The path was indeed steep but it was stunningly lovely, bordered by dry stone walls, purple lavender and tiny rock daisies, gurgling creeks and pine forests.
Our ascent brought us to a high plain across which we stomped very happily to the sound of cow bells chiming contentedly in the distance, though sometimes ‘les bovins’ (the French guide book again) weren’t so distant after all. Neil is braver at making friends than I.
Intrepidly, we strode on.
Overhead, ‘le stork’.
Elevenses...
And then we were onto the final few kilometres of the stage, though surely if the road had been straight we could have shaved off a few metres.
We marvelled at the huge clusters of granite boulders.
And then our destination for the day came into view, a lovely little town nestled right under the overhanging, bouldery hill side
We found the mayoral offices closed and realised it was Saturday. Almost before we’d started to wonder how we’d get hold of the key to the albergue, a couple passing by asked if we were wanting to go there. They invited us to follow and took us to the home of the key keeper, Maria Jesus (no nominal pressure there) and she introduced us to our lodging. We weren’t sure if we’d find anywhere open for lunch, and the bar looked closed from the outside. But we pushed on the door anyway, and discovered a delightfully warm, vibrant atmosphere with a counter lined with enticing tapas and lots of happy Spaniards. Bliss!
What’s not to like about being on Camino on a day like today? We send our warm wishes to everyone who is following along.
Buen Camino,
Neils and Sarah
