Ruitelan to Triacastela

Monday 30 May 2016 - Day 33

Ruitelan to Triacastela - no walking, caught taxi

Another gloomy start to the day except for the piped music that started up at around 6.15 am... Ave Maria and similar. A nice breakfast was provided before people started heading off.

I was very disappointed to have to face the fact that I wouldn't be walking today. My cough/cold was worse, my body was aching, my ankle was still puffy and painful, and a few more tears were shed. Caught the bag delivery taxi with Gigi, a French Canadian lady whose bed was beside mine last night. I stood chatting on the phone with my husband, Paul, over-looking the way and I could see pilgrims passing, including a couple who could barely hobble. Really, who says you have to destroy your body.

Last night's dinner was a treat. Our hosts, Carlos and Luis, had cooked up a storm of carrot soup, amazing salad and spaghetti carbonara...all for €8. Slept well except for very very loud snoring lady near the door. People were probably cursing me and my cough.

Our bag taxi driver loaded up and we left Ruitelan about 8am. We followed the road but could see where the Camino trial went. The fog was incredibly thick and many pilgrims elected to walk along the road instead of negotiating the muddy track. We drove through the famed village of O'Cebreiro, which was completely set in cloud.

We arrived at Triacastela and found where I had booked myself a bed at Complexo Xacobeo. Gigi decided she liked it and also registered. Even though we were way too early, and the cleaning was still being done, Gigi and I were welcomed with a warming heater and comfy chairs.

Not much really to report today, as I took things very easy. I did visit the farmacia, what a surprise(!), and organised a few things from the supermercado.

Really happy to see the 'Busso Boys' arrive in town, they are staying at my albergue. One of them, Ian, has the same cold and cough that I have, so he did not walk today and then kept a pretty low profile, resting in bed. I took a stroll to see the village.

Very happy to run into some of my tribe, Jackie, Steve and Helen... and also Ana. Had a great afternoon in our albergue...talking nonsense.

At 6pm I attended Mass, in Spanish, before having a fun dinner with Helen, Steve and Jackie. Lots of laughs with Ana and her friends too.

I have booked a place at Samos for myself for tomorrow night. This is a way off the main track, but I'm looking forward to it. Will mean another night or two on my own again.

An amazing thing happened today. I was having a look at the church, which was closed, when I met a young woman. We got chatting and she told me she was meeting her cousin who had been walking the Camino. She was going to walk with him to Santiago. Soon we'd realised that the cousin was Antonio, a lovely Portuguese man I'd met last night.

Later in the day I found that I had lost my watch that was always attached to my shoulder bag. I was determined not to worry. As I turned up at Mass this evening, Antonio asked me had I lost my watch. His lovely cousin had it in her bag. She found it in the churchyard just after our talk. Amazing Camino story!

This is a beautiful village... lots of old and new buildings surrounded by green mountains.

I've been a bit of a misery guts for a few days, but today and its familiar faces, brightened me. Looking forward to tomorrow.