Please be aware that I am writing this on my iPhone and any spelling errors are as a result of the the platform being used not necessarily of the operator. I am blogging after writing my journal and even if my blog is not been kept current my journal is completely up to date and very useful for when I blog.
This morning when my alarm went off it took a few minutes to sink in; then I remembered where I was and what I was doing. I put away as much as I could, got dressed and then we went down with our suitcases. Then we went back up to get out stuff and we were off.
We had to tag on an extra km because our hotel was off the Camino track. Eventually we got to the day's start for our walk. We walked through the city streets to a dirt track with rocks sticking out until we arrived at a lovely church where we went inside for a look around.
The path continued on and the trees looked like a trellis only it continued for quite a ways. We walked down the forest track until we reached Boente de Arriba where we stopped for a health break and a drink. We got back on the road and walked through some truly amazing and mind blowing vistas. Two places stand out because they were so lovely: t he first was a pool of water no larger than a small back yard pool surrounded by large boulders and enclosed by pines, oaks and giant ferns. It looked tranquil and enchanting.
The second place was even more astounding and looked like a natural work of art: there was a side meandering brook about as wide as a driveway flowing by with trees and plants along it's borders. The water was so clear that you could count the tiny brown pebbles and larger stones on the bottom. It couldn't have been more than a foot deep but to cross it were 6 or 7 very large flat boulders about 2 and 1/2 feet wide. It all made an absolutely breathtaking picture and I was completely entranced until I started to walk over it and had to look down to cross. That was when my heart started pounding in my throat and my sight started to glaze over. Ask my family, they will tell you that I have problems standing in a chair!!!!!!! For a moment I just froze and couldn't move--thank goodness there were people behind me and I had to move. With an enormous effort and a lot of self talk, I slowly and carefully placed my walking stick where I found a secure spot and moved forward, then another spot and another step forward until I reached the dirt track. Carleana took a picture and it will remain one of my most treasured memories of this Camino even if it was my most terrifying experience.
As we walked pass Catanada and Rio, the path changed from gravel to dry dirt to just plain dirt. Every once in a while we would see some cow droppings which we avoided. On either side there were small dairy farms, corn and wheat fields and almost every house we passed had a vegetable garden. As we walked by one garden I notice some zucchini flowers. Carleana and I were actually walking together at the time and I mentioned that they made me think of my nonna Umbertina and how in the summer she would go out into the garden early and pick the flowers, clean them and the stuff them. They were always so good! The last several days I have thought alot about my grandparents--especially my nonna Umbertina because she had such an influence on me.
We stopped for a rest at a spot with lots of trees and picnic tables. It was a good thing because the next section was a series of steady inclines and then leveling off before going up again. We went through a section where I had to do my counting thing just to get through. The good thing was that all this climbing was taking place in a nice cool forest track.!!! When we weren't climbing into the clouds, we were going downhill which kills the front of your thighs and pushs your toes into the front of your shoes.
We decided to stop for a break at Ribadea de Baixo because according to the walking notes we were to go up a very steep hill after that. By mutual consent we stopped at a little hillside cafe. While we were nursing our cokes, we met up with our Irish gentleman. Not sure if I have already mentioned this but he is a retired music teacher from Cork Ireland. Then a group of 3 people showed up speaking in English and we had a chat with them--they had all started in St Jean 33 days ago (a Canadian and a grandfather with his daughter and grandchildren from Calorado). They hoped to be in Santiago the next day as the were walking about 30 km a day. We left shortly thereafter and ran into the parental half of the Irish family we had met in Portomarin. They were stopped at a cafe and the two teenage daughters had been running to Arzua.
I was really dreading this steep incline which our walking notes had mentioned, but once we saw the sign for Arzua I mentioned to Carleana that we had had worse climbs. Earlier in the day we had seen this green roof on the horizon and Carleana said that that was where we were heading. Sure enough as we walked into Arzua we passed that green roofed building. We kept going into town, found a supermarket and got supplies for a picnic lunch and checked into our hotel.
First order of business was food. Then while Carleana had a nap I had an Epsom salt bath for my poor back, thighs and feet. It felt so good not to move and not to think! Since it was hot in our room, we left the windows open and went downstairs where I worked on day 4's blog and ordered a cappuccino. It was the most horrific thing I had ever tasted--on par with that fish from Sarria. (At this point I was a little bit apprehensive about what dinner would bring.) It tasted like dirty dish water!!! I drank my aqua minerala con gas instead. When my iphone battery was close to giving out, I went upstairs to write my journal and charge my phone.
By then the room was much cooler. Our hotel room is at the back of the hotel and overlooks green hills, meadows and farms. It is supposed to be a quiet room. As we are getting ready for dinner I could hear mooing and Carleana mentions that there is a dairy farm just out our window.
We went out for a bit of shopping before dinner. We also decided that since the next day we were walking 18 km (the most ever) we weren't going to wait until 8 am to have breakfast. So we picked up a few things at the supermercado and did some souvenir shopping before heading back to the hotel for dinner.
We go in for dinner and we are given like 8 choices for a starter and the same for a main dish. We both choose the soup and chicken. Both were good--it was a cabbage soup with potatoes and white beans which wasn't salty. The chicken had a bit of curry or saffron and boiled baby potatoes. For dessert I had a yummy creme caramel. Then I go back to the lounge to finish up my blog before heading up to bed and a second tub.
No comments:
Post a Comment