21. Sarria to Melide 28/7/12

It was a slow start this day as it looked like it was going to rain and it was cold.  I was awake early as there had been an argument in the street for about half an hour and for some reason I thought it was about 6am so got up. I thought I'd heard people from the albergue leave already - and normally the first ones get on their way about 5.30am. I tiptoed out to the lounge with my laptop and then saw it was only 4am. I was already wide awake so stayed up and had an interesting morning chatting to the people that were up early.

I took a coffee and cig outside and watched people getting ready for their walk.

Phil from Scotland rubbing his feet with a pumice before getting his shoes on for the day's walk

Phil's dad getting all his blisters taped up for the day

This woman is doing her stretches before starting walking

This was the only day's cycling that I didn't enjoy - and I think because it was cold. It seemed to zap my energy. I had my sweatshirt on and my cycling jacket but the wind still seemed to get to me.  I didn't feel like cycling on dirt and stones on the camino so opted to go on the roads instead. If I'd gone on the forest paths it probably would have not been so windy.  It was a struggle to do the first 10 kms before stopping for a coffee and a cig, then luckily Jeff rang me 5 kms later so that was another excuse to stop for  a while.  I then stopped for another coffee a few more kms up the road and then realized I was hungry so stopped at a cafe for this breakfast:

Breakfast of champions - one clara, one bochidilla with bacon and cheese and 2 cigarettes

I didn't really take many photos in the morning as it seemed to grey and cold but these are the ones I did take:

I took the bridge one for you Jeff

An English man and his cart

The camino path went up those steps so I thought, 'sod that'.

Another cart - this was made out of a pram or push chair

The weather in the afternoon fined up a bit and it even looked like the sun might come out. It was very much an up, down, up, down day on the bike.  They were only smallish hills but they didn't stop.

You had to have good eyes to see the yellow arrow on this wall

I loved these dirt paths that weren't rocky. In the afternoon I went back on the camino mostly.

Cemetery

It was 5pm by the time I reach Melide and then it took me another half hour to find the albergue and get checked in.  The woman running the albergue said I could bring my bike into the reception area. I made the mistake of not taking off the panniers first, probably because I was tired and it just seemed easier to wheel the bike straight in.  But it was a bit tricky as I had to turn the bike after getting it in the doorway to then get it up the 5 or 6 steps - and there wasn't a lot of room for me with the panniers still on. By the time I realized I'd done it the wrong way I was already jammed in the turning bit inside the door.  I was happy to see a pilgrim walk in so I just presumed he'd help me by lifting the back of the bike or pushing it.  He didn't. I turned around and he had his arms crossed like he was mad that he couldn't get passed.  Anyway, I got my bike up but thought 'you rude bugger'.

When I got out the shower I saw that the rude bugger was in the same dorm room as me and was asleep.  In the bed next to me was a lovely couple from NZ (Antoinette and James) who have just retired.  We went and had a beer and then went out for dinner together.  Melide is famous for its octopus - or pulpo as the Spanish call it.  I couldn't wait to try it.  

The waitress at the Pulpo restaurant told us that her favorite dish on the menu was pig ears.  So I ordered that and James ordered the octopus and we were going to share.  Antoinette warned me that he was not good at sharing and was good at eating. I told her he'd found his match.  The pig ears were weird as they were, as expected, a bit rubbery and a bit crunchy - but I'm so pleased I've tried them. The octopus was devine. 

Antoinette and James

Us girls having a wine out of our wine bowls

Octopus cooking

About to be chopped up

About to be eaten

Potato and pig ears

We were unsure what time the albergue closed but still stopped at a bar on the way home to have a shooter.

Some lads on the way home

During dinner I told Antoinette and James about the rude guy in our dorm.  They told me that he was Danish and absolutely shattered when he got in. He'd walked 34 kms initially to the town he wanted to stay in - and when he reached there he was already shattered and his blisters on his feet were really bad - but there was no accommodation in that town - so he had to walk another 9km on his bad feet to get to our albergue.  They told me that he could hardly speak and just put his bag down and crashed on his bed and then let out a big sigh.

So I promised I'd cut him some slack the next day.

20. Villafranca del Bierzo to Sarria 27/7/12

I was up early as it was going to be a big day's riding.  I first had 18km to do on relatively flat ground and then there was a great big climb to do.  I'd paid for breakfast the day before and they told me it started at 6am - but it took until 7am before someone came to prepare it.

Sitting round waiting for breakfast

This was my favorite day's ride scenery-wise, the hardest day's ride hill-wise and the day I ended up doing the most kilometres - as I did 75.  I think all the lamb from the night before gave me lots of energy - as did the cafe con baileys I had at 10am before the big hill.

These are some photos of on the way to the big hill and going up the big hill:

This one is for Mallie

You often see Spanish women out sweeping

The little pub I stopped at for my cafe con baileys

A photo for Jeff as there is a bridge in the background

It was great to have it clearly written that cyclists should go this way

Some of the many cyclists that passed me

I love the views up in the hills

I only managed to cycle on some of this path - I was happy to push my bike up

The border to Galicia

The village at the top of the hill where I stopped to have a couple of beers 

and recharge my phone so I could take some more photos

The next lot of photos was the downhill run - which was great as the roads are so good. I got up to 53km per hour at one point.  Then the photos are off the scenery and towns I passed on the way to Sarria.  

I stopped here by the river for a break

I only got into Sarria about about 6.30pm and found the loveliest albergue to stay at - it was just like being in someone's home.

I had a dorm room with only 3 others - and no one snored.

These girls were gorgeous - one from the USA and two from Germany.

The lounge room

The dining room

Claire

The lovely Casa El Peltre

I met Song at his hotel at the bar for a drink before going for dinner at the hotel restaurant. He said it was the best restaurant in the town as it had 'three forks'.

I ordered the recommendations by the maitre de - the prawns and garlic and the steak.  

After finishing the wine outside and having a couple of cigs I had to run all the way back to my albergue as it was nearly 10.30 - the time they locked the gate. The guy was just ready to lock up as I arrived. Four older women were lucky as they were not back till just after 10.30 so were locked out - but I was downstairs in the bathroom and heard them knocking.  I've heard a few stories of pilgrims having to sleep outside or having to go to a hotel as they've got back to their albergue to late.