Wine and whining

Sat, Oct 6 2012 - San Mamed to Vilacha - 25 km

A delightful day through small villages in Gallicia. Most of them didn´t have the name posted, so it was hard to keep track of where I was, though Gallicia has concrete signposts every 500 km, with the supposed distance to Santiago. Yesterday, from one post to another, they added 5 km ( very disturbing!) and they still are not correct, according to my guidebook, so I expect another correction soon.

In order to get a compostella, one needs to have walked at least the last 100 km, so there were many pilgrims starting today in Sarria. I saw one group leave the Hotel Alfonzo at 9am, with their teeny backpacks. But even though they started out in a group, they soon disperse, and the road was no more crowded than usual. I walked the last 2 hours with a group of 4 women from Calgary, who had just started their Camino. It made the last 8 km much easier to bear. It seems after lunch, the body just plows on, like a machine, but it is tougher going than when I am fresh in the morning.

 I saw a group of young men today that I have seen many times. They sometimes stay where I stay, and are walking about the same distance as me. Of course they walk much faster than me, but I keep catching up, and finding them drinking beer at the roadside bars. I don´t drink the beer, as I can´t walk with alcohol in the system, and it is possible to consume a lot of calories in beer, if it is your primary hydration method.

Speaking of alcohol, I am sitting in Gordon´s beautiful  2 story, log ceiling salon/dining room, sipping a glass of very local wine. Apparently he likes the new wine, which is consumed within a few months, and is made in stainless steel rather than oak. He prefers to avoid the oak taste. Plus, as it is not made to keep, it has no sulfites, so if preferable. I am not a conniseur, but I am enjoying this wine with my blogging. Please blame any mistakes on the wine. He is making chicken paprikash, with local red peppers. I can hardly wait!

I met Gordon on my first Camino in 2007. At that time he had bought his place, and named it Casa Banderas, for the flags he hung outside. It has taken him 7 years, from purchase to the first paying pilgrims in April of this year. The dorm is lovely, there are disposable sheets, and the shower is totally amazing! I has a choice of 3 water streams: a regular handheld, a rain shower head in the ceiling of the shower stall, and a seat with jets that pulse on your back. And it is painted an amazing red! And there is a clean bath mat! It might never get better than this, at least in an albergue. There is a roof over the drying area! And I was met with a warm welcome, as we are facebook friends.

So I sign off in a very happy haze (already!)

Have wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends, with many blessings

Love Darlene

PS bodyspeak
Stomach: I think the meusli supplied by the albergue this morning was mostly wheat flakes. I ached most of the day, but am better now - is it the wine?

FAQ

Fonfria to San Mamed - 24 (I´m sure it was more!) km, 9.5 hours from start to finish

Today was very hard - why is it so difficult this time? The blisters are ok now, but the road is hard. The first 3 hours were downhill all the way, though not as hard on the feet as the descent from El Acebo into Molinseca. Then I took the shorter route, not through Samos. It was up and down and down and up, constantly. The views were spectacular, but a lot of the route was through very rough ¨roads¨, more like cow paths, with the smells and cow patties  and cows to prove it. Sometimes the path looked like the bed of a stream. Good thing there hasn´t been any rain, or most of the road would have been mud and boulders.

I am in a lovely albergue. 4 people to a room with our own ensuite bathroom - unbelievable! We are just outside Sarria, so I expect the crowds to start tomorrow, especially since it is the weekend. All those who will just walk the last 100 km for the compostella. Dinner will be vegetarian - yeah!! and my tummy is rumbling, as I have really just snacked all day. It is too hard to walk on a full stomach. Even a bowl of oats with hot milk is challenging to walk with.

Now for the FAQ ( I am making them up - nobody is asking!)

Flora and fauna - see any? Yes, hawks today, and a salamander. Total of 3 snakes, and lots of grasshoppers and yellow butterflies.. Blackberries always, and fall crocus, figs, saffron flowers? fall asters, and a dandelion!

What do you wear? Long underwear bottoms and long pants, short sleeved merino, long sleeve merino on top, then my merino hoodie with the hood up, then gloves. I lose the layers as I go along, as I am sure it was about 25´today. Right now I am in my checked capris, as it is still warm.

Why are you doing, this - are you crazy? Well, for lots of reasons. Red wine, cafe con leche, fresh orange juice - just squeezed , in the bars, for the solitude, for the camraderie of people from around the world, for the challenge, for the fun, to be in my body rather than my head, to have time to think, for the opportunity to focus only on my own needs, because I am crazy.