June 8

Left Tineo 8:40 am. Arrived Pola de Allande 6:40 pm. Miles 17.53.

View from my room last night was of the square and it really was a nice hotel. Sadly, the staff was inept and the restaurant was understaffed. The pilgrim meal was soup, salad and yoghurt dessert. Never have we ever had an offering as pathetic as that. However, as I said yesterday, we weren’t hungry cuz we’d cleverly eaten earlier elsewhere. It’s like we knew! Enough negativity.

Wait… Did I mention stinging nettle? The paths are full of it and Caleb has experienced the result of touching it by trying to catch flies with his hands. He gets bored 😦

Today lived up to our expectation. It was arduous and we are well and truly spent tonight. However, we stopped several times today for a drink and a pleasant lunch. Dinner was ok, not much open on Sunday.

We also met some interesting folks along the way. In particular a Spaniard age 87 who was traveling with a Dutchman (72) and a young American girl (age unknown but maybe 25ish). they stopped at a hostel about 5 miles before our hotel. Both the Spaniard and Dutchman are avid Camino walkers and full of fine conversation. Girl went to the room.

While the mileage is not that big a deal, the continual climbing and descending is wearing us out. At one point today we opted to stay on a stretch of highway for about half a mile to avoid the actual Camino trail. It added to our distance but was not as hilly. You do get options and we had yet to deviate from the actual Camino, but sometimes you just need a break.

Part of the reason I agreed to the highway for a bit is that we are encountering tics. Caleb has had a few attach to him already and managed to get them off. I have yet to have that happen but am ever vigilant.

More flowers and a few new animals. Two dead hedgehogs, no photos (you’re welcome) and a peacock we heard from a distance. He didn’t spread feathers for us.

Caleb is always trying to get a creative photo

I stick to what catches my eye

We are at this hotel two nights. Tomorrow we walk about 13 miles and get picked up in Berducedo (I need to call the ride that’s been arranged) and they bring us back to hotel. The next morning we get picked up and driven back to Berducedo where we walk another 12 or so miles to our next hotel. We are in very rural Spain and the available hotels are limited.

Pola de Allande was founded sometime between 1262 and 1268. It’s big compared to where we have walked through today. It borders the Nison River (population 425). Many of the residents were in the bar/restaurant tonight watching Spain play Portugal (football/soccer). Score tied when we left.

We plan an early night by our standards. Both of us are a feeling the affects of a long day.

Good night.