Morgade to Ventas De Naron: October 1, 2014: Day 32m

Morgade to Ventas De Naron: October 1, 2014: Day 32

Angie left before me in a dark mist.  I have made a rule for myself that I am only going to walk in the daylight.  I left the albergay a little after 8:00 a.m.  The morning was cool with heavy mists.  I walked for about 2 hours alone on the quite. The land reminds me so much of Ireland with the green grasses, stone fences and heavy fog.  Angie and I had agreed to meet in Portamarin.  To crossover into the city you had to walk over a long bridge.  I stopped in the middle to watch the herons below and admire the water.  Looking across the river you could see a long stairway leading from the back of a hotel to the water.  It must have had more than 100 steps.  Directly in front of me at the other end of the bridge were steps leading up into the city.  The steps were ancient and there had to be at least 50 of them.  Upon reaching the top I saw a restaurant off to the left with Angie sitting outside with our new friend Jack.  Jack has stayed with us at the same albergay for the last 2 nights.  He is a retired Army officer.  I sat down for coffee and not much later came our Irish friend Hubert who is new on the Camino and 2 Canadian friends that we stayed with
 the night before.

After a rest we took off for the next town.  A tourgrino (the name for tourists who only walk a portion of the path with a guide, stay in hotels and ride buses) from Norway began walking.  They were chatting loudly and very animated.  They only carried day packs.  Typical pilgrims are fairly quiet.  They are probably conserving energy for every step they take.  Our group walked together until the next town 7.8 kilometers away.  We all had lunch and started off again.  At that time we all split off and walked alone enjoying the quiet peacefulness of green pastures, trees and stone fences.  Jack recommended an albergay and we all decided to stay.  It was an enjoyable evening, sharing stories, eating dinner and learning more about each other.

We are all sleeping in the same room.  This being a lively group and very comfortable with each other it is a bit like having a slumber party.  The only thing is that there is a 10:00 required quiet time and lights out.

At dinner tonight the owner brought out a bottle of wine that is homemade.  It is very strong and a little sweet.  We learned from another Spaniard about how this is make.  It is kind of a specialty that is kept under the counter.

Our feet and legs did well today.  We are feeling very good and enjoying our last few days on the Camino.

Lessons Learned:  Community makes life more enjoyable.