Life's a Stitch

September 29th: 22k 

Woke up to a foggy Galician morning. The uphill of 236 meters over 9.5k wasn't too bad. Thought it might be starting to rain, but it was just drips from the forest canopy.

Stopped at a tray of bags of fruit by donation. We chose pears.

Met up with Julian and Paco from yesterday. Paco was doing much better after a night of rest and arranging for backpack transfer. He remembered us from the previous day asking for the German hikers as well. Turns out Paco speaks perfect English as well as Spanish and German.

Today's walk changed to totally rural: meadows, rolling but sometimes steep hills, wind turbines, and a dairy farm. It was hot but breezy hiking through bucolic countryside.

 We had booked in at an Albergue, nestled between a cow barn and a cemetery. The hospitaliera offered us a double bunk room for the price of a private double. The shared bathroom ratio is a bit high, but all is clean and comfortable. They have all the bedbug precautions in place, mattresses and pillows in zipped industrially plasticized covers with disposable linens.

 Had a lively dinner with an Irish mom and daughter, Bunny and Hazel, along with Paco and Julian. Those two remind us in a way of don Quixote and Sancho Ponza. The dinner orders were a bit mixed up and C ended up with two huge bowls of lentil soup for dinner instead of soup and salad. At least it was very good lentil soup.

Tomorrow we'll try for an earlier start, and after that only one more day of walking for these pilgrims. It's hard to believe that last year we did double the amount, but by the time we arrive in Muxia, it will be ten days since our only rest day on this Camino trip.