Every morning, Ste. Jillian, Ste. Julie and I venture into the brisk Galician morning in total darkness for about 45 minutes. My only aid is my blue Maglite that was a gift at one of the Parsons Company Golf Tournaments when Mike D'Antuono was their glorious leader. Those were the days. . .
The 23 Koreans all hand washed their clothes tonight but decided to dry them all together in the albergue's only dryer at the same time! After two hours, they were still wondering why all of their clothes were still wet and everybody else was staring at them with daggers.
Spaniards are short people by nature so all of their doorways are shorter as well. My head is a series of bumps and bruises from banging my head into doorways constantly. I hit my head all three times I used the servicios during the night.
A correction, I believe that Galicia is actually a region and we have been walking in the Province of Lugo or vice versa perhaps.
STAGE 31
Palas de Rei to Ribadiso
26.4 km/16.4 miles
Time Walked, 6:24
Total Distance Walked, 755.8 km/469.6 miles
Total Time Walked, 182:40
31 Nights in Albergues, 187 Euros
Distance to Santiago de Compostela
42.8 km/26.6 miles
A bit of a late start today as Team North America did not embark until 7:13 a.m. Our goal today was Ribadiso, population a highly guarded military secret!
On the way we left the region or province of Lugo and entered A Coruña. We crossed six river valleys along the way, mostly on stunning wooded pathways. Can Galicia get any better than today?
At about the halfway point, we entered the relatively large city of Melide. It is a Sunday which usually means that everything is closed but, no, quite the contrary here. Not only are all the stores open, they are having a massive street fair/farmer's market. The reason was simple really, this weekend is a FESTA and the city is alive!
Do you know how good cream filled, chocolate covered Galician churros are? We do.
At one of the farmer's market stalls, a butcher had set up shop selling one thing only, pig. ALL the pig including their heads. I asked an elderly couple, o.k. they were my age, about how you prepare a pig's heads for eating.
Their answer was fairly simple, marinate the pig's head for two days in salt water and then cook it any way your heart desires. . . YUM!
All of this positive energy in Melide almost made us abandon our plan to walk 11 more kms and get an albergue in Melide. Instead we opted to push on, get to Ribadiso, check into our albergue and then take a taxi back to Melide for the evenings festivities.
As I write this, we are fat and sassy after a good lunch and too tired to even get into a taxi. We may rally but I doubt it greatly.
Our albergue's setting is the best we've had on the entire Camino. A gentling moving stream goes under a Roman bridge right outside our window. The albergue is surrounded by rolling farmland, very relaxing indeed!
We will arrive in Santiago de Compostela in just two more days, AMAZING!
VAMOS BIEN!
BUEN CAMINO!!!
3 comments:
YOU are amazing!
Creme filled, chocolate covered Churros? MUY SABROSO!!!!!
I want one, hehe.
Only a marathon to go! Adelante!
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