It was a beautiful sunny day with a blue cloudless sky in the morning, after a week of clouds and rain.
Photos 1 and 2 show sights along the way.
Photo 3 shows people working in traditional (low tech) ways. This area is an amazing mixture of ancient and modern that we both find moving.
Photo 4 shows a field that we think may grow the greens used in the traditional Galician soup (potatoes, greens, white beans) that we really enjoy. Remind us a bit of kale but more tender and quite mild: chard? We don't know.
Figure 5 shows a dog (I think a boxer) in front of an albergue In Mercado where we stayed 2012. River surprised and delighted herself by remembering the dog (she has few memories of this part even though we both know we walked it) -- he was stiffer and older, but the same dog. A whole group of memories of the lovely alburgue and its valley blossomed, Proust-style, out of the memory of the dog.
Photo 6 shows a little table where fruit was offered free to pilgrims and photo 7 an example of the interesting crucifix/altar/art one finds along the Camino.
The Camino was crowded with many pilgrims. Among the many were two men we passed walking up a steep hill who we right away guessed might be a couple. Later we saw them again and they confirmed that they had been together 9 years. Photo 8 shows David, an 80-year-old retired Anglican priest and organist, and Jacques, his very ebullient 52-year/old half English half-Lebanese companion. Jacques spoke of how grateful he is to live in a country not at war after a youth and young adulthood in war-torn Lebanon.
We stayed at a lovely Albergue in the country (photo 9) and had dinner at a communal table where we enjoyed talking with two American couples who met 5 weeks ago in St Jean Pied a Port and have walked together ever since. (A retired college admissions director and nurse from North Carolina, and nurse and physical therapist from Arizona).
River felt almost reborn -- healthier than she had felt in many months. And very grateful to still be walking.
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