I have become such a food scavenger. Isn’t there some kind of a saying about necessity breads something or another? There has not been a market in four days. And I practically raced to get to Grandas de Salime to be able to go to the grocery store. Most Spanish businesses open from 10 to 2 and again from 5 to 9 except on Saturday when they only open in the morning. Today is Saturday. I got to the market at 1:35 and it closed at 1:30 because it is Saturday. And they are all closed on Sunday. Well, I have two slices of gluten free bread that I put in my purse baggie from Friday night. I have a little cheese. Last night I had a huge dinner served just to me in the hotel. It was a creme of vegetable soup, heavy on the squash that would have passed the final exam of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). I am listening to the Making of a Chef on my iPod and the CIA is big on cream soups and sauces. Followed by the most delicious simple salad with garden fresh bibb lettuce, tomatoes that were the color of burgundy velvet and a touch of onions, all topped with a good quality olive oil and balsamic. My main course was three small pan grilled chicken breasts and piping hot real french fries. Into the purse baggie went the chicken breasts. What a feast I will have tomorrow. I ate the whole gluten free roll which was hot and crusty. Yummy. I had to save room for the helado which was a vanilla and chocolate ice cream cup. I never met ice cream I didn’t like.
The hike started up hill and kept going but the scenery was magnificient. All went for quite a while and then I missed a marker. It aded three and a half miles to my already long day. I ended up in a cow pasture but what scenery those cows had as evidenced by the photo above. When I back tracked I missed the small trail that I had come from. This deadened onto a road and there were no makrers so I was sure I had not originally come that way. I was getting a little worried but I backtracked again and found the correct trail. No wonder I missed it the marker was laying down.
I passed this gorgeous rooster...the Maine Coon of the chicken world and he was strutting his stuff.
The trail notes promised spectacular views of th Canabrian Mountains and it was a beautiful walk. It drizzled off and on all day so I never got out of my rain gear. But it was chilly, even when working so hard. I didn't have a dry hair on my head and it wasn't from rain...it was from exertion. Today, counting my goof turned out to be 18.8 miles and I will say that it was on of the toughest hikes I have ever done. It was a bear and I don't mean a cute little Koala bear but a great big hungry grizzly bear of a hike.
Today I passed from the Asturias area of Spain to the Galacian area. I don't know if in Galacia the mountains will be quite as tall. Someone told me a few days back that if you found a flat spot in Asturias, you were no longer in Asturias. I am now a believer.
I saw this fine fellow out in the country on a farm. I have never seen a paint mule before.
I ended today at A. Fonsagrada, which is reputed to have been the site of one of the miracles of St. James. It is said that after being approached by an impoverished woman, he turned the water in the center of town into milk for her children. I know the name of the fountain is Fons Secra. I am hoping to pass it on the way out of town tomorrow for a photo. AND best of all when dragged my exhausted near-corpse to the hotel Dennis was waiting for me. I am sorry that I told so many people on the Camino that he was meeting me today. It would have been kind of exciting to let peole think we were Camino hookups. Adios.
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