Lugo to Melide

The walk to Lugo was an endurance test. About 33 K, mostly on asphalt, in the rain, not much in the way of scenery. It was an exhausting slog. When I got to the hotel, a very nice one, especially appreciated under the conditions and also because this was a two night stay, I was told that my bag had not arrived. Not so terrible, despite being pretty done in. Went out for an ice cream which was delicious even though the lady gave me a flavor I had not asked for. One tiny grocery store was open but it was out of most fresh items because it is Feria week. I was especially excited to have an extra day in Lugo because I had known about the festival. I was expecting lots of pageants and parades, but, no, apparently I issued those; what was left was a succession of excruciatingly loud bands, some right in the square next to the hotel!

Lugo is famous for its Roman wall that runs around the city. I could not get a decent photo of even a segment of it. The curious should Google Lugo Spain Wall to see how impressive this structure is.

The town has a huge cathedral and also a decent museum. (By the way, even some museums are closed during the siesta hours, but then open again at about 4:30.)

There was a courtyard lined with Roman paving stones:





Love this take on Las Meniñas:




Telling time before we used iPhones was ever so much more entertaining, don't you think?





Uhhhh.....strong arms:




There was a small display of fans. This was one of my favorites:





Not your usual mailbox:





Oh, the horrible band just stopped, but most likely it will be replaced by another for the entertainment of the good people of Lugo.

Tomorrow's walk is all on pavement, and heavy rain is predicted. It is the first time I will use my iPod while walking, and may even listen to some episodes of Wait, Wait; Don't Tell Me! And This American Life if I can tear myself away from the Spanish Lessons!

Tomorrow, now today...a seven hour walk in the rain, mostly on pavement, as advertised. Glad to be inside!

Suzie, this couldn't be yours?




The final 23 K to Melide, where the Primitivo intersects with the Frances, had some lovely sections.

The moon was still up as I headed out:





The rain held off for a while so I was able to catch one more shot of .....





walking, well-behaved as can be, with their cowherd.

It's over. 463 miles. Most of it gorgeous. How fortunate I am to have been able to do this. What next?

Waiting for an offer from National Geographic:




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After the Dam

Who can ever get tired of the sky?





Aerogeneradores:




Hallowe'en is coming:



View of rooftops:




Sometimes you stay at a place that is, to say the least, minimal. This must be the TV room in one such:




On my way to this less than welcoming hostel (but the town had none better to offer), I neglected to notice a sign, which error cost about an hour and a half of very dull walking and turned a 25 K walk into 31.5. It is a good thing I travel with supplies because, by the time I arrived and it being Sunday, every store in town was shut tight. A beer you can always get, but food, not necessarily.

While rehearsing my way out of town for the next morning, I met these handsome fellows out for a stroll:



Tomorrow, a long walk to Lugo and then a rest day.

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Dreaded and feared!

Today's walk, from La Mesa to Grandes Salime, was not long, only 18K, but descriptions of it are so daunting that last night I took a small sleeping potion since I had hardly slept the night before and wanted to be at my very best to tackle the demands awaiting. Aside from some long climbs, one of which was on the road (that always makes it harder), there was a 7K descent that was described as being so steep that if you had any cartilage at all left in your knees by the end of it, you would be most fortunate. Oh, and there was that 45 minute taxi ride that can make you use the verb marearse. Turned out that the taxi ride was OK after all (I think the driver was trying very hard to take it easy on the curves), and the walk was no big deal. Where all the hype comes from, I have no idea.

It was a gorgeous day:





Oh, no! They left me behind all by my baby self:




Old (very) church:




Walking above the clouds!




Then IN the clouds:




All undressed except for the cones:





There is a BIG dam that is the feature of this stage. I have not seen a lot of BIG dams; maybe they are all very ugly:




But once you see things from the other side, you might think you are looking at Loch Ness!




You are VERY high up walking around the dam and a stone wall is the barrier between you and oblivion. However, every twenty feet or so, there is a big gap in the wall, so that if you were walking with someone you did not like at all, and you gave them a nudge at just the right moment, well......uh oh!





One does have to admire the engineering skills that go into building a dam. But when you look closely at an old wagon wheel, and see all the parts and labor, that is pretty impressive, too.





as was the laying of these stones:



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Ever onward!

