Day 8 Ribadeo to Lourenzá

We are so rejuvenated after our day of rest in Rebadeo!  What a difference that day makes.  Our feet aren’t sore.  Our legs aren’t tired.  We have tons of energy to devote to this next stage of the trip.  And it’s a really hard one!

Today’s goal is the small town of Lourenzá, 28.6 Km (17.75 miles), 3,285 feet ascending, 3,220 feet descending.  That’s a lot of distance, and a lot of vertical height. The guide books call this a "very difficult" stretch.

Paco made us some delicious lattes at the hotel in the morning, and we snacked on the amazing local plums we bought from the farmers market on Sunday.  Newly rejuvenated, we left our hotel at 6:30 am, when the temperature was 56°.  Delicious!  The early morning views were amazing.

Moon Over the Countryside

 

Sunrise Over Ribadeo Behind Us

A note here about Camino markings.  There are 2 standard types of markings: the scallop shell and the arrow.  (Sometimes, as mentioned a few days ago, localities create a third type of symbol—such as the “C---S cross”—to clarify directions.)

In most of Spain, the shell is positioned “heel first”, to show the direction of the route. That is, the heel points the way.  In Galicia, which is the home of Santiago de Compostela, the shell is positioned in the opposite direction: the scallops point in the direction of the road.  When you cross into Galicia, the guide books warn you not to trust the shell; you don’t know which way it’s oriented.  You need to follow the arrow.  (It seems to us that Galicia is slowly adapting to the standard used in the rest of Spain.  But it's a work in progress.) Here are some illustrations of the problem:

Heel of Shell Corresponds to the Arrow

 

Scallop Shell Points in the Direction of the Arrow

Soon thereafter, we started to climb.  It was relentless.  Just up and up and up.  The good news was that it was cool, shady, and secluded.  We often felt a cool breeze, which Paco insisted was from the ocean (NOT!).  We passed one struggling couple along the way (one of them appeared to be dealing with blisters), but not another soul for miles and miles…until our first rest break in the small town of Villamartin Grande.  Coca Cola Break!

Magical Countryside

 

Refrescos in Our Future!

Spanish Tortilla

It was 11:00 am when we arrived. All new faces: a group of 4 middle-aged Italian pilgrims, 2 American college students, a large group of Spanish and American travelers from a prior Albergue, and lastly the struggling blister couple.  This is what happens when you take a day off on the Camino.  Your prior “cohort” moves on without you.  You make new friends along the way.

We were off again at 11:30 with 10 Km of very steep climbing between us and lunch.  Now it was getting hot.  And sunny. And steep.  But some beautiful (no not ocean breezes, Paco!) to cool our way.

Beautiful Views

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tina On the Trail

 

Eventually, we emerged from the forest and could see Lourenzá in the distance.  It took another 45 minutes of hard walking to reach our pilgrim hostel, shower and change, and head off for lunch.

Lourenza in the Distance

 

One of the cool structures in town is the 10^th century Monastery of San Salvador.  This façade was the inspiration for one of the famous facades of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostella: the Obradorio.  The similarity is striking.

Monastery of San Salvador

 

Guess Who's Here?

We had an amazing lunch at a local cafe.  We shared an enormous mixed salad (a specialty throughout Spain), then Paco enjoyed one of his favorite meals: Zorza.  It's essentially the insides of a chorizo sausage, pan-fried to perfection.  Joy!

Ensalada Mixta...Enough for 4 People!

Zorza

 

It's another early morning tomorrow, so we bought coffees to enjoy at the hostel before setting our for our long and steep trek by 6:00 am.  Paco will fill you in from there.