Missy - Day 4 (Palas de Rei to Melide)

 

Today we walked from Palas de Rei where the cool medieval cottage was to Melide where everyone eats octopus. 

The property owner came just before 8 to bring us back into town. She was earlier than we expected and it resulted in a certain amount of rushing that was unfortunate. Mom forgot her trekking poles and everyone seemed a little on edge. 

We went to a bar to get oj (look at that cool oj machine above!) and coffee and the woman working it seemed quite unhappy and rushed off her feet. 

We headed out of town. I gave mom my hiking sticks and filled up my water at a fountain by this great statue. 

It was labeled which was nice. Sometimes they are and sometimes they aren’t. It’s easy for me to worry about filling up. Spain has great water quality but a sign is good too. 

As we walked out of town I decided to take this shot of an extremely typical back yard plot. 

They all have onions and greens and lettuce. Most of them have potatoes and some herbs as well. 

You can tell I’m back on wifi because now you will get all the pictures. 

I walked with only Kiernan nearly all of the day. We talked about nothing and everything and I loved it so much. 

Here is what we walked through. 

Eucalyptus forests. 

Churches from the 1300s with old men and women in them offering sellos (stamps). They had baskets for collecting offerings for restorations of the churches. They were mostly tiny and in bad repair and had real candles. 

It is Sunday and I wonder how many of them still say mass. 

It was slightly overcast and that kept the heat away most of the day. 

I really loved having a day with just my boy. It’s a thing I was hoping would happen on this trip. 

As one of my things to keep in mind for the day was being more aware of where Michelle was at, I did a fair amount of texting early on to indicate bars that looked good or had bathrooms or the hard to find fruit option. 

There was a good bit of downhill and I super missed my sticks. I felt my knees a lot without them and from about the first mile felt like I might be getting shin splints. 

But look at these paths worn down by pilgrims over thousands of years. It was just so beautiful. 

Near this statue was a bar that looked like it might be good for lunch. 

It also looked like a minigolf course. 

I was looking forward to a long sit and catching up with the group and eating but it was only 11:30 and I wasn’t actually tremendously hungry yet so I told Kiernan we should hit the next one up. 

Big Mistake!

We found more great old churches. 

We found some ducks and chickens. 

We found what seemed to be a milk producers coop union building and a car rental headquarters. 

We found a long bricked path and absolutely no food or bathrooms or bars for hours. 

We were beat and telling each other about Pizza. 

Eventually we came to a fair sized town with several bars. Also this great bridge. 

But of course by this point the only thing that would do was pizza. 

We even passed a vegan place that had falafel and beyond burgers. 

We looked it up and found that there was pizza 18 minutes ahead. 

We each got a large pizza and a large water and stared at one another like zombies. 

As we were eating I looked up our lodging for the night to see how much further it was. 

2 blocks. 

We walked nearly our whole distance for the day in one ill advised go. 

Ha

I texted mom and told her about the falafel. 

We went to the apartment and took off our packs and turned ultra domestic. We washed clothes, got groceries, took showers and started dinner. 

When mom got close I went to get her and then we went out for ice cream. 

The ice cream here is delicious. 

The big advantage to our finishing so quickly is that our clothes might actually get a chance to dry for a change. 

I’ve rolled the dice and washed everything I have. 

I’m sitting in the only dress I brought with no underwear or bra because they all stink. 

I’m really hope they dry tonight!

Michelle and Chris got here later and clearly had just a brutal day. She thinks she has shin splints and is exhausted. 

She didn’t even come out for dinner. 

I really hope some rest will help. 

It will surprise no one to hear that a rain storm is threatening. 

That’s not great news for the drying laundry but at least we are safe and indoors. 

Tonight we might hit the town for Kiernan to try the Famous Pulpo of Melide. 

Ew!