I love weather guessers! They want to expound on doom and gloom, but rarely is that really the story. Granite, we had some crazy downpours last night. And again this morning. But once again, we were all cuddled up in the confines of our 3-4 Star Accommodations. I’m sorry, but seriously, nothing is going to happen to us. Now if I was in my tent, that would be a completely different story. But I’m not on the Appalachian Trail! I’m on the Camiño where life is as good as it gets.

We made coffee. Well in reality, George made coffee and I posted the blog. We packed up, grab two apples for the road, and headed out the door. First stop was the Farmacia for Vitamin I as I affectionally call Ibuprofen. It’s what keeps us moving without screaming. This go around, we bought two boxes. Enough to keep us going for the upcoming days on the trail.

The rain was relentless and our umbrellas were deployed. As we headed out, we saw many pilgrims. I must admit, Pilgrims are hardcore and weather does not scare them one iota. We saw no less than 15-20 others that weee braving the elements. No one was taking a taxi or a bus! They were all walking and pretty darn joyful! No complaining!

We had a variety of terrain today from city streets, to rural roads and dirt parts. I think this is one of the best aspects of the Camiño. If you don’t like asphalt, no problem. Because in a kilometer or two, you’ll be on a dirt trail. Oh you don’t like dirt trails, it’s okay because up ahead is cobble stones. It’s such a variety of surfaces we walk on.

Just before noon, we found an Albergue that had a stupendous cafe and diner. George and I were famished as we didn’t have a proper dinner the night before and only had an apple for breakfast. It was amazing we made it this far! Funny, we have more than our fair share of fat to burn! And fat we burned all the way to San Amaro.

I had a Spanish Omelet which is primarily eggs with potatoes and George had a Sandwich with Jamon. After that I had traditional Galicia Soup made from Kale and Potatoes in a Chicken Brith. And George had his Espresso with an Almond Tart. We were filled to the brim and ready to get back on the trail.

It was raining off and on, but we finally experienced our first hail storm in Spain. I didn’t realize it was that cold but evidently it was. Little baby ice started falling from the sky. Oh my goodness! It didn’t last long, but long enough to know that we just walked through a hail storm.

We managed to bust out ten or so miles before we walked into another cafe. You might think, wow George and Kelly are frequent flyers to Cafes. Well, you would be right but so are all the other Pilgrims. We kept on seeing the same 15-20 Pilgrims and we all were stopping at every possible place that had something to eat or drink. Especially with todays weather phenomenons, we all required some extra fuel and nourishment.

George was moving good today. No really complaints besides the usual, are we there yet? His foot was sore from his big bad blister that seems to be spreading like Poison Oak. It started as one blister, then grew another head on it, and yet another toe. It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever witnessed. Poor guy. It’s gotta hurt. No I promise not to post a picture of his ugly foot.

With less than a couple of miles, the skies cleared up enough that we dropped our jackets. It was downright warm outside. We met a sweet Border Collie along the way. She so reminded me of our dog Zoey. She was playing with us and I indulged. I started running up and down the fence with her. She was herding me the best she could with a fence separating the two of us. It was the first time this past month that I was truly huffing and puffing. Leave it to a dog to wear me out!

We made it to Casa Herreira in Caldas de Reis. it’s a small town with lots of farmlands and beautiful churches. The big deal here in a town of less than 10,000 people are the thermal baths that have been known for their healing powers. George and I must check these out! Healing sounds right up our alley.

We made it into our digs for the night. The owner and operator met us at the door and showed us around. There’s a lovely patio in the back with comfy furniture and a refrigerator filled with many adult beverages. All for your enjoyment. You got to be kidding me, plus all the tea and coffee one could ask for.

We were escorted to our room for the night. It was on the second floor with a spectacular view of the garden below and the hills in the background. I think we’ll stay for awhile. We went downstairs and partook in the beverages. No one else was there, so we had the place to ourselves. This is incredible.

I headed upstairs, showered and prepared for a night on the town. After George cleaned up, we walked into the Town Center. We shopped a bit for tomorrow’s provisions, went to the bakery and filled up on some much needed dessert. Then walked across the street for dinner. George had pork and I had lamb. Poor little lamb gave his leg for me. It sure was delicious. No dessert, nor espresso. We were done for the night.

As we left, luckily we had our umbrellas because it was coming down. We hightailed back to our lovely home away from home, and called it a night.

I haven’t mentioned this but we are closing in on Santiago. We had been planning all along to be there by November 1st and if all goes well, our plan will materialize. Tomorrow will be an easier day but come Wednesday, it’ll be a push. The way I look at it, we should work hard on our final day. George may not like that plan but he’s definitely able to do it.

As I reflect on this day, I can’t help to think of my dear friend Pam. She would be celebrating her 71st birthday today. Last year, she went home to Jesus and is truly missed by many. Especially me. I’m so grateful that she knew Jesus and is with Him today. Happy Birthday Pam. I miss you dearly.