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.
So today we got a bit later start than usual since breakfast wasn't being served until 7:30. We had a quick bite because neither one of us was too hungry. It was really warm in the room last night and since they don´t have air conditioning I had some difficulty getting to sleep. Right after breakfast we left and I had my pedometer app going so that I could record exactly the number of steps and how far I walked (mainly because our hotel was a ways from where the Camino started today). We made our way through town and got on the path.
So yesterday I had thought to myself that we were trailing downhill a lot and at some point the opposite was more than likely to happen. Well it seemed that it all happened within the first 2 km of today´s walk. It was all uphill with a steep 60 degree grade that was nothing more than a narrow track through the woods with rocks, wet dirt and tree roots. Though the climb was a bit of struggle, it was rather cool in the woods. Our walk continued along a dirt track past some farmland and back and forth crossing highways all the while following the dirt tracks. Today it started to get warm early. Unfortunately, there were not a lot of wooded areas nor were there trees as most of this part of the Camino follows along the roads.
Just before Gonzar I was walking through a pine forest carpeted with ferns and bracken and I thought that this very forest probably hadn´t changed much since primordial times when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. The plants were obviously the same as the ferns and trees which would have been found back then as witness by some of the fossils I´ve seen, and it was dreadfully humid just like would imagine it would have been. It seemed to take forever to reach Gonzar where there was a washroom. I was in desperate need after having drunk almost a litre of water. It was a great relief to finally get a health break. That was when I had my second cappucino of the day and it helped me to keep going.
We got back on the road again and passed the hamlet of Castromaior. As we turned the corner we saw it: another 60 degree hill (only this one was paved). Carleana and I looked at each other and said to her that I was going to take 15 steps with my walking stick and drink some water, then I would start again. So I started off counting in Spanish, then in Italian, then in French, then in English, then in Italian and in Spanish. By that time I got to the top I stopped and took a good long drink and gathered my wits before moving on. Seriously, I´m not going to break any land speed records for completing the different stages of this Camino but I will finish each and every stage.
At the next little hamlet, Carleana asked if we were there and it broke my heart to tell her that we still had a little over 2 kms to go. She has been struggling with blisters caused by her shoes and has rarely complained, but today the pain was more than she could bare. I honestly don´t know how she managed to complete this stage of the Camino. I mean I was always bringing up the rear and she just kept on going. At some point during the day, she asked if I could go with her to by a pair of walking sandals, of course I agreed. This was not completely altruistic as I needed to find a long sleeved t-shirt to wear in the mornings since my yellow sweater was way too hot.
Finally we reached Ventas de Naron. We made in a little over 4 hours and we had walked from our hotel door to Ventas de Naron a total of 13.875 kms. I have to say it was not the most pleasant of walks today because there was very little to see. There were a number of spots along the way that were breathtaking and worth every step that I took. The only other thing that kept me going was my British playlist. Thank you Elton, Def Lepperd, Eric, Billy and all the rest.
Once we got to Ventas de Naron I pulled out the card with the taxis phone number, there were two numbers, so I tried the first and got no joy. Then I tried the second and the person who answered said that she had no taxis available. So I told Carleana and she reminded me that she had taken a picture of some of the taxis parked in the plaza at Portomarin which showed a telephone number. So I called the number and stumbled through getting us a taxi in Spanish. At first the woman who answered wasn't going to send one because there was already a taxi in Ventas de Naron. I had already inquired about hiring that one but the girl in the cafe told me that the driver was not available. So I did my best to explain this to the woman on the phone. She finally agreed to send me a taxi but she wanted to get the name of the cafe (this took a few minutes because I couldn´t figure what the cafe's name was, eventually I got it).
When the taxi driver arrived, we got in the taxi. He suggested that someone might want to sit in the front but we said that was okay. It was okay until I realized that this was a big tall guy and the room in the back seat behind him was not that much. Note to self: two people in a European taxi--one in the back and one in the front. The saddest part was that the drive back to Portomarin was only about 15 minutes!
So we took a few minutes to regroup in the hotel, and then went in search of Carleana´s shoes and my t-shirt. We were successful with both and then went back to the hotel for some lunch. Carleana had a cheese sandwich and I had a pizza with ham, mushrooms and cheese on a thin crust. Yes pizza two days in a row!!!!!!
After lunch we went for a dip in the pool--it was freezing when we first got in but it was refreshing after swimming a couple (two) laps. We sat in the lounge chairs for a few minutes to dry off. Once we got a little dry and before we could fall asleep and become lobsters we headed back to our room. We got changed and headed off to the lounge where Carleana wrote her blog and I wrote my journal and worked on today´s zentangle.!! I slipped out and had another cappuccino (my third of the day but there are so good and only 1.5 euros!!!!!)
Before dinner we went for a short walk to the plaza and then had dinner at the hotel. After dinner we got organized for tomorrow´s adventure and our next hotel. On the plus side today our room was a lot cooler tonight so I´m sure that we will both sleep better. A big kiss to each of my boys and I love you all lots.
Keep pluggin El! Glad to hear you are both enjoying the experience thus far! We'll be reading each night.
ReplyDeleteDeke and the Deke-ettes!