It is strange not to go to church but we did say a prayer when we were standing just outside the albergue at 8 am (kick out time) with our ponchos on in the rain with gusts of wind.
It was quite an introduction to the Camino in the rain. My poncho blew around and at one point over my ears. James said I looked like an upside-down umbrella. We thought about what to do (never had used it really) so I just knotted the two parts on each side. That worked well.
You might wonder why I took these pictures. It's the Rio Ulla. That's what my father called my mother: Ulla (or Uschi).
It was a short walk to Padron. Not even 9 am yet. As we had been told the evening before ... it was market time. They were still setting up in this miserable time. I so love markets. My big regret: I should have taken the time to take a picture of one of those beautiful big baskets filled with Padron peppers.
Above the Convento do Carme (we didn't go into) but first we came to the Igrexa de Santiago and we did go in. The church was built on the spot where James the Apostle supposedly arrived first time. The picture in the church is famous. It shows when his body arrives after he was martyred.
We walked over the medieval bridge and saw the cafè on the very right... The building on the hill above is supposedly where St James preached his first major sermon on the Christain Faith..
It's quite a production to "unpeel".
To be honest, I thought the rain was just another part of the adventure and didn't really hamper that much. The way was diverse and interesting as it has been all the other days.
Here we came to a sign though which said "temporary detour" and nobody knew anything about it. By now we kept meeting people we had met and walked with before.
It sorted itself out though and we kept seeing the familiar signs.
Every little village had a public fountain and something like this which looked like a place to wash cloths.
And everywhere in Galicia are these "horreos" (for storing grain and keeping rodents out).
Even the sewer covers in the streets have the shell motive on it.
At 11 am we arrived in A Escravitude. The guide book says the church is another famous shrine built in the early 18th century over a fountain, site of a miracle that took place in 1732. It was closed though because Sunday services are held now every other week on Saturdays (sign of out times I guess).
J
Across the street was a cafè/bar though where we could have our usual coffee con leche and tostadas. James forgot to say "una" though. Neither one of us could eat more then half though.
I tried to catch a little the mood of the weather. Difficult!
Ever since we started the walk we have seen plenty of these. The seeds look like chestnuts but the trees really don't. Sometimes it's like walking on a carpet.
There is so much to see but impossible to capture all. These sheep where cute but see the brown one with the white tail? Not all can be captured though. All those flowers. And the smell! Good smell!
The sun started shining and James thought to take his poncho off but as soon as he did it started raining again and he put it back on at the same spot.
We arrived at the albergue in Faramello short after 2 pm. It's a private one recommended by the book. We liked it because it was also serving food. We learned that in these little villages food is sometimes not so easy to find.
But ... no tapas. Meal ai 7 pm.
Ok, that is a long time till the. Too long. So we retrace our steps because we had seen a cafè just before arrival. The landlady was very nice. We had a .... carne each first and then a coffee with something sweet. Haha, life is good.
We said outside on the terrace first for a little while but it just was too cold. So we made ourselves comfy in our sleeping bags for a little while.
Somebody copying the password for the free WiFi from the posted sign on the wall. It is a very ... very ... slow ... Internet.
No food seem to be happening downstairs at 7 pm but I had a glass of wine and we had a very nice conversation with a couple from Germany. They are originally from Schneeberg. How are the chances? They now live close to Aue (I think) and have a restaurant.
Finally it's dinner time. This is Caldo Gallego. Looked so different then what I had before but was very taste anyway. And an Ensalada after that which was great too.
Catrin and Uwe. Buen Camino!
After 9 a young man came dashing in from the rain wanting a room. He had been to the albergue just a little further in Teo and said they had bedbugs. He was shaken up and had walked back in that miserable weather. He used a Spanish word but I am sure that's what he meant. Once again my dear husband had made the right choice!
After 10 pm. Lights are out and somebody is already snoring. Night night.
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Rain, rain! Glad is is not getting you down!
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