Started off with again, best breakfast so far. John cooked up scrambled eggs, fresh bread, cakes, coffees, hot chocolates... pilgrim paradise. Started our morning walk to Gonzar, which was 5 km away. Walk went through many stinky fields - there are far too many cows in this part of Spain. Progress was slow as pilgrims suffering from aches and pains, and also the sun was very hot early on. Stopped for a coffee in a not very nice roadside cafe, where pilgrims, both old and new, looked down on the tourists who started from the exact 100 km mark to Santiago, just to get their compostela. However, seem to be attracting a lot of attention ourselves as no one else is travelling in such a large family group. Up and down the camino, there are rumours of the four sisters led by a single male.
Plodded on to Eirexe where we stopped for lunch, passing through many small villages and some beautiful countryside. Sadly for Eileen, many up and down hills. But we all had a really lovely lunch on top of a hill. Sammie especially enjoyed Sally´s pizza and Liam had bocadillo size of head. Eileen "enjoyed" cheesecake without the biscuit base, much to Sue´s disgust.
Suitably fortified after much red wine, we began the long afternoon walk. We had 20 km to go to Casanova so we stormed through Palas de Rey, where it began to rain. Ignoring the wise old Spanish lady who told us to stop in the town as there were no beds further on, we plunged in to the woods. Started to get dark. There were fears of lions and tigers and bears oh my. Each village we went through was full, no camas - note to pilgrims: listen to wise old Spanish ladies.
However, lucky break - met v nice English-speaking Spanish couple who contacted an off-route refugio for us. The hospitalero picked us up in groups on 4 in his car and drove us the 2 km to his brand spanking new refugio, with hot showers and good meals. Old pilgrims think new pilgrims have very mistaken idea of what refugios are actually like. Sammie and Liam enjoyed plates of eggs and chips (v happy petites pilgrims) which was well deserved as they had both walked all day without complaint. All exhausted, everyone fell into very comfortable beds. A bit too comfortable as some pilgrims overslept this morning.
Plodded on to Eirexe where we stopped for lunch, passing through many small villages and some beautiful countryside. Sadly for Eileen, many up and down hills. But we all had a really lovely lunch on top of a hill. Sammie especially enjoyed Sally´s pizza and Liam had bocadillo size of head. Eileen "enjoyed" cheesecake without the biscuit base, much to Sue´s disgust.
Suitably fortified after much red wine, we began the long afternoon walk. We had 20 km to go to Casanova so we stormed through Palas de Rey, where it began to rain. Ignoring the wise old Spanish lady who told us to stop in the town as there were no beds further on, we plunged in to the woods. Started to get dark. There were fears of lions and tigers and bears oh my. Each village we went through was full, no camas - note to pilgrims: listen to wise old Spanish ladies.
However, lucky break - met v nice English-speaking Spanish couple who contacted an off-route refugio for us. The hospitalero picked us up in groups on 4 in his car and drove us the 2 km to his brand spanking new refugio, with hot showers and good meals. Old pilgrims think new pilgrims have very mistaken idea of what refugios are actually like. Sammie and Liam enjoyed plates of eggs and chips (v happy petites pilgrims) which was well deserved as they had both walked all day without complaint. All exhausted, everyone fell into very comfortable beds. A bit too comfortable as some pilgrims overslept this morning.
2 comments:
Cheesecake! Yum! Glad to see there's a good upside to all the blisters!! Currently temping with for the NHS and from what I've discovered you'd better make sure all the aches and pains are sorted before returning home. You're all doing well. Keep on plodding. Mike B.
Hello pilgrims
Never mind the cheesecake, egg and chips sounds good!
Not long to go now. On the final stretch. Can't wait until you are all back safe and sound.
Not surprised that the Boyd ladies' reputation preceedes them with that naughty Pidge throwing food about restaurants!!!
Dad, Shona, Rob and Kein all send their love.
See you soon
Dawnx
Post a Comment