VILA PRAIA de Ancona to A Guarda, Spain to Baiona, Spain - 22 or 23 miles total

 

It has been a dark and raining couple of days but still along the coast as we have walked the last two days over 20 miles.  I’m glad we did not hit this weather or this topography at the beginning because I fear I would have chucked the whole adventure.  The early days were sunny, hot and we walked on level terrain, mostly boardwalks.  These two days have been rain rain rain and in the 50 degrees. As you will see, we have had to put on more layers of clothing and rain ponchos that keep blowing all over the place.

  

I was very proud of my silicone shoe covers until I removed them the first night it had rained.  Inside my socks were soaked and so were the shoes.  The covers themselves had no holes in them and did not leak but rain must have seeped in from the top and just stayed in there.  Luckily our hotel had the old fashioned registers and I put them on top to dry out.

These following photos will give you a bit of an idea about the landscape in which we were walking.  But won’t convey how miserable the rain and cold could be.

We left Vila Praia de Ancona about 8:30 in the morning and walked 7 hours to our next hotel.  It was a fool’s idea that we would walk this trail at the same rate we could walk a mile at home.  While training in the States on flat ground the four of us could walk from 17 minute miles (Flash) to 22 minutes miles (Trip).  Here we are lucky if we walk two miles per hour!  Even the boardwalks are dangerous because the boards in some places are uneven or sometimes missing.  This is how Trip got her trail name.

Today we left A Guarda around the same time and encountered some unbelievable terrain.  Paths that were nothing but rocks and boulders and mud.  

We also walked with this menacing sky and WINDS.  

We were passed by many walkers but would often pass them later.  Some of them are really kitted out with rain jackets that have large openings that cover their large backpacks.  Wish I had a picture to show but I don’t.  We walked through forests and overhanging trees that sometimes reminded me of scary forests in childrens’ stories.

This weird looking tree is actually a cork tree and the bark can be removed to make the stoppers for our favorite beverages.

So one of the lessons we have learned since we arrive in Espana is that the Spanish do not eat until at least 8:00, so neither can we.  We were so hungry last night and tried to find something to eat.  Probably walked another mile around town finding the elusive cafe that was open at 7, but no luck. So learn from us and eat a big lunch on the road and plan on snacking in Spain unless you have the energy to stay up past 9.

We had a nice lunch today in Oia, Spain and have sort of settled down for the night here in the Hotel Mosquito, which is a much nicer place than the name would suggest.  The bathroom in this place is bigger than the hotel room two days ago.  And I am not exaggerating.  We will go out and scrounge something tonight and I’m betting it won’t be healthy.

Update on our feet.  We ran out of COMPEED, which are the silicone bandages for blisters.  Luckily a farmacia in Oia had multiple packets.  I think Suzanne bought the place out. Neither of us understand how we can get so many blisters when during training we got NONE.  I’ve got two COMPEED on my right foot and at least four on my left.  The pain is negligible at this point.  Not so sure about Suzanne’s.  Lots of complaining.  I’d show you some pictures but that might be just too much.

Bom Camino