Galicia!

We entered Spain this morning in a rainstorm and on a speedboat! We were the only ones who were at the dock so I was skeptical about the possibility of leaving but our stern captain motioned us aboard and so in we jumped. We shouldn’t have worried because he was totally capable and we were already wet from the rain, so a little spray didn’t matter much. He dropped us off on a deserted beach and motioned us to get going so we went immediately back into hiking mode and set off to find our way…. which we did not!! Instead we managed to climb a mile straight up a rocky path where I spotted a huge shedded snake skin and about lost my mind until I was distracted by a worried looking man who approached us from the woods waving us to go back down-no problemo sénor! He told us (in Spanish) that he had completed 14 Caminos and this was not the way so we tramped back down those slippery rocks and that scary snakeskin and headed to a soft path under some pine trees and went on our way with an extra mile or so for the day completed. Gracias Fernando!
The morning was misty and cold and we alternated between beach paths, cobblestone and dirt paths and even some small roadways all the while following the yellow arrows. Now that we are in Spain, the Camino signs give us our exact mileage in km for our eventual arrival in Santiago- the kilometers seem easier to walk with this encouragement. We keep running into our friends here and there at cafés and on the paths- hearing about their experiences on Camino in comparison to ours is so motivating! Funny how we all see the same things but with somewhat different perspectives. In A Guarda we were able to attend Sunday Mass at the church of Santa Maria, an amazingly beautiful church with statues, stained glass and wood icons. We were even lucky enough to watch proud parents have their young baby baptized- joy!! Through the afternoon we walked by small chapels and big villas, some that appear abandoned but may just be closed for the season? We were told that this area is not one that particularly depends on the fishing industry even though it is on the sea, but instead is more agricultural and that some Galacien thoroughbred horses come from here- there were lots of wild horses on the mountainsides to see and we even had a friendly chat with a little goat that we passed. Entering the town of Oia, the Monastery of Santa Maria La Real was grand and imposing. It is Romanesque from the 12th century and a sight to behold. We had a dinner in a café in the town square (empanadas and aoli potatoes) and decided to stop here for the night since there was no lodging for 15 more miles. Strange to complete 14 miles and feel like, « no big deal…could have done more! » Our legs are getting stronger and our desire to reach Santiago is increasing with each village that we pass through. I’m very excited to see how our next day unfolds because so far this walk has given us wonder and memories for a lifetime. Onward we go!Read more