LP and VQT

 Posted by LP We walked 11 miles through delightful countryside, working farms, lovely vistas, green hills and valleys…altogether a lovely little stroll Photo - LP with Arthur Lowe, a British artist sometimes living near Triacastela in Galacia, Spain  Photo - LP with the artist in May, 2022 Photo - VQT buying a ceramic Camino tile magnet for her extensive collection  Photo - young goat begging for attention and acorns  Photo - woodlands path, still a little bit misty, even this afternoon  Photo - open tatty green door  Photo - award winning honey for sale Photo - VQT and Adele (from South Africa) hiking down woodland trail Photo - sign at “food for donation” rest stop, “Stop paying attention to the things that make you tired” - I had tea, chocolate biscuits/cookies and dates (= perfect hiking refreshments)  Photo - another sign at rest stop (it’s green!), “He who blames others has a long way to go on his journey - he who blames himself is halfway there...

 Posted by VQT Another perfect weather day.  We left this morning around 8:00 and arrived around 1:00.  We only took one break about mid way at a donativo (pay what you can) very 70s looking (hippie?) stop where the people running it call themselves “guardians”.  We walked most of the day with our Camino friend Tina and a new friend, Arlene, who’s from Cape Town, S Africa.   Triacastela sign with hiking boots.   Old door.  We walked by many rural places today.  A charming crafty house.  Another small stone chapel.   LP walking on woodland path.   Mountain vistas.   Tina walking down path.   LP at green & white Camino shell.   LP, VQT and Tina at donativo stop.   Another old door.   A French man with his older bicycle wearing a helmet topped with a straw hat.  

 Posted by LP Photo - I took this photo weeks ago and have been saving it till now - it’s a road sign to which someone has added, “Jesus didn’t start at Sarria” - today we made it Sarria and this is where many more pilgrims begin their walk because it begins the last 100km (60 miles or so) to Santiago - lots of “clean” or tour bus people (with matching t-shirts) begin, so it is more crowded - we get a little bit “pompous” about people who have not “really walked” the Camino, but of course, people do what they can….its just “not right” to skip the tough parts!!!!💚

 Posted by VQT Forecast shows another beautiful day for a walk.  60% of today’s walk is on woodland paths.  We’ll walk about 12 miles today.  Last night we went to the very tiny market and bought some snacks because today’s walk does not have many cafes on the route.  The start of the walk is an uphill but nothing like a few days ago. Our log shows we’ve walk 340 miles (we had 2 sick days where we had to take a taxi for 32 miles) so we have about 75 miles to go (that includes today’s 12 miles).   Another Mountain View.   Naughty kitty last night   There were 2 kitties that the restaurant staff had to chase off the table tops.     

 Posted by LP Photo - the “ you are leaving” Linares sign…..and not a moment too soon (see misty background at 8am) Photo - the “pilgrim battles through the weather” statue at Alto de San Roque (still misty weather)  Photo - Mountain view….still cloud in the valley  Photo - Mountain View….sky becoming bluer, still clouds in valley  Photo - sunshine on Autumn Crocus  Photo - VQT walking along trail…..a flat trail!  Photo - another Mountain View….glorious  Photo - VQT and LP outside a cafe - this was the same cafe we stopped 3 years ago, only then it was cold and wet and we were so happy to order vegetarian soup to help warm us - the cafe then was full of people trying to dry off and warm up and everyone was steaming by the warmth of the fire - today it was blue sky and sunshine  Photo - LP walking along wooded trail….flat part :) Photo - LP outside what we understand to be the smallest church on the Camino  Photo - tatty green door 💚

 Posted by VQT  We left the sorry Albergue in the fog at 8 am.  Watched the sun rise and the fog burn off.  Couldn’t ask for a prettier day to walk.   Morning sunrise.   Clouds (mist)  in the mountain valleys.    Cows on the move.  Camino people scramble out of the way.   Cows.  They are huge animals.   Another Mountain View.  Sky was so blue.   We met this young woman from Korea who was limping down the path.  Her left knee was really hurting.  LP asked her if she wanted some ibuprofen and she was so thankful she alternated between joy and tears.  We saw her later in the evening and she stopped and hugged LP.   A pathway into a field bordered by a stone wall.   VQT and LP at a very old tree.   We have a nice room in a good hotel.  We were able to do laundry and take hot showers.  Met up with our friend Tina and had dinner with her.  Life is good on the Camino once aga...

 Posted by VQT Footsteps and a camera image in a piece of concrete.   Graphic or stylistic drawing of mountains and wind turbines.   Cows grazing under the clotheslines.   Highway bridge overpass.  Shows how mountainous this area is.   We survived the chilly night and are ready to bid farewell to this horrible Albergue.   There were 20 people here last night - 19 women and 1 man.  There’s a large table in a community room that most of us were gathered around last night commiserating about the lack of hot water, blankets. Etc.   Today we head to Triacastela about 10 or 11 miles and mostly downhill. It’s 48 degrees as we head out.