Camino Day 5 - Mos to Cesantes

Tuesday
Oh what a day! OMG OMG OMG! It had its up and downs. Literally.
James said he slept quite well. Me? On and off. We had two really strong snorers in that 16 bed room. At 5:30 the first people decided to get up. And they were not shy about it including banging the bathroom doors and using the kitchen just behind some flimsy dividers. James thinks that's always pretty much like that. So James and I decided to get up at 6 to get ready. We were not so much in a hurry today because we were going over the hill and since we were not really in a town we thought we would have no street lights. James had some little flashlight so we decided to give it a go. You hike longer in the coolness of the morning that way.
James was done a little before me and was already outside. I joined him at 7 am, we said a prayer and got going. The air was lovely and to my surprise we had street lights until the day broke.
It was uphill, uphill, uphill the Monte Cornedo which is 235 meter with Mos on one side and Redondela on the other.

As much as I tried, this picture does not show the grade.

After one hour it leveled a bit (for a while) and we stopped at a cafe for coffee con leche and tostada. They even had internet but it was so slow that it was like having none.

Soon we were on our way again. This is a marker (still in Mos) from an old Roman road.

So difficult to give you an impression about this walk. Through residential areas, along major streets with and without sidewalks, forest, everything.

I love my phone/camera. It tells me that this is already of Redondela.

This was an especially lovely view of the city of Redondela and even a bit of the sea. I was very busy to take this picture (and several more) that we did not pay enough attention and missed a camino turn. A few steps further we were looking for signs and couldn't find one.
NOW LISTEN TO THIS: We decided to walk a little back (steep up again) when out of nowhere a horseman appeared about 50 feet from us. He shouted not to come up but take the first turn to the right and we would meet the camino again ... and then he was gone! And that after we had not seen anybody for a long time. You just have to believe that the Lord is looking out for us!

The horseman was right. We went just a few steps further down, turned right, went gently uphill and there the signs were. This must be the section somebody had written in the camino chat room. It was so steep that I kept walking zig-zag (or like slalom). Again, the picture doesn't do it justice.

James had warned me. After walking in the country you don't like coming to a big town. It's a shock. Eventually we did come to a part though with older house and narrower streets which had more charm than the rest of it.

The original idea had been to stay here but it was still very early. Since I had survived the steep hill quite well we consulted the guide book and decided to walk on.

Back in the country again. The residential area we just had walked through had some really posh houses though. Can you guess that it was a steep uphill again?

Through the woods, past some vineyards and make a turn off the camino to a very new (private) albergue in Cesantes. We walked about 13 km today. The guide book says the steep up and down counts for more (ha-ha).

O Refuxio de la Jerezana has 24 beds in a very specious room with lots of dividers. The lady is very nice and ... Wi-Fi ... which actually does something. We also had the option to order a three course meal which will be served at 8 pm.
After selecting our beds, settling in, showering and putting on dry clothes we have a beer outside and I can upload yesterday's blog. Both make me happy. We had asked the lady whether she had any nibbles to go with the beer since we had nothing since 8 am and dinner will be at 8 pm. Now she was worried because she said she didn't have anything but then she was excited because she thought of some crackers and pate. And that was great.

We would like to do something in the afternoon. We could go to a beach. The albergue lady tells us the way. It would be a lot of walking though. Scratched. So glad that James and I think alike most times. So we walk just a few steps back to where we had left the camino and James saw a cafe/bar/restaurant (never know what to call it).
Before we cross the street though I take this picture. In the far distance is the bridge in Vigo we drove over with the bus which seems now a long time ago. There might be the beach somewhere we could have walked to.

We cross the street and sit outside for a beer. I have one Called Mahou sin (sin = no alcohol). Look what else they brought us: compliments of the house.

I took a picture of James but he thought I should be in one too.

Back at the albergue we take care of things (washing, charging our gadgets, etc) and chilling. There is a little lounge.

At 8 pm our catered dinner is ready. We all sit outside? Father and daughter from Spain don't talk English but the two ladies from Barcelona do. One is actually from France and one from Venezuela. Only 6 people but so international. It was fun.

10 o'clock. Albergue light out. Night night.
I decided I really needed to say something else. This albergue is new. It's private and not a municipal one. Maria, the owner, is very sweet and tries very hard to please you. The facilities are top-notch. The beds are sturdy. Somebody told me that she and her father built them. They will not sway like the ones yesterday. When my topbankpartner moved, I moved downstairs too. For us it was in a good location but for others it might be too early or too late in their journey and it is not in a place where there is much to do or look at except for the beach. I still can highly recommend it though. Thank you, Maria!

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