Monday, August 6

Hola! I am posting some photos of our meal last night, which has been typical fare for the last few days. We are surprised by the lack of fresh vegetables and meats at most of the places we go to eat dinner. With a couple of exceptions, we are eating a steady diet of Spanish tortilla (egg and potato frittata), cured hams, chorizo and bread. Last night we were treated to a simple lettuce, tomato, onion and olive salad, which we devoured immediately. In Pontedeume, we ate fresh fish at a wonderful cantina. In Betanzos, we sampled zamburinas, pulpos and fried pimientos -- garlicky scallops, boiled and marinated octopus, and small green peppers fried in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. Delicioso!

This morning we ate our leftover tortilla with toast and coffee, then hit the Camino for another long day -- 24 kms. The good news for us was no big hills today, so it went by much faster. We started off in a chilly fog around 7:30, but once it burned off, the day was pleasant, in the low 70s and mostly sunny.

We are all suffering from three long days of walking with heavy packs on our backs. Most of us are now getting blisters on top of our blisters and just the thought of putting our hiking shoes on, makes our feet cry and squeal. But, it is the way of the weary, but dedicated pilgrim. So the shoes go back on and the wincing starts. I pop a couple of Advil with my breakfast and after about twenty minutes of forced painful hobbling, I can get into a more natural gait and just keep on keeping on. I've learned that it is better to keep walking, than to take many rests along the way. I stop momentarily for photos, but otherwise try to maintain momentum.

Today, we treated ourselves a bit to an early cafe stop about an hour into our day's walk. We met up with the Italians and all had a coffee break. We bought sandwiches there also, as we knew we wouldn't be seeing any other food options till the end of our day in Siguerio.

The day's walk was scenic again, but mostly uneventful. We stopped and ate our sandwiches in a wooded area around 1:30, then it was back on the trail for more fun/agony. Poor Isabel's blisters are really bothering her, plus one of her knees is inflamed. Jill had to stop and wrap one of her ankles. It seems like Jack, Jose and Marian are experiencing the least ailments - the rest of us are blister crazy.

Arrived in the city of Siguerio around 3. We are staying in the only "hotel/hostel" available, and find it to be a bit dumpy. None of the rooms has its own bathroom, so we are sharing three bathrooms for the entire floor. It's not as horrible as it could be, so I am trying not to act like a diva. I haven't seen a hair dryer in three days, so I am looking very scary! I am envious of the other girls' thick, longer hair that can be put up in pony tails- I have opted for the wonderful head scarf look. Tomorrow, I get to wash and dry my hair--hallelujah!

Last day on the Camino tomorrow - we voted to leave Siguerio at 6 a.m., in hopes of reaching Santiago for the noon mass.