Day 8 - Oia to Baiona

The kindness of strangers.

I completely forgot to get some cash out at my last big town, so have been using whatever little change I had left. This morning, I managed to buy a croissant, but couldn’t afford a coffee to go with. So the guy behind the bar “bought” it for me. Later on, as I was about an hour from my destination, I came across a little cafe. Soaked to skin (it rained all morning) and hoping against hope, I asked the owner if he’d accept card payment. “Te invito”, he said. I was so grateful but managed to scrape together my last 50 cents and a googly eye - he tried to wave it away and gave a coffee and two madeleines. That coffee was possibly the best coffee I’ve had this whole trip.

As I entered Baiona, my first job was to find a cash point.

Later, as I was looking at somewhere for lunch, I bumped into Sasha from yesterday. She joined me for lunch and we chatted, eyeing up what everyone else was eating. Our neighbouring table had something neither of us recognised - it’s empanada, said the guy at the table. He had the waiter give us some, and it was utterly delicious! Despite his ridiculous designer sunglasses and insistence on mainsplaning religion to us, he still shared what he had. We had a laugh because he told us about his many, annual pilgrimages. He’s done so many, I said he should be in the running for Pope!

The hostel for tonight is as basic as they come, but it has everything you need- including lovely hot showers and a washing machine/dryer. Hurrah, for I am all out of clean, dry clothes! Esther in reception took pity of us (turns out Sasha is also staying here tonight) and moved bookings around so we could have bottom bunks. Showered and with clothes now in the dryer, I have settled down for a nap and a rest.
It’s been a good day 😊Read more