos! And we didn’t get carried away on the red wine either. Mr D even confessed he drank too much last night. So an early night, rest up & see what tomorrow brings us……