Tuesday 24 January 2023

day 2 learning mode is on

When you walk your mind drifts away from functional to learning or curious mode. 

As soon as you hit a stone you find yourself in both.

I felt in assessment mode today. Talking about how I haven't fallen over for quite a few caminos now.

It's a trait I suffered from until Paul's physio wing switched me into learning mode and taught me loads of simple manageable meritorious habits.

I've been doing them since and in the last 3 years my pain levels have plummeted.

As we walked into town I felt the weight of the long shift but our arrival at our stunning apartment didn't have me exhausted and irritating but rather quite chilled. Shower, siesta and out for 7.

It was a massive day but we had paced ourselves well and when pinnochio's beckoned for dinner we were tired and would've eaten a farmers arse but frozen pizza was fine. 
The surroundings were superb.
This is a great Camino and if you don't have 30 days do this one.
It really is the Camino in miniature.

Monday 23 January 2023

Day 2 of the route to Fisterra and cape Finisterre

This has been a fantastic if slow and at times torturous day.

We left our accommodation in negreira at sunrise. Judging by the photo it's a bit after sunrise!


Well I tried but we were held up and by the time we passed through the gates it was nearer 9.15am


It was stunning and the only thing missing was the Christmas lights being switched on.
Next up was our usual what goes down must go up and yes we climbed. We were happy as we knew we had breakfast at Zas planned in our little empty heads.

It was our bellies that were empty too as Zas delivered a closed bar. There was more food on the moisture of the clouds below but onwards and upwards we sped, dodging the puddles and last week's rain.

Next up for breakfast was a lovely looking place.

It was lovely until we arrived.
It usually is.

 Like the temperature you just have to wait. It was closed on Mondays and yesterday was Sunday! We walked on and found this albergue - it had no food but it did have a toilet.

It's now 1pm. It could be a while....

Sunday 22 January 2023

it's day 1 on the way to fisterra

It's a lovely walk out of town down to the river over it and on. I enjoyed so much of this I'm already planning a return journey. Whether you leave from the catherdral or walk through the park down past the hospital, its 10 minutes before you find yourself on a very quiet lane and in the countryside. Juxtapose that against coming into Santiago and you get why I'm so hyped. We are doing it in January as the pilgrim count is low. Quite simply the Way has got way too popular and while it's great in some ways for local business I'm sure the contrary view also stands water.


We left town via the park

Stu was just getting ready for his pose

It was simply stunning on the way out of town
Many pilgrims passed us To



It was a stuff climb to cabolla

But we made it and a cafe beckons as we slide down the hill.


Push on we cried...

The river was clearly high

Then we arrived! It probably wasn't as long as it felt but it felt a full day especially when the key for the flat didnt work and our host called their partner. When the partner called the locksmith I went for a drink. Eventually we got in but there was no lavadora after all. I went down stairs to the launderette. PAid my money and washed the clothes. I would later shrink my cashmere as well by not getting it out the drier early enough but that's fine. The wee moth holes disappeared when it got shrunk. This flat had a few selling points that didnt minifest and it never got the usual 5 stars of love. The shower had no hot water and we had to look for turning on the boiler. We succeeded but no notes either on where it was and how to use it. My toilet didn't flush so I had to use the shower. A few other wee things but let's just say it wasn't as billed so no review tells its own story !