Today we set off at 06:30am, feeling refreshed after a restful night. We expect to have to wait three hours before we can have breakfast, but unexpectedly find a bar open almost immediately. It's funny how the most simple things can bring such joy!
From there the day just gets better and better! A nice cool breeze blows gently as the path winds mercilessly up and down the hillsides, but not as acute or punishing as on the previous day. We do not mind having to walk on the road for a bit. The countryside beckons, looking beautiful with paths through oak and eucalyptus woods. Open fields full of corn greet our every turn. Then we start to be overtaken by fellow walkers, all much younger, moving at an alarming speed heading for destinations way past the one we have chosen for today. As we have been feeling very tired lately, we decide to add one more stage to our journey to Finisterre, so that we now plan to reach our final destination on the 8th of July, instead of the 7th. This way we can take it easier today.
Along the way we meet three young American girls, two from Texas and one from Iowa, a Spaniard from Barcelona who has started his walk in Oviedo, an Englishman from Bideford, four Spanish ladies we have been meeting on and off for the last few days, a young Dutch girl who passes us very quickly, angry that she got lost and started walking in the opposite direction for three kilometres before she realised her mistake, and a number of walkers coming in the opposite direction heading back from Finisterre to Santiago. After twelve kilometres we come across the first bar since Negreira. It is full of walkers already, but we manage to find a corner to sit in.
Suitably refreshed we march on another ten kilometres and reach Santa Mariña, a small village which boasts two Albergues, a municipal one and a private one. We have booked ahead at the private one "Casa Pepa". Then follows our daily ritual: we check in, we shower, we wash our clothes, we have lunch, we sleep for an hour, we prepare our blog in English and Spanish, we pray for a good wifi signal, we post, we have a drink and a small snack and then prepare our rucksacks ready for the off tomorrow. Then sleep, hoping for good things tomorrow!
Sounds like a lovely day!!!!
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