One more day on the Primativo

Yesterday marked my second day since I have resumed walking. I was clearly overly cautious and reached my planned destinations for the day 2.5 hours before it even opened! While that would normally not be such a problem (tea in a cafe, a stroll taking photographs etc), the albergue was literally 12 miles before the next albergue (or even a bar) and the albergue before it, I had just left only a couple of hours before and it was raining quite hard and had been all day with no promise of a break.

The albergue had a chain across the driveway with a sign saying  “while pilgrims walk, hospitallers rest. We will be open at 1:30″…..I wasn’t going to knock on the door!

I found a bus shelter about half a mile up the road and decided to just wait it out there reading a book on my kindle app.

The albergue turned out to be one of my most favorite of the trip. It was beautifully  restored and the hospitaller and his wife were really great – take being hospitallers very seriously and work hard to enhance the pilgrim experience.  He was very disappointed that I hadn’t come to the door because, in his words, “the sign should be ignored if you need us”.

They operate a small bar out of the albergue and have room for 20 pilgrims. They provide dinner for 9 euro and breakfast in the morning for 3 euro for pilgrims staying the night. They have a dining room separate from the bar for this  communal dinner.  They have a special large coiled burner that is specifically designed to cook a large pan of paella …. enough for more than 20 hungry pilgrims. I had been told that you must always eat paella with a group because the best  paella is prepared in this manner. It was proven to be true last night. They made a beautiful seafood paella served with salad, bread, wine (as always, unlimited) and dessert.

A couple of us mentioned an experience earlier in the day of a very aggressive German Shepard that was not leashed and came after walkers as they passed a house. I am a bit wary of dogs anyway and this one really was scary. I held it at bay with my walking sticks but it kept charging at me with its teeth bared and snarling in a low crouch. I really thought it would get to me despite the poles and my shouts. My heart pounded for quite a while once he backed off.

The hospitaller took this very seriously. He drove a couple of us back on the road to identify where it occurred. He will let the police know. Some people (rare actually) apparently don’t have much use for the pilgrims and this kind of thing can happen but the police put a stop to it. People like the hospitaller depend on and support the pilgrim’s walks and want the Camino experience to be safe and positive.

I left after an early breakfast this morning and walked 20 kilometers to Melide, the town for tonight. It is the most famous place in Spain for pulpo (octopus) but I’m not sure why – it isn’t by the sea. Maybe I will go try to find out. I managed the 20 km ok- just some discomfort in the left leg but manageable by managing my pace. Lots of climbing today reaching the highest point of elevation between Lugo and Santiago.

I can’t believe a month has passed since I started my walk. I would be arriving Santiago tomorrow had everything gone as anticipated. While it wasn’t my expected path, it has probably been in almost every respect a richer one. I’m looking forward to really favoring these last few days. Tomorrow I reach Arzua where several Camino routes converge with the Frances. I will prepare myself for the mass of people that will appear. I know I want more time walking the pilgrim paths where it is quiet and the pace is easy and contemplation comes without effort or distraction. I am quite certain I will come back again. There is something magical about walking in Spain.