Today's walk from Pola de Allande to La Mesa was just great! 24 K, adequately challenging....e.g., to begin with, a steep, steady 2 plus hour climb....to be interesting and except for the last 2 K, no road walking. Hard work, gorgeous scenery, perfect weather, and all on just a few hours sleep.

I am the fattest slug in the kingdom:



I am the longest:



I am the most enterprising:




The iPhone is not great for views, but here is an attempt:






A sweet bridge in need of repair:





Did you forget about me???? Fat, long, and enterprising. I am the most beautiful slug in the kingdom:




We don't want that slate to blow away:




Sorry! Just can't help it!





It is more stunning than this, much more:



This afternoon I had to do something I hate: make a phone call. But do it I had to for I was scheduled for a taxi transfer from La Mesa back to Pola de Allande (back again in the a.m.), there being no accommodations in La Mesa. In fact there is very little in La Mesa. The guide book claims it has a population of thirty three, but since publication, it seems as if thirty have moved away. There is a 15th century church there, though, the construction of which is impressive. Anyway, the town prior to La Mesa, Berducido, is where you stock up on supplies. It has a couple of bars, and a grocery store that is similar to a seven-eleven. I went into a bar, ordered an Aquarius (orangeade) and tried to use my phone. Nada. I tell the bartender, a young man with many facial piercings, my plight. He directs me to a huge pay phone in the bar. I try to use it. Nada. Of course! It requires money. If you are not over six feet tall, you would not be able to insert a coin. I ask the bar tender for help again. Somewhat annoyed, although there are no other customers requiring his services, he inserts the coin. Nada. I ask him if he will make the call for me on his cell for which I will pay him. He is not interested in this deal. He tells me that if I go to the end of the town, I might get a signal. "Is the end of town far?" I ask. "A kilometer?" "No," he replies and points. I go. It is about ten steps. At last I contact the travel agency and the very sweet woman who is my liaison, arranges the pick up. All in Spanish, BTW.

The ride, about forty-five minutes was torture. Windy roads all the way, but I did learn a new word, "marearse." It refers to either seasickness or carsickness.

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Pola de Allande, La Mesa

Today's walk, 29K (28.9 rounded up), from Tineo to Pola de Allande, was supposed to be difficult and beautiful. It wan't so difficult and I can only vouch for half the beauty because the mist was so thick and enduring that one could not see farther than about thirty feet. But then, by about noon, yes, it was quite gorgeous. The way marking, so far excellent, was really lacking in places, which, as you can imagine, does put one in a tizzy. It can be quite time consuming to scout about for which of many alternatives is the right one and on a long stretch, spending time figuring it out is not what you want to be doing.

You want to be looking at the cobwebs:





And attending the annual snail convention:





And stopping at this famous bar of it were not closed:





And marveling at the scenery:



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On to Salas and then to Tineo

Missing the coast a bit but enjoying the scenery on this route, too. Reminiscent of Vermont but more dramatic.

A mist-filled valley:





Please, sir, may I have some more?





Hotel in Salas!



The room is not as thrilling as the exterior walls or the interior atrium. Maybe some rooms, reserved for very special people, are really grand.

See the white umbrella? That bar will be tomorrow's breakfast spot since the hotel does not offer coffee before 8:30:




And a decent cafe con leche it was, too. Choices of go-withs were few. I selected a biscocci, which is not, as the name might suggest, a Spanish biscotti. It is somewhere between sponge cake and pound cake and it comes in different shapes, so you can be fooled into thinking that you are getting a muffin, say, unless you ask.

Leaving for Tineo at 7:30 a.m. meant that I got to use my headlamp for the first time. Very exciting. By 8:00 it was light enough to see, but still 22 minutes before sunrise, which will be one minute later every day from now on.

Bathroom (ahem) with a view:





Because, even though Don, who is one day ahead of me, had told me that this was somewhere en route, sometimes a girl can't wait:





A cold drink is nice:




And when the water is watched over, you can be sure it is potable as promised, although, if you decide to imbibe, it might be wise to leave a donation in the box provided (not in photo):





What I want to know is who comes to service this in-the-middle-of-nowhere, 24 hour-self-service vending machine:





The good people of Asturias want hearty hikers to know they are welcome:





As the guide book put it, mud on this section of the walk can turn a pleasant stroll into a slow slog:




View from another bathroom, this, from my hotel, one luxurious accommodation:





Admiring a pair of sturdy boots in the window:




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