Scores on the doors 27.7 km 204m and 774m down
We only have approximatly 10 miles to go! (so have to average 2.5 miles a day to get to Santiago). So God willing we will arrive tomorrow.
We had a reasonable nights sleep, however, over the last few days I have been bitten all over by mosquitos my left arm must have 20 bites, as well as bites on my back, bottom stomach and feet. They itch like mad and so at 3am I was taking anti-histemine to try and get some relief.
We had a leisurely start, setting off at 8:15. We walked for about 7km before finding anywhere to stop for breakfast, we had been joined by an American living in South Africa who regailed us with tales of trips on a number of different camio routes. The km's passed quickly but we were begining to think we would not be getting any breakfast, when a bar came into sight. The seats outside awash with pilgrims.
Breakfast over we carried on traveling on woodland tracks never very far from the Santiago to Lugo road, which we occationaly walked alongside, the KM posts slowly being counted off.
After a couple more hours we stopped for cokes and to rest our feet, where we were joined by the tall "German" and his wife, who turned out to be Norwegian! (well how were we to know, they spoke German and their guide book was in German). It turned out that over three years they had walked from the otherside of Switzerland.
Suitably impressed we carried on
and stopped about 1/2 later to eat our lunch, a massive ham and cheese pie Lesley had seen in the supermarket for 3€.
As we entered the village of Arca (Pedrouzo) there was an information booth set up by the Santiago Hoteliers Association where in English we were able to book a hotel in Santiago for a couple of nights and also one in the village of Amenal for today.
We arrived at a very nice hotel, to get in we had to use an intercom as the door was locked. When we eventually got in to the locked reception we were met by this sign
And it's fellow about checking out
We checked in and were given a pleasant room, but when after showers and laundry we went to the bar, we were told it was closing, but we could have takeaways. I protested that we were guests and were grudgingly given glasses, we then ordered all we thought we might want to drink. Lesley wanted an ice cream to be told the cook had the key to the freezer! I then asked what time food to be told 8 pm, all this from a hotel which is supposed to be 2 star. Our fellow pilgrims staying hear, the Norwegians and a very nice Austrian are not impressed. Hopefully the food will be worth waiting for.
At eight we went down to eat, as well as the Norwegians and Austrian there was another couple as well all talking together, it transpired that they were also Norwegian and our Austrian friend actualy lived in Norway and was a fluent Norwegian speaker. I wonder what the odds were on us spending an evening with five Norwegians? As I would guess that as a percentage of pilgrims their numbers are as small as the English.
The menu was al a carte, and the food good and plentiful, we expected to pay more than our usual 10€ each but a bill of over 80€ was a bit of a shock, They had charged us for 7 bottles of wine, I like my wine but even I couldn't drink 7 bottles in one sitting! On comparing bills all the others had also been given incorect bills. As we seven were the only customers at that time it did seem a tad suspicious!
But all in all we had a very nice enening with good food and excelent company.
We only have approximatly 10 miles to go! (so have to average 2.5 miles a day to get to Santiago). So God willing we will arrive tomorrow.
We had a reasonable nights sleep, however, over the last few days I have been bitten all over by mosquitos my left arm must have 20 bites, as well as bites on my back, bottom stomach and feet. They itch like mad and so at 3am I was taking anti-histemine to try and get some relief.
We had a leisurely start, setting off at 8:15. We walked for about 7km before finding anywhere to stop for breakfast, we had been joined by an American living in South Africa who regailed us with tales of trips on a number of different camio routes. The km's passed quickly but we were begining to think we would not be getting any breakfast, when a bar came into sight. The seats outside awash with pilgrims.
Breakfast over we carried on traveling on woodland tracks never very far from the Santiago to Lugo road, which we occationaly walked alongside, the KM posts slowly being counted off.
After a couple more hours we stopped for cokes and to rest our feet, where we were joined by the tall "German" and his wife, who turned out to be Norwegian! (well how were we to know, they spoke German and their guide book was in German). It turned out that over three years they had walked from the otherside of Switzerland.
Suitably impressed we carried on
and stopped about 1/2 later to eat our lunch, a massive ham and cheese pie Lesley had seen in the supermarket for 3€.
As we entered the village of Arca (Pedrouzo) there was an information booth set up by the Santiago Hoteliers Association where in English we were able to book a hotel in Santiago for a couple of nights and also one in the village of Amenal for today.
We arrived at a very nice hotel, to get in we had to use an intercom as the door was locked. When we eventually got in to the locked reception we were met by this sign
At eight we went down to eat, as well as the Norwegians and Austrian there was another couple as well all talking together, it transpired that they were also Norwegian and our Austrian friend actualy lived in Norway and was a fluent Norwegian speaker. I wonder what the odds were on us spending an evening with five Norwegians? As I would guess that as a percentage of pilgrims their numbers are as small as the English.
The menu was al a carte, and the food good and plentiful, we expected to pay more than our usual 10€ each but a bill of over 80€ was a bit of a shock, They had charged us for 7 bottles of wine, I like my wine but even I couldn't drink 7 bottles in one sitting! On comparing bills all the others had also been given incorect bills. As we seven were the only customers at that time it did seem a tad suspicious!
But all in all we had a very nice enening with good food and excelent company.
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