Day 42 Camino de Santiago Aug. 16 Olveiroa

What a long but rewarding day!! 34K!!  Tired hammier and tender feet.  Still afloat though!  Windy all day and at times, it was necessary to bend over almost touching my knees with my nose,as I walked, just to make any progress.  Fun!!  No rain!!







    As I left Negreira this morning, I saw the huge crane, which means more building... with German Euros!!  Ha!  I know the Germans see those cranes and say, "Octoliebah!!!  Bad spelling but it basically means, "Are you kidding me!!! What are we building now!??!"

  It threatened to rain all day.   Dark foreboding clouds everywhere.  But no rain.  The views were gorgeous, and the only cost was a steep climb up a mountain.  

     Huge storm yesterday and yesternight!  Trees were knocked down across the trail, but you know me... I watched too many westerns and immediately smelled... Ambush!!

   











  Looks like a sure detriment to pulling my backpack!  There was lots of mud on the trail, but since it was such a rare occasion, it was fun.  I saw some people with some browns spots on their knees and thighs, so my guess is that they had a different take on it being fun.

   Today's trail was very well marked.  It made walking on my own, lot's of fun.  It's amazing how lost in thought I get and "wake up" and say, "Oh my gosh.  Where is a marker?"  Then I see a yellow arrow or a shell and I'm good to go!

     It is not a good sign when you see the sky in the trail you are walking.  Made me think of the time in Africa I was riding a bus and we had to get out and push it several times.  That was mud up to my waist!  T.I.A.  can't get mad about it!

     I can see why they say Galicia reminds them of Ireland.  The stone walls are covered in moss,  That's liquid sunshine.  Except for the lack of hydrangeas, I still prefer the desert. Give me 300 days of sunshine!  I say that while it's 116 in the desert and I'm in the land of rain!!   But with the right person, does it really matter where you live?  NOPE!

     Gorgeous views today.  Galicia grows tons of corn.  Great way to put the rain to use. Off the subject, but two pilgrims were hit by a car yesterday.  Over 2000 pilgrims came into Santiago over the last three days.  That's a record.  Pilgrims have been coming to Santiago for 1,000 years and I pick the most crowded days!

    Just wanted to show you some beautiful flowers..

     Last night I mentioned about the Romans chasing the Galicians and God destroyed the bridge.  It's on all of the city signs.

    You can usually find fresh water fountains near the beginning of each city.  A bit less on the Camino to Finisterre, but here was one.  It looks like the lion in the Wizard of Oz.

     Just loved the views today.  Beautiful fields.  Abundant wildflowers.  Hard to keep walking because I kept wanting to stop and not only smell the flowers, but photograph them.

    I love these grain silos.  They use them to store vegetables.  This area has really unique ones, built on what look like giant concrete toadstools.    "Toadstool"... I don't think I've ever seen a toad's stools.  Must be kinda cute though?

    At 29K I was on fumes.  Then I saw this sign for a funeral service and managed to kick up the pace!!   What's that old saying, "If you ain't movie', you must be dead!"

     It wasn't that it was beautiful, it was that it is so rare to see a lake.  Only the second lake I've seen on the Camino, and maybe the third in all of Spain.  Lot's of beautiful rivers, however!