Scores on the doors (approx GPS out of batteries) 30.5 km up 290m down 464m
Two days ago in my rucksack I had two sets of batteries for the GPS, one new and one old. As I was sorting my stuff I threw out the old set, five minutes later I decided that I had thrown out the good ones, retrieved them from the bin and threw out the other pair. Today when I came to replace the battries I discovered that I should have gone with my original decision, as with my change of heart I threw out a pair of brand new batteries. The first shop for new batteries was Melide (15km from our start) so hence the guestimate about today's distance.
Last night we had found a bar with Wi-Fi and so had checked our e-mail and posted our blogs. We were then joined by a pair of very nice women Dr's from Finland, and had a good chat, as we sat outside we watched a string of pilgrims visit the Pharmacist oppersite obviously looking for treaments for sore feet.
After our beers we went for a pilgrims meal at the place that most of the pilgrims we know semed to be eating at. As we ate a larger than life Irishman, (a real James Joyce like figure,) came into eat, he had just walked over 40km to meet up with camino friends in Santiago for his birthday, an amazing feat. (his start point, our breakfast stop the day before).
And so to today! As usual we set off just before 8, for the first 10
minutes it was dark, but the sun was begining to rise, the cafes were full of pilgrims getting their breakfast, but as is our custom we decided to get a few miles under our belts before we had ours.
After about 4/5 minutes we came into a small village with an Cafe/alberge we went in and ordered breakfast, the tables had tableclothes and opera was playing in the background. Out came some very nice soft brown bread with jam and butter, a glass of orange juice and a large cup of coffee.
As we ate a pack of pilgrims arrived, not to eat but to stamp their pilgrim's pasport with the albergue stamp, (a pointless exercise as they hadn't even set foot in the establishment!). One even had the cheek to ask the owner if they could borrow a pen to add the date to their passport.
Fortified with food we set off again, the road was mainly woodland track and country road, but we had got behind the pack, that was untill a sign appeared Sellos (stamp), and by it on a table was a rubber stamp and ink pad, like sharkes in a feeding frenzy, the pack pounced, suddenly the way was clear and we motored on.
We then hit another significant point, the place where we crossed from the Galacian region of Lupo to the Galacian region of La Coruna the last local authority boundary to pass before Santiago
At about 11 we arrived at the town of Melide where I got the batteries and we stopped for a drink and rest, (if it had been at lunchtime I would have tried the Pulpo, as Melide has the best in Galacia) shortly afterwards we crossed another line (all be it, one that is actually wrong, the 50km marker stone.
Then it was a slog up hill and down dale, crossing six rivers until
our destination at Arzua where we found a room and after showers, laundry etc. Went into town. First picking up supplies and information about tommorow and then to the church for our pilgrims stamp.
We the headed for a bar for a beer and bumped into the Finnish Dr's so talked to them for a while.
And then to eat, we selected a restaurant with the logo of a grinning buddha, because it's menu looked different from the standard pilgrims menus. Inside were many people we recognized including Roshine from Ireland who when we last saw her and her friends in Triacadtella were planning to go for the four day push to Santiago.
For our meal we both went for scrambled eggs with asparagus and prawns, followed by pork fillet with a White sauce with hot peppercorns, followed by pudding and coffee, I asked for a brandy and for just over a 1€ and must have been a quadruple!
Two days ago in my rucksack I had two sets of batteries for the GPS, one new and one old. As I was sorting my stuff I threw out the old set, five minutes later I decided that I had thrown out the good ones, retrieved them from the bin and threw out the other pair. Today when I came to replace the battries I discovered that I should have gone with my original decision, as with my change of heart I threw out a pair of brand new batteries. The first shop for new batteries was Melide (15km from our start) so hence the guestimate about today's distance.
Last night we had found a bar with Wi-Fi and so had checked our e-mail and posted our blogs. We were then joined by a pair of very nice women Dr's from Finland, and had a good chat, as we sat outside we watched a string of pilgrims visit the Pharmacist oppersite obviously looking for treaments for sore feet.
After our beers we went for a pilgrims meal at the place that most of the pilgrims we know semed to be eating at. As we ate a larger than life Irishman, (a real James Joyce like figure,) came into eat, he had just walked over 40km to meet up with camino friends in Santiago for his birthday, an amazing feat. (his start point, our breakfast stop the day before).
And so to today! As usual we set off just before 8, for the first 10
minutes it was dark, but the sun was begining to rise, the cafes were full of pilgrims getting their breakfast, but as is our custom we decided to get a few miles under our belts before we had ours.
After about 4/5 minutes we came into a small village with an Cafe/alberge we went in and ordered breakfast, the tables had tableclothes and opera was playing in the background. Out came some very nice soft brown bread with jam and butter, a glass of orange juice and a large cup of coffee.
As we ate a pack of pilgrims arrived, not to eat but to stamp their pilgrim's pasport with the albergue stamp, (a pointless exercise as they hadn't even set foot in the establishment!). One even had the cheek to ask the owner if they could borrow a pen to add the date to their passport.
Fortified with food we set off again, the road was mainly woodland track and country road, but we had got behind the pack, that was untill a sign appeared Sellos (stamp), and by it on a table was a rubber stamp and ink pad, like sharkes in a feeding frenzy, the pack pounced, suddenly the way was clear and we motored on.
We then hit another significant point, the place where we crossed from the Galacian region of Lupo to the Galacian region of La Coruna the last local authority boundary to pass before Santiago
We the headed for a bar for a beer and bumped into the Finnish Dr's so talked to them for a while.
And then to eat, we selected a restaurant with the logo of a grinning buddha, because it's menu looked different from the standard pilgrims menus. Inside were many people we recognized including Roshine from Ireland who when we last saw her and her friends in Triacadtella were planning to go for the four day push to Santiago.
For our meal we both went for scrambled eggs with asparagus and prawns, followed by pork fillet with a White sauce with hot peppercorns, followed by pudding and coffee, I asked for a brandy and for just over a 1€ and must have been a quadruple!
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