More than 40 miles so far on Camino Ingles, counting about nine today, and feeling good. We’re definitely ready to stop when we stop, but worries about knees and hips have abated and we are thoroughly enjoying the views. This morning in Galicia Province was gorgeous. The afternoon got a bit tedious in the midday sun as I lost my walking companions and spent a few hours alone on a paved road, but that happens. “Sisters Walking” continues in photos and captions below.
Our lodging in Betanzos is a kind of rooming house…four private bedrooms and a shared kitchen. It took awhile to figure out all the doors, and the three keys. (One for the building, one for the apartment and one for the bedroom.)The huge shared kitchen. Maria and sister Ginny heading out in the early morning shadows. (Sunrise is at 8 but feels later in the cities. Sunset comes at 6:30.)The metal pilgrim on the hill above me is pointing the way out of town. Cute!We passed through the usual small villages…… where we saw the usual cats, not eager to interact…but the star of this day was definitely…… the gorgeous walks through forest.The main reason to get up when you don’t feel ready, and get walking, is to enjoy this morning sun.Almost magical! The beauty made me forget that I missed my 2nd cup of coffee. The cafe next to our lodging was so busy that I gave up, thinking I would see another cafe soon. But no. Not today. Along the way, a Canadian pilgrim named Dorothy (on right), who we met yesterday, joined us. She is on her 9th El Camino walk and generally walks alone.Fruit trees were a common sight today. We even saw kiwi vines! (I can’t find my picture of them.) It looked tropical in places…not what I was expecting in northern Spain. Palm trees alongside conifers alongside eucalyptus. Lots of eucalyptus.The eucalyptus trees (on left) are apparently forested here for their wood. They shed their bark, much like the crepe myrtle in my patio in Virginia. Ginny is still wearing her jacket and ball cap in mid morning. It was in the upper 40s when we left. Br-r-r.Speaking of eucalyptus trees, this appears to be a logging operation.After the logger, we passed over a highway…… but back soon into the woods.The woods ended too soon for me as I entered a long stretch of roadway with curves and no shoulder. I had been out of sight of my companions for a long time and hadn’t seen yellow arrows for awhile. I wondered if I was on the path. Well, yes and no. My app showed that I was, but it turns out I missed one of the markers that led back into the forest, alongside the road. (Which is why my app didn’t correct me. The path was that close.) I was watching instead for…… this sign that marked our destination, which wasn’t a town so much as a collection of buildings. We had to chase each other around for a while using Whatsapp before we reconnected at the single restaurant in Presedo.We enjoyed a fabulous lunch while our packs and walking sticks rested. One of the benefits of this kind of adventure is to work your way through unexpected mishaps. Like walking off-trail. Another benefit is learning about things we don’t encounter in the U.S., such as……the ubiquitous horreo, a traditional structure used to store grain that’s typical in northern Spain and parts of Portugal. These are on private property, used by families for winter storage.Here’s another example, next to a suburban house.Ice cream for dinner tonight……and we’re staying in the same lodging in Betanzos. (So relaxing to not have to pack up this morning!) Will take a taxi to our starting point tomorrow morning. This was to break up a long day that would have followed yesterday’s long day. We are grateful to Ginny’s friend Maria for thinking of all these things ahead of time, not knowing what our bodies were ready to endure. “Walk your own Camino,” they say! Meaning there is no right or wrong way to do it. Just do it. So far, so good!
For Many Moons 