Sunday 30 June 2013

Swimming on the Camino

Last night we stayed in a beautiful apartment in Palas de Rei and it was therefore with some reluctance we set off at 7.15 this morning for Castaneda. Our reluctance was soon vanquished by the sights and sounds of an early morning walk through a wood on a gravel path. It was magical as the first rays of the days sun flashed through the trees and made patterns on the path as you walked. The noise was deafening as nature made you aware that you were trespassing and at one point Mary and I stopped in order to stand and listen, in total amazement, to a chorus of frogs and toads. We stopped for breakfast in the classical Camino village of San Sullivan do Camino where we had a brief hello to  Joe as he strode through the village like a man on a mission. After breakfast the walk continued through astonishing countryside with the strong smells of eucalyptus and lemon wafting in the air and then crossed the medieval bridge into Ponte Velha Furelos boasting the oldest stone cross in Galicia but it was after this that things got interesting. The path started to climb and climb and didn't stop climbing until it got to Melide. Now last year, in the world famous octopus restaurant in Melide, I had egg and chips and guess what happened this year? Answers on ten pound notes. Photographs are on Facebook. Austin had octopus, the rest of us played safe. On we went towards our destination and met the parish priest of Igrexa Santiago who gave us his blessing and signed our pilgrim passbook. Where we are staying today is a renovated 17C mansion and it is very indulgent but I think we deserve it. It even has a swimming pool so we went swimming.  C

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