September 2013
14.1 miles – 29,482 steps – Rain for about 15 minutes – more about that.
At the end of our walk yesterday in Coto we finished at a delightful little hotel. The place was owned by a husband and wife. There was a bar set up under a tent outside and that is where the husband worked, lots of locals hanging out chatting. The wife was the cook, and our meal was just divine. We started with a wonderful Galician soup, kale and chicken broth, and moved on to pork ribs with potatoes. NUMMY
At dinner, we met an Irish couple, and you all know my love of Irish men. We had so much fun with them, that we went to bed well lubricated to sleep and sleep.
The Irishman told us probably the best advice we received. You can have your pack sent on to the next hotel for about $5.00 – well some of you may think it is cheating, but guess what – we were so exhausted that is exactly what we did, and yes, we are going to do it again tomorrow.
We just killed ourselves pushing it the first day, and well, heck, we are still walking the Camino, just not with 15 pounds on our back :-). We ain’t no spring chickens you know!
Today was a lot of woodland area, as well as several Roman stone bridges, and Roman stone encampments.
Not too much Eau de pig or flies, but a whole new smell of Brussel Sprouts. They grow everywhere and they smell in the fields exactly like they do when you cook them. As I said a whole new repertoire of olfactory assaults.
We have decided that I am a weather god. I HATE to wear a poncho, I am hot enough as it is, let alone put one giant plastic sheet over my head. So it has to be pouring before I will put one on, AND THEN as soon as I do it stops. So today – I forgot my poncho in my pack, Julie made me buy one while we were heading through the town of Palais de Rei. She figured if I bought it it wouldn’t rain. We stopped for a bottle of water and a potty break about 1-2 hours away from our final destination and it started to rain. I put the poncho on, got hotter than blazes and it stopped. So I do control the weather, but I have to be hot and steamy before it listens to me.
As I mentioned the first day – Galician is very interesting and often makes us just go Huh? Tonight we are in a sweet town called Azura. The z is pronounced th.
Our hotel – Pazo Santa Maria – is $117 – the most we have paid and it would easily be a four or five star in the US. All stone buildings with lots of gorgeous carved work, wood beams to die for, with wood ceilings that just make me wish we could get that type of construction in the U.S.
My friend Amy suggested that I pack some nice sandals and something to wear in the evening to go out. Tonight the place is so special I actually am wearing what I brought. Real luxury tonight :-).
We are headed to dinner now – and there is no doubt it will be fabulous. We are a good kilometer and one half from town, so dinner and breakfast will be here in the hotel.
I’ll let you know tomorrow how dinner was.
Today’s saying: Take advantage of all the options.