Day 10: Xunqueira de Ambia to Periras to Ourense (25KM)

Don, Edith, and I left this morning as the stars gave off their final brilliance of the morning. I have not yet tired of walking in these early mornings. We walked for about an hour and a half when I told Don I needed to stop to rest my leg, yet he didn’t have to wait for me. Just as I was about to stop, he waved me on to the next corner. I thought - maybe he sees a cafe! Something a bit better, though. I came around the corner to see a villager and his neighbors harvesting their grapes, and he had just given Edith and Don a bunch. He continued talking about the different varieties while giving us samples. So neat (and tasty)! We stopped a few hundred meters beyond to set our packs down, eat some more grapes, take out some crackers, and talk a bit. A much needed rest. We hiked for another hour or so, and as we passed by Periras we stopped for a cafe con leche and some cookies. Another nice break for my shin. Davide, whom we thought had passed us, came whistling down the road - he stopped for 90 seconds for an espresso and then kept going. We stayed a bit longer :) The next part of the walk hinted at the big city to come. The neighborhoods, the nicer homes, and an industrial area with stacks belching smoke and big trucks barreling down the road. Don said he heard that some pilgrims take buses or taxis around the industrial places because of the noise, yet other Camino ‘experts’ suggest that going through these places is as important to the journey as crossing country roads. There is something to this that I want to reflect upon later... I hope I have a chance to write about it. Up to this point, most times we arrive in a city, the albergue is not too far away. We arrived in Ourense and had trouble finding the signs to mark the way, but we did. We walked an extra 4KM in the city once we arrived in the city. We also became aware of how people’s looks toward us changed in the city. People would avert their eyes or not respond to greetings. Some people’s faces would show disdain. The life of the big city. We finally found the albergue and met up with Davide again. :) Don and I heard the town had hot springs, so we wanted to go rest our bodies in the water. Davide, Edith, Don and I went looking for them and learned the city had a few different places. We walked to the one in the town center only to find it closed for the afternoon. Then, we heard a tourist bus went by another one. Tourist buses through cities are not my thing - especially when they look like kiddie trains on wheels and cause everyone to stare at you like a zoo animal. Yet I wanted to soak my leg in the water. We ended up in a beautiful place next to a river with five pools of varying hotness and one ice cold pool. We only spent an hour or so there, yet what a wonderful time. I felt so relaxed afterwards, and my leg felt better - but I still want a rest day for my leg. After the pools we met up with Rene, Paul, George, and Ziggy for dinner. Because I know I am taking tomorrow as a rest day, I think the goodbye this time is actually Goodbye for these 5 people. Thank you, Lord, for allowing my path to cross theirs on this journey. I hope I have a good rest day. Until next time, Buen Camino!