Day 8 Camino de Santiago July 13th Viana

Camino de Santiago July 13, 2012 Day 8

We, Kevin and I, hiked 18K today to the town of Viana.  On the patio, people had written their favorite mottos.  I wrote mine... see it later.  If you know me, you won't be surprised.








We've decided that we are going to be "guided" by our guidebook, not "dictated" by it!  Big difference.  It gives a distance of how far you need to travel each day if you want to complete the trail in 30 days or so.  Well...... we're not in a competition.  Life is good on the trail.  Lest you think I'm eating gruel out of tin cups and sleeping in sweat holes with roaches and vermin, think again.




   

I thought the food would look like something out of Monty Python, but no, no, no!!  Every morning there are bakeries, and that means cafe con leche and fresh hot croissants.  Dinners are out of this world good and not just because we've been hiking 8 hours a day.

 My shirt is soaked and sometimes I think, "Cripes!   I could fly the camino in one hour in a jet!  What am I doing?"  But then I think of the great people I've met.  The fun dinners where the wine and/or beer is flowing and people are laughing!"  And I know the next day I'm going to get a great workout!  Exercise and good food.  Two of life's staples!!  And the trail?  beautiful flowers abound...like wild artichokes.



















 We've decided that we're not going to be like certain northern Europeans that we won't mention, however, everything seems to be a competition to them.  When they ask you how far have you hiked today, they don't really care.  They just want to tell you how far they've hiked, which is farther than you've hiked.  It's very competitive... but only if you are in the race?  I'm not.

    The views of castles in the distance framed by almond trees is special.  Not many of them back in the old home town.  I won't be here forever, so I have to take the time to enjoy them.

Many times, you come across little things that people have done, in the spirit of just being nice, like making an arrow on the trail out of rocks to show the way, or making a smiley face out of rocks to make you laugh... or building a two person hut with a bottle of wine inside, just in case you get caught in wicked storm.  It would be fun to get caught in a storm in this mini castle with the right person, no?

Not a bad way to have dinner every night...al fresco?  A Pilgrim's Menu is three servings- salad, entree and dessert!  While hiking!! I can't get over it!!

   







Aviana is no metropolis, but they do have an art museum, featuring local art.  It was right across the restaurant where I was sitting and I first noticed it because of the building.  Stunning.  The art work wasn't 1/2 bad either.  A nice relief from the dusty trail.