Day 50 - Xunqueira - 15 km

Weather: 8 - 14 degrees and predicted rain ☔️

But it didn’t rain 🙏🙏🌈

Today the walk is around the edge of what is called an ‘agricultural plain’. It’s green and flat with open green fields and copses of mainly Birch trees. From the look of the Birch groves I think the trees are grown and harvested for fuel. I thought I would be walking across this plain but the route is more around the edge in the foothills. So plenty of beautiful pathways and plenty of short ascents and descents.
At a village early in the morning there was a sign to an archeological site of a castle. I walked up the short steep road and found a picnic site overlooking the whole valley. Definitely the best place for a castle but any remains are probably still beneath the soil.
There is definitely evidence of a milder wetter climate - more small villages to pass through, and many more vegetable and flower gardens in and around the villages.
In one village there were a lot of renovated corn storage ‘houses’. These little houses are on legs to keep the rats away from the grain.
And I saw my first communal laundry - lavadera - beautifully restored. When I walked in Portugal we actually saw a couple of local women using their communal laundry. The women said they felt famous around the world because all the pilgrims took photos of them.
The rest of the walk was along old roads and tracks through that beautiful Galician mixed forest. I completely took my time and stopped many times to just be with the landscape.
I arrived at my destination at 1.30 pm. The Albergue is the first building as you enter the village (and well sign posted). As usual the door is open. I am so grateful to the Galician government for providing these amazing Refugios.
Soon after I arrived two women arrived - one was Luna, the Korean woman from a couple of weeks ago, with a new friend, a German woman who lived in Spain for 15 years and is married to a Spanish man. It’s so funny when people who I think are ahead of me suddenly turn up again.
When I went to look for lunch it looked like this small village has an early siesta - but I eventually found somewhere open for a vino and empanada. That kept me going for a while.
Later I went to the shop with the ‘girls’ and on the way back saw the church was open. There were two women reciting prayers. It was good to sit and listen. At first I felt restless and like I didn’t belong but after a while something settled and became quiet. When they were done they went out another door and I followed into the church courtyard. I found them in a room where they put a stamp in my Credential. I walked back to the albergue feeling a bit different - somehow strengthened and more myself at the same time. A lovely ending to the day.

Buen Camino

PS: It was really hard choosing photos for today. Too many interesting and beautiful sites.

Reflection on connection
I love to stop often and for longer periods to actually connect with the bit of country I am standing on - to say hello to the landscape, the trees and bushes and grass; to allow the landscape to enter my being.
On the days I hurry on (distance, weather, my frame of mind) I don’t feel as good - like I’ve missed something important, ignored an important relationship.
The three French people from yesterday said that they walk longer distances because they get bored hanging around small villages. That made sense yesterday - but today I realised I could take a very long time not going very far and have an incredibly interesting time. 😂
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