Faba

We conquered the Camino Duro (the hard way) today. It's an alternate path that some pilgrims take to avoid the highway walking of the regular route and leads straight up into the mountains. It felt so much like a Santa Barbara hike along Camino Cielo that I was overcome with happiness (and, if I'm honest, a bit of homesickness). We seemed to be the only ones who opted for this more arduous trek and the quiet, isolation gave the experience a very special feeling. All told, we went 16+ miles and gained about 2,800 ft elevation.

Tucked into the mountain was a tiny village and we stopped at Cafe Lama, which sells hazelnut bread that uses local hazelnuts, (we got extra slices to take with us). They also had kittens. 😻It began raining for the last few miles, but it was a soft rain that helped keep us cool.

We stayed at the German hostel and when we checked in the German volunteer said there were a lot of Americans staying tonight. He then paused, and, completely deadpan, said "I wonder if you are all running from Trump." Great delivery. 👏🏻 We had dinner at the hippy, vegetarian place down there street (apparently, these two are always paired on the Camino). Then read and cuddled before falling asleep. There were no snorers in our room!!Read more