I Think I Could Be In Trouble...

I hate to belabour the point, because it sometimes sounds like I'm whining, , but your feet and legs are really everything on a trip like this. Mine, not so good. The unnecessary downhill descent yesterday started a reaction in my feet, and I am feeling myself sliding to a bad place.

At the train station hostel, I am given my first upper bunk, and stand looking at it for a full five minutes, trying to figure out how I am going to get up there. I suck it up and climb the rungs to flop into the bed, only to find the metals rails around the top are imprisoning, and my feet hurt so much I can't put them on the bed without an explosion of pain. I try to sleep, but the rest is fitful, as my legs, despite my insistence that we are done for the day, continue to want to wander, until eventually around 215am I get up, jump down from the top bunk in the most ungraceful way, and step outside to suck in some cool air. There is a guard at the front door whovtells me gruffly I have 5 minutes, and then will be locked out... I comeback in quickly, and sit on the couch, but apparently, this isn't allowed either, so prisoner Lawrence heads back to his top bunk, where I'm certain the guy on the bottom is immensely unhappy I've returned, and after popping an Advil, I fall into some kind of sleep...

When I wake up and check my feet, I see that I have a bit of an infection around my baby toe, where several blisters have basically removed all the skin from between and around the toe... As well as the redness and swelling of the baby toe, I am experiencing some pains on the front side of my foot by my bunion, and this pain will get worse as the day moves along...

Beautiful house on the way out of Llanes...

Having walked out of Llanes without finding a pharmacy, I am pretty sure I am going to have to go the full 30+kms today with my infection...

An old church I pass along the way..

Gotta stop for cafe con leche and tortilla...

Just follow those yellow arrows...

These ocean views!

These mountain views!

These beach views!

I would like nothing better than to put my feet in the water for a bit, but I'm worried about complicating the infection...

Some interesting archictural features of a house I pass in Naves...

A pretty town on the hillside dominated by the church on the left...

These fountains are literally life savers, and a joy to find along the way...

Some time alone in the woods...

An old monastery that is beginning to decay...

The first beach I have seen that is more pebbles than sand...

This was awesome... As I approached a tiny hamlet, I could hear music playing... As I got closer, I realized that these two were performing as guests showed up for a wedding... As I moved up the road, I was passed by numerous people all dressed up and heading to the wedding...

Break time... another warm day!

Coming around a corner, those yellow houses really pop!

Even the horses try to find shade from the afternoon sun...

The inside of a little church I pass... There are a number of these, with locked gates, but open doors so you can look inside...

Another church along the way...

Today's cow photo...

The camino is simple...

I haven't posted donkeys in a while...

Pretty sure I've seen more churches than people in the Spanish countryside...

A closeup of the front...

All these painted buen camino rocks were pretty cool..

I meet a friend on the way... and wonder when these sniffles will go away...

It's so much nicer walking when the trail is pretty...

Ain't that the truth! It's hard tov ead, but it states, "The light at the end of the tunnel will only be another train!"

The path is beautiful, but at this point, I am having trouble walking... I would call it more hobbling, as I am past the point of just limping...

Of course I know they are cows, but I cannot think at this point!...

As I enter the city of Ribadasella, there are bands playing all around me, and i realize quickly i have artrved on the weekend of the Cider Festival. Under normal circumstances, i would be thrilled, but at this point i am having a hard time moving, and i have just realized my hotel is located at the top of a hill (of course, its all part of the conspiracy!). 87 steps later, i check in...

I haven't been in my room ten minutes when DJ David messages me to say he has arrived in town. We agree to meet for dinner after showering and doing some laundry. We also agree to meet closer to where I am, as my feet are in no condition to go any further than necessary...

I am excited to try the Cider houses that are all over Ribadasella, as well as the seafood, which is brought in daily at the harbour. We choose this place, as it has both and is well rated. We can't get over the pouring of the cider to aerate it, and how much actually ends up on the ground. Good thing the bottles are fairly inexpensive, at just under 4 euros in restaurants.

Here, the young server pours for our table

.The cider here is dry, but not super tart, with just a hinnt of fermentation bubbles...

For dinner tonight, I started with a bowl of some of the most plump, soft perfectly cooked mussels I have ever tasted... I was so hungry I didn't remember to take a photo until there was only one left!

My main course was bacalao (cod) with ratatouille, which was delish!...

DJ David had the griĺled octopus and prawns, which were well cooked but lacking in flavour.

I finished with a Comtessa ice cream cake, which was a bit boring and may have been in the freezer for a while..

Distance walked today- 32 kms

TOTAL DISTANCE WALKED SO FAR- 465 KMS