Day 10: As Paredes to Baamonde

We had a delightful time at yesterday’s Albergue, one of the best we encountered on the Camino. Our simple dinner of lentil soup, salad, and Spanish tortilla was well-attended by guests (there were 12 of us at dinner).  It helped that there was absolutely nothing around us, not even private homes.  With great company, large grounds, a beautiful home, and even a swimming pool—who could wish for more?

We left this morning just after 6:00 am, as is our custom.  We walked in the dark for quite a while, down quiet country roads and shaded paths.  We had three hours to walk 15 km to our morning coffee and tortilla break in Vilalba.  

Walking Before Sunrise

 

First Light

Morning Views

As we mentioned before, the Camino was historically a route that connected local churches, which housed and cared for the pilgrims.  Today, that means our path winds around church after church, structures which are nearly all closed. We passed a few notable structures on our walk this morning: the neo-Gothic church and adjacent cemetery of Santiago in Goiriz, the parish church of Santa Maria in Vilalba (which was open!), and San Xoan de Alba. With declining church attendance in Spain (as well as much of Europe), how can so many churches coexist in one place?  The answer: government subsidies.  The state pays for the upkeep of the churches and subsidizes parochial schools.  It makes a huge difference in keeping the historical character of the regions vibrant and relevant to this day. 

Iglesia de Santiago in Goiriz

 

Church of Santa Maria in Vilalba

Church of San Xoan de Alba

And yes, we can't forget Paco's tortilla break in Vilalba!

The rest of the day involved peaceful rural paths, beautiful countryside, and few fellow pilgrims.  We passed some travelers we’ve never encountered before, but never came across the friends we made from yesterday’s Albergue. Perhaps tomorrow.

Paco on the Road

 

A Forest Tunnel

 

 

Beautifully Restored Roman Bridge and Road

Of course, no day goes by without a few scenes that make us burst out laughing.  Note the bicycle along the road, and the unique scarecrows along the way!

Now that's a modern bicycle!

Ma and Pa Waving Hi to the Pilgrims!

As morning blurred into early afternoon, we were looking forward to finishing our day of walking. We expected to finish around 1:30 - 2:00 pm.  Given that the road marker at our rest break said 8 km to Baamonde, that seemed reasonable.  NOT!  The Camino isn't known for "direct" routes between two points. Not only do we pass by every local church, we also loop far away from any busy road or highway (otherwise known as the direct route into town!).  So our 8 km walk turned into a 13 km walk, bringing us to our hostel at 2:45.

Just as we entered town, we encountered this wonderful mural of a traditional Galician man. Note the traditional wooden shoe he's holding, and the mosaic of windowpanes on his shirt.  Gotta make you smile!

Mural Leading into Town.  Gotta Smile!

Next, you already know the drill: lunch, laundry, blog, siesta, and planning the next day's adventure.  Today was our longest hike yet: 34 km, or 21 miles.  We have a similar itinerary for tomorrow.  On this schedule, we hope to reach Santiago de Compostella Saturday night. 

Nothing Life Freshly Laundered Clothes

 

See you tomorrow!