Not many mornings on the Camino have begun without coffee so we stopped just down the street. We both had a huge croissant as well. Yum!
Walking out of town, we began talking with a woman from Germany. We shared plantar fasciitis stories. She took a few days rest in the beginning, was shown a stretch by an Austrian, lightened her pack twice and now sends it forward; she will reach Santiago in a few days. In the early 80's beginning when she was 12 yrs. old, her parents participated in a program to invite single Army soldiers into their home at Christmas time. One soldier became a favorite and they are in touch with him to this day.
Next we came upon a young couple from Norway. We walked and talked with them for a couple of miles.
We walked through a boggy area and the frogs were really serenading us. I made a very short video which I will put up when we get home. I have never heard so many frogs. Maybe this link will work. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=elXp3vZq5-E
We walked on soft paths today lined with trees. It was very nice.
I think we walked about 6 miles before there was a little bar and so we stopped. It was doing a good business. We had our first empanada and maybe our last. Saw the young college girls from Marquette, the German woman pulled in as well as the couple from Norway. I think there were at least 30 of us enjoying a break.
I think this day will go down on the blog as the most chatty. We came upon a young man from Japan and talked with him for a couple miles before arriving in Melide. He is a marathon runner and had planned to run the Camino in the course of two weeks. However one of his knees began to hurt after Roncesvalles coming over the Pyrenees so he punted and changed his plan. He was very interested in the Appalachian Trail and asked many questions. This is the bridge we crossed entering Melide.
When we arrived in Melide (after walking 10 miles), we asked a taxi driver if he could give us directions to our hotel. He said it was 6 kilometers (3.6 miles) back. We had walked by it! Well, not exactly -- it was across the highway and when we rounded a curve coming off a path onto a small road we bypassed the highway. We stopped to chat with a couple from Canada who were taking a break and continued on. Trees and buildings blocked the hotel but the major issue was the fact we thought the hotel was in Melide because booking.com listed it so. In reality it was before Melide. We took the taxi backwards (good thing we are almost to the finish, huh?). That's a first for this adventure. Stoney was in total disbelief but I convinced him the taxi driver was telling the truth. The place was closed when we arrived about 11:15 am but there were two backpacks on the porch which had been delivered by a bag transport company so we knew it would open some time. We sat down in chairs to wait. In about 45 min. The woman arrived and checked us in.
We have had quite a rest day here. There is no small grocery store for Stoney to shop. There are two small bars which serve food and a larger restaurant with some rooms and the place we are staying which is the largest. There is also a large junk yard for cars; the first we have noticed.
A large German bus stopped here with a group trip of 14 days. Each day they walk the Camino for 5k, get back on the bus and ride 10k, get off for 5K more and spend the night at a hotel. They eat and drink on the bus. They start each day at 9 am and end at 3:30 pm. A priest accompanies them. Tonight they arrive in Santiago. There are lots of ways to travel the Camino.
We saw this couple and their inventive bag hauler today. It was moving quite easily over stones as we passed by them. I hope this video link works. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB93U2mhC9c
We also saw this loving group of people pulling/pushing a woman.
And we saw this three wheeler.
We have also seen a couple with a young child in an all-terrain stroller. I have a pic somewhere of them.
And the woman we saw last night carrying the bird cage coming out of the grocery, she is walking the Camino. We saw her today. She almost got too far away before I could grab my camera so it is enlarged and blurred.
Had a delightful dinner with a couple from the Netherlands who walked out of their home on March 1st and will arrive in Santiago on Pentecost, this Sunday. They have been married 47 years. Also dined with Alice (originally from Nebraska) but has lived off and on in Oxford, England for 28 years.
Thus ended a great day on the Camino.
That's Stoney hanging our socks and my jacket on the line.
