Villar de Barrio to Ourense

I got up a little later than usual as i only had 14km to walk today. It was a very short distance, but if I had come here yesterday it would have meant walking 34km again and to be honest I was more weary than I had expected to be when I arrived in Villar de Barrio. All the cafe bars were closed so it was a magdalena cake for breakfast and I pressed on, I came to a small village where there was a cafe, but it being a sunday I wasn't hopeful. however, when I got there the owner was there moping the tiled floor, so sat at a table outside and asked for coffee and tostada, but he had no bread, so I settled for a coffee. As I was leaving he came out and gave me a couple fo quasonts but he refused to let me pay for them. On the camino you are often blessed by the kindness of strangers.

Kelly's guidebook said it was four hours to Xunqueira but in fact I was there within three. The albergue is on the outskirts of town but it would not be open
for another three hours, so I carried on into the town and stopped for a coffee and tostada. As I had my coffee, I made a huge decision, I wasn't going to sit and wait for the albergue to open, instead I would walk to Ourense. It wa sa further 22 km making today's walk a total of 36 km, but I now knew that I could walk that distance, and I also knew that it was almost all on tarmac so the pace would be good, and there were several cafes on the way. So, I finished my coffee and set off.

I was able to keep a good pace on the road, and although it is more dangerous walking on the road, there was very little traffic as it was a sunday. I didn't have a lot of water so I stopped at the the first cafe I came to, had some coffee and bought some water. I wa ssurprised at how well I was doing, but by 3pm I was beginning to feel the heat which was now over 30° and there was no shade on the road. I was very glad to arrive at the outskirts of the city, and make my way to the albergue. It is a very busy albergue, but I got a bed no problem. The first person I met was Jan, who I think was surprised to see me.

I went round to the cathedral to get my credential stamped. I can only stay in the albergue for one night, but I had decided to stay in the city an extra night as I had a few things to do, and I had already booked accommodation in Cea on the 25th.

I met a woman from New Zealand who had not only been to Scotland but had visited Falkirk, she gave me a recommendation for a private albergue on the other side of the river. If I could get a bed there it woudl save me about 2 km the next day. I went out for drinks with Jan and some of the other peregrinos we had met along the way.

The albergue here is busy and noisy, it is also not very clean. I have a top bunk which is never ideal, but at least I have a bed. I managed to get booked into the albergue on the other side of the river, and the owner said I could bring my backpack early in the morning and leave it there which is great as it means I wouldn't have to carry it around the city all day tomorrow.Baca lagi