It’s interesting how pilgrims begin to scramble the closer they get to Santiago. We had, yet again, a beautiful night’s rest and were surprised to see a mere three pairs of shoes in place of the 40-some odd that were on the rack last night. Yes, it was 7:30 am when we left the cafe (having finished a coffee at last night’s cafe), but it’s a bit surprising to us still how slowly some pilgrims walk and how soon we would surpass them.
Sunrises over churches are very beautiful. This one offered a stamp, but Mikey’s credential had few places available for places which meant little to us.
We still follow the arrows, but are making the most of the beautiful scenery surrounding them. Santiago de Compostela is out there – somewhere. But for now, it is a beautiful vista unadulterated by anything else.
Yes, we did encounter other pilgrims from time to time, but this was nothing like the crazy herding of the Camino Frances. Instead, we passed them gently and wished all a good morning.
Yeah, there were some asses who stood out. Oh, we made sure to greet them, too. (OK, let’s be real – this guy was just adorable!)
But, as Abigail Adams would implore, we must “remember the ladies.” As such, these happy white and black gals were as equally curious of us as we were of them. Yeah, it was definitely odd to meet bicolored bovines after more than a month of solidly colored cows.
Well, we also saw some new things like more solidly built hórreo that might just be in use still. But, who knows? The beauty of Galicia is that all options remain on the table, so to speak.
Speaking of which, we reached the pueblo of Bandeira and ordered a beer. Oh, dear – an order of Ensalada Rusa with bread accompanied the 1€ beer. Yeah, it’d be pretty rad to stay here tonight, but we had to continue on our 30km route.
Again, we encountered some nicely forested paths and were passed by one seemingly outspoken (and perhaps crazy – based on his overtly glib rambling) pilgrim. Still, the beautiful scenery was quite entrancing.
Finally, we reached our destination for the day. After crossing a beautiful bridge over a river, we found accommodations in the pueblo and were able to rest before seeking out some wonderful food offerings.
The “Caldo Gallego” was done extremely well. As per the ham, beans, chorizo, potatoes, veggies, turnips, and many other ingredients, this dish was spot on concerning the palate.
Likewise, the fried local fish with a small salad really made the meal. Maybe there’s something about dining near a river.
Ob, and the local mussels were quite attractive in their simplicity.
Yes, we will walk into Santiago tomorrow, but the niceties of the present far outweigh whatever future is planned for us at the moment. Bring it on, culinary gods. ¿Hasta entonces?
Mikey on The Way 