Baby steps or backwards still gets you there

Awake by 0730 hrs and ready to start walking by 0830 hrs.... You know after the phone had a good charge and hopefully after Flora's opened for coffee.  Nope, not so lucky.

Pants and long sleeves needed as it was cool out... The view out the door. 

Some days construction is a good thing... Walking on the dirt for me and asphalt for the cars..

Santo had headed off about 0800 hrs also without his morning coffee.  Santo was walking, but not sure if he was going to make it to Santiago.  Local boy (59 yrs) from Madrid just out for the enjoyment of walking. 

A rest stop from years gone by... A watering hole. 

I found a cafe at about 0900 hrs and the local fare...  Muffins today. 

I see these raised buildings in people's yards that look like everyone's personal cemetery.  But it appears they are most often filled with corn for animal feed. 

There is more of that... Cabbage.. Or 

I am definitely walking slow today.

 All the asphalt not helping...

Now that is a cactus!

When the road is like this I walk on the grass strip. 

I said Hola to this man and he started talking to me.  I said I did not speak Spanish (in Spanish).  I said yes, Santiago and he began to give me directions, or maybe he was telling me when he walked the Camino.  I smiled and said Gracias. (that's grath ee us)

I am walking very slow, sometimes limping.  But I am getting closer to Santiago with each step.  Today's epiphany is that even small steps in the right direction will get you there. 

Do you think an American lives here..?

Not sure what these were about... Maybe a camping site and tables, maybe old ruins....

The local forestry crew were measuring trees. 

This was steep...

And in some parts I actually walked backwards which helped.  ... And you know sometimes you have to ... Ya you know..

  

Somebody dropped this...

At about 1000 hrs I stopped for a break here on the outskirts of Redondela.  One of the forestry crew vehicles drove by and offered me a ride to the albergue in Redondela.  I said no thanks and tried to explain I was going to Arcade. 

Somewhere around here I actually heard sheep. I could not see them... But they were there, I know.

I tried to talk with this man to ask him about cutting back the vines.  He no English, no French, me no Spanish. 

Oh well

This was a train overpass. 

A big catapillar!

This reminds me of the house I want to build. 

Coming into Redondela

Lunch specials... I had a #3

I have not mentioned that the marking of the way is not as good in Spain.  There is a marker, then only another one when time to change directions.  

In Portugal there were so many more. You could look ahead to the next one. I liked that better. 

In Spain you have more faith that you are still going in the right direction. ... Or in my case every once in a awhile - especially in cities.. You look lost at someone and say Camino, and then you point in a couple of directions. This has working for me many times. 

Some old hanging out with the new.. Even with the building on stilts. 

Funky house. 

I had to cross a busy highway several times today. This is Spanish for be careful. 

And look the ocean!!

And my trail leads to the ocean...!

Coming into Arcade... My destination today.... About 16km. 

The view from my 2 star hotel. 

I checked the room first, before saying I would stay.  They take Visa too!

Compared to Tui it is 5 star.  I had a shower, then a bath and then washed my clothes!

I rested in the sun too!

I will sleep in tomorrow and stay here for two nights... See if my shin splints ease up.  

Look the tide went out....

One of the fun things when traveling in a country where you don't speak the language is finding out what you have ordered!

The restaurant next door even had an English menu translation. I ordered the pork steak and a glass of wine. 

What I got was huge!  Tasty though. 

I talked with the guy at the next table. Juan from Barcelona who was walking the Camino to arrive on the anniversary of his mothers passing, as she had lived in Santiago. 

.... And back to the hotel to update the blog. 

Ear plugs in to stop the barking dog out my window and the TV set from the room next door. 

Not sure if tomorrow's update will be exciting as I do not plan on being on my feet very much.  In hotel room most of the day.