We’ve walked over 400 miles in the past month! That’s why my feet are tough as nails. Walking over rocks and gravel, with the exception of slippery marbles, doest phase me any longer. No rock plate needed. The bottom of my souls are made for walking! Even George’s tender feet are getting callouses. Imagine that!

As we were getting ready this morning, George reviewed our exit plan and said it was a tricky route out of here. Most of the time it’s pretty straightforward but we are off trail and there’s a bit of navigating to get us back on track. Lucky for us, when we left the confines our plush apartment, there was a gaggle of pilgrims leaving too. So we followed suit and hoped the leader was going the right way. Yep, looks good because there are yellow arrows and we are headed back across the river.

Again, we have a morning climb. I suppose just about anytime you are near a river, there’s going to be a hillside or rather a mountain, to head up. With our sticks fully extended, we started matching uphill.

Today was another cold and blustery day. I was thinking it would eventually warm up but after my first hour of sweating and being cold to the bone, I gave in. I’m changing into my warm black Smart Wool pullover. I love this thing! If you haven’t tried Smart Wool, it is the best clothing purchase you can make. There’s many different thicknesses, but I usually go with a mid-weight. It doesn’t stink, it wicks away sweat and it keeps you plenty warm. I always have at least one layer, on my body, at all times. Regressing, now back to the trail!

Once I had proper clothing on, I was on the hunt for espresso and something to eat. There was a fork on the trail, one to the left and another, straight on. I could see what looked like an Albergue ahead so I chose to go straight. Well it appears that everyone else and their mother had the same idea. There was a line of pilgrims getting coffee and food. George snagged us a table and I waited in line.

The Barista was a well-oiled machine. As you place your order, he’s making your drink. No Cappuccino or Cortado but he’ll make me Cafe con Leche and give me an extra shot of espresso. That’ll work fine. I ordered George his most favorite Chocolate Croissant and I had Eggs and Fried Potatoes. That’s wonderful. I haven’t had Fried Potatoes for breakfast in Spain. I sat down and within minutes I had Fried Eggs with French Fries. Hmm, well at least I got my potatoes! And they had hot sauce, so all was not lost.

We, along with the masses of Pilgrims, headed back up the hill. Today was about a 2000’ climb covering four to six miles. Nothing too crazy, just a consistent uphill march. I ran into my Iowa Friends. The daughter Lana wanted to show me what she crocheted last night. A shell just like the one I had on my pack. What a compliment!

We walked for quite a distance, talking about her plans for the summer. Both her and her Mom Lori are Spanish Teachers in the States. They have the summer off and planned to walk as a family. Once they get to Santiago, Lana’s husband and both brothers will join her. Lana’s parents return home and the siblings will travel together to Germany. There they attend a wedding of a Foreign Exchange student they hosted a couple of years back. Following that, Lana and her husband fly to Ireland-Scotland-England and follow a Harry Potter themed walk. Sounds like she has a packed summer ahead.

Our next stop was Verna de Naron where I was ready to get some hot tea. It was just one of those days. I pulled out my not-so-ripe banana, just the way I like it and some crackers. That’ll be enough to get me over the crux of this hill.

George and I carried on, seeing the Israelis and met a couple of new people on the way. The scenery was mostly treed with some Eucalyptus Trees, Pines and lots of Fig Trees. This was the first time I actually noticed clear cutting. There were distinct areas where they mowed down trees. The locals were tilling the soil, getting ready to plant corn, potatoes and vegetables. It seems that Spain has enough land to sustain themselves. I heard my first pigs squeal and assumed it was a pen with many swine. There’s tons of cattle, not many chickens but that doesn’t seem to be a staple around these parts. They love Pork, Jamon, Beef Cheese and Olives! And there is no shortage of fresh bread.

After most of the climbing was done, there was a great Bar-Restaurant on the trail. I can’t really say it was a town or village because there really was nothing but one house and this Bar in Portos. All I wanted was a bowl of soup. Ends up they had Vegetable Lentil Soup. George joined me and we had two soup bowls with bread. It was delicious and perfect for a cold day of walking, climbing, hiking and walking some more. We ate every last drop. Now I’m motivated to finish up this 17 mile day.

The last few miles were a long slow descent into Palas de Rei. A sleepy old town that looks a little rough around the edges! It is near Lugo, and has 3,400 people who cal this place home. The big happening is the Civic Center, but outside of that, there’s not much to see or do. We arrived shortly after 3pm, got settled in our 2-Bedroom Apartment and did a load of washing. One of the biggest perks about Apartment rentals are you can wash your clothes. And being we have but two outfits, doing laundry daily is a Big Deal! Laundry done, showers taken and now we’ll explore this little town they call the Palace of the King. Seriously 😐

So we headed out to find somewhere to eat. I was thinking across the street, would be fine. We walked into the Pizza-Bar and could barely hear ourselves think. Lots of men yakking and drinking beer. There’s one gal who’s obviously a Pilgrim. She’s young and rubbing her legs. She says Hola and I say Hi. You speak English? Yep, sure do. This gal tells us her story of walking for the past two days on the Camino. Wow, that’s great. Then she tells us she started in Santiago!?! She thought it’d be cool to walk the Camino and all she knew was Santiago. When she got there, someone had to explain to her that this was the end point! OMG, she really had no idea. That’s youth for you. Gotta love the fact she jumped on a plane from Canada and had no idea what she had signed up for. Welcome to the Camino Shannon! I’m sure we will see you again. Santiago is west. Follow the arrows!

Everyday, I could write for hours, sharing all the stories I hear and introducing you to all the people I meet. Today was no different. But I am limited in the fact I only have so much time, and need to get some rest. When this is all said and done, I will look back and remember not the hills I climbed or the food I ate or even the Cortado’s I drank, but rather the people I met, laughed with and even cried a bit with too. Just another amazing and indelible moment on this Camino. A journey that keeps me coming back!