Ferrol

Ferrol is a little coastal city, with most economic activities focusing on boat building, and of course, tourism. We arrived by train, which is such a stress free and comfortable way to travel.

After dropping off our luggage, we headed to the harbour area and spent a balmy afternoon exploring, getting a stamp in our Credentail at the tourist office, and then walking the first few kms of Camino Ingles, back to our hotel. Pretty boring start to the walk on city roads and losing our way and having to retrace our steps.

Dinner (tapas) at Meson Mateo around the corner from our hotel and back to our room to prepare for our first 'real' day of Camino walking.

Travelling is ultimately about learning, and here are a few lessons we have learned on our journey so far:
- we are truly spoiled by customer service in Australia, especially in the hospitality industry. What would take seconds in Australia, often takes 3 to 5 minutes here. We saw this at the airport in Paris the other day and same here in Spain. I order a ready made roll and a cup of herbal tea. 30 seconds in Australia, right? In Europe, about 5 minutes of fiddling. So the lesson is; and we are works in progress on this: patience is a virtue.
- locals often just stare at you blankly when you ask something in English. So, learn a few phrases to get around. 'Vino blanco seco' is a good one on a hot day. And when the time comes for payment, 'seperato' is another handy phrase when going Dutch.
- taxi drivers are usually grumpy old men, but are ultimately very helpful. A smile (and a friendly 'gracias!') goes a long way.
- Here in Spain you need to be alert and watchful. My vino blanco seco disappeared while I was waiting patiently 😉 for about 3 minutes after it was placed on the counter before paying. Sigh.
- When ordering an alcoholic drink in Spain you generally get a little snack with it, usually involving potato and pork. Very civilised.
- Technology, if used sparingly and appropriately, is a wonderful thing. After we got lost yesterday, I used the View on Map feature in my Buen Camino app which showed our current location, and the Camino Ingles route clearly marked, which enabled us to get back on track.
- Culture is everything. Tapas; in Australia would normally involve a charcuterie board style of nibbles. In Spain: yea...NO. Locally (in Ferrol) it leans towards what we know as loaded fries. A small plate of chips with a meat dish on top, often with a fried egg on top. It doesn't look appetising at all. Once we wrapped our head around this difference, it tasted pretty good. Lesson: don't knock it till you've tried it.

I will share more pearls of wisdom as the journey continues 😊Okumaya devam et