Day 6 - Sunday 27th March

With the clocks changing last night waking up at half six felt very much like waking up at the half five it was yesterday.

We had yogurts left from yesterday’s tea so we finished those and then set off in the dark and headed to the Cathedral and from there found the way markers that we had found last night to continue on the Camino.

 

We found the Roman bridge over the river Mino and went up the street only realising that we had taken the wrong route 100 metres or so after the turning and so we headed back – the route we were taking was slightly longer but meant to be the prettier and avoided a road tunnel which the guidebook said we had to get our torches out and shine them as we went along in case vehicles didn’t obey the stop sign because there were pedestrians in there ….. that did not sound very good.

At first the uphill was slight seeing as it was on city streets but soon the road up through villages and becomes very steep, indeed the first 11km of today’s walk are all uphill.

Despite the Portuguese group setting off ahead of us this morning we had somehow ended up in front of them but this did not last for long – as with all the Spanish we met they had to finish their Camino on Wednesday or Thursday in order to be at work on Friday and so were doing 40km days (Orense is just over 100km from Santiago and so is the via de la Plata’s version of Sarria although you wouldn’t know it – from what we could see no new Pilgrims had started from here and with only the Xunta with 40 beds and a private albergue [which cost 18 euros] it doesn’t look as though the city ever gets anywhere near as busy as Sarria). We spoke a little as we passed so that at one stage there were seven of us together, truly a Pilgrim rush hour! We soon lost them though and were walking alone again heading always up and taking a fair few breaks to look back and the view (and catch our breath).

After 12km we found a bar that looked to be closed from the outside but was in fact open so we were grateful to go in and have cola cau, cake, café con leche and tostada con tomates all for only 3.60 euros. We arrived just as the Portuguese group was heading off.

As we left a couple of older Spanish ladies went past in their fur coats and laughed seeing Becky in her t-shirt commenting that she must be cold so Becky told them that we're from England and this seemed to explain the situation to them.

After the rain yesterday there were several muddy patches that we had to skirt around so between that and the hills we didn’t arrive at the albergue until after three but this isn’t the Frances where the albergue would be nearly full so there was only one other person there before us (and indeed only one other person all night) – the German girl we had met two nights ago and had seen in Orense as well.

This was another day with interesting showers which had a hot and cold push button but never mind what combination you pressed them in (or even if you pressed them at the same time) you ended up with a freezing cold shower or one that was so hot you couldn’t stand under it. The albergue did have a terrace area that would be lovely in summer and a well equipped kitchen but it was almost five and we were hungry – me and Becky did have enough food for the two of us we’d bought yesterday but it wouldn’t do three so we all set off to find a bar thinking that at least we could perhaps find sandwiches and what time the evening meal was served.

When we got to the bar we asked about food and then man turned to his wife and asked and she said that she would just finish her coffee she was having with a friend and then would cook us something.

We had a choice of any drink and then there was soup served with the bread that Cea is famous for then pasta with tomato sauce (and she came over to check if there was enough sauce and then later to see if we wanted more pasta) and then cheese and membrillo (quince jam) for pudding.

We settled down for the night at about eight but couldn’t find a switch for the lights in the bedroom (all three of us looked) so we decided to settle down and hope that the lights would go out at ten. We had been given a key to the front door but there were three other doors for which we had no key.

A bit before ten (when the rain was really pouring down) we heard a car pull up and the hospitelero come in (sounding as though he may have been drunk) and the lights went out and then we heard the other doors locked before he left again. We checked and all doors were locked.

We had read things about the ‘unusual’ lighting situation in the bedroom and there were lights that came on and stayed on for about 15 minutes if anyone moved so that added to the fun of the night.