24/5/13 Cea ➡ Castro Dozon 24km

24/5/13 Cea ➡ Castro Dozon 24km 

Great walk today. We took the longer route so that we could visit a 17th Century Monastery in Osteria. It was amazing and the monk who took us around has lived there for 38years. He is a great artist and we saw some of his work hanging in the Monastery. We were not suppose to take photos but he said if he didn't see us take them then we could. He also gave us a small painting each that he had done.

It was so worth the extra kilometres today.

The way was lovey today with only a small amount of blacktop/ carretara walking and a couple of mountains to climb ! As I have said numerous times through this blog, whoever said this way was flat is crazy. I need to go back through the book and actually calculate how many meters I have climbed. 

We came across some lovely locals going about their business and they allowed us to take photos. Always a treat. It was bitterly cold this morning before the monastery tour and inside the monastery but it soon warmed up and by the time we reached Castro Dozon it was callente.

We only have A couple of nights now in albergues as we have made a booking in Santiago. Last night was a shocker, with the lights not turning off, people up at midnight in the kitchen and lots of roncas (snoring) and we will have a chorus tonight as well, it has already started and it is only 9pm. 

Oh well, the 4 Chicas have a booking tomorrow night in double rooms, so I guess another night with the chorus won't hurt.

Definitely need better ear plugs.

 

23/5/13 Ourense ➡ Cea 25 km

23/5/13 Ourense ➡ Cea 25 km

I feel like I walked a marathon today.  A hill with a 19% gradient !

It was the shorter way by 4 km but the steeper of the 2 routes.

Cea took forever to get too but we are here.

The scenery and terrain were good today, and we walked through a beautiful sea of yellow flowers for part of the way, stunning.

Got friendly with some horses and the locals.

Overall, despite the hill an enjoyable day.

My feet are really sore but we only have about 80-90km left to walk. I think I can make it.

 Cea is a sweet little town after the huge town that was Ourense. 

A quick cerveza and boccadillo and its back to the Albergue for siesta.

I simply cannot believe this journey is nearing completion, I don't know if I am ready for it to finish. I think if you speak to my feet though, they are ready for a rest.

I feel like it was only yesterday I started it. We have walked through so many different terrains and met so many wonderful people.

22/5/13 Xunqueira de Ambia ➡ Ourense 23km

22/5/13  Xunqueira de Ambia ➡ Ourense 23km

After a lovely rest day in Xunqueira, where I did nothing, it was on the road to Ourense.

Today I walked the way with Rian and Leo from Holland.

We had a lovely meander along the way stopping many times for coffee and a quick intake of food.

Nothing much to say about the camino today as it  was all on the blacktop and through some industrial sites. 

Ourense is a very large town and of course the Albergue is situated at the top of a massive hill! We are staying in an old converted convent.

There are thermal baths here that are free to the public but with 4 days left to Santiago, I don't want to risk softening my feet and getting blisters. 

Another time, maybe.

We have been told you can get the best pulpy here at Casa Pulpo, so I think we will head there for some early dinner.

We passed a Hitos today that actually had the mileage intact, as most are vandalised.

We have 115km to Santiago left, woohoo.

21/5/13 Vilar de Barrio ➡ Xunqueira de Ambia 14km

21/5/13  Vilar de Barrio ➡ Xunqueira de Ambia 14km 

Some sleep in, up and on the road by 7.30am.

Oh well not too much longer to go and then all the sleep in's I like.

Beautiful Camino walk today. The landscape was stunning. 

We were in farmland that was lush and green and went on for miles. Lots of trees and flowers, beautiful.

Took a photo of a farmer with his cows and he patted me on the bum when I was showing him his picture, cheeky bugger.

The walk was good and the terrain was great. Only a short 14km it felt so decadent walking so little but we classify these as our rest days. 

I rested let me tell you ! I didn't even do any laundry, mañana !

The albergues here in Galicia are all fairly new and well run, so after 2 medioca warm showers the last 2 days I am happy to report I had a full on hot shower that blastered  out of the shower head. The beds all have great firm mattresses and as we are arriving early we are all managing to get bottom bunks.

Hamburgers for lunch, yummo, we didn't feel like the pilgrims meal today and Brigitte cooked a great fish soup for dinner. 

I'm going to have to really start cooking when I get home!  

Stop laughing all of you who know me well !!

Such simple fair that tastes amazing and so quick to prepare. 

Who knows, miracles do happen.

20/5/13 Laza ➡ Vilar de Barrio 23km

20/5/13 Laza ➡ Vilar de Barrio 23km

Oh I just loved Laza. 

This is one great town, beautiful friendly people, wonderful food, perfect.

Good walk today, great terrain only problem was that we had a huge up hill then a huge down hill, oh well, only 7 more days to go so I shouldn't complain. The last 150km.

The weather was good today, we got some fog on the top of the mountain and that was all. Sun, no wind, no rain, a little fog, happy days.

When we reached the top of the mountain, we walked into the town of Albergueria. There is a bar there that also has an Albergue. When you enter the bar the walls and ceilings are covered in the pilgrim shells with all the names, dates, where you started from and nationalities of pilgrims who have walked this way. It is a fantastic sight and we got to write our names on a shell and they will be placed somewhere in the bar. So if any of you reading this blog happen to pass by this bar, see if you can find my shell on the wall. Woollies name is on the shell as well.

We arrived in Vilar de Barrio around 1pm, so it was off to the Albergue, then lunch.

The Albergue is a new one and very nice and clean.

Lunch was ok but yesterday was the best so far.

Was feeling really unwell yesterday with the beginnings of a cold, but Brigitte has cured me with her homeopathic remedies and I feel much better now.

Short walk tomorrow, so we actually don't need to alarm in the morning, we can take our time. 

Yeah, a sleep in.