Day 1

I´ve made it to Quiroga. I am very, very tired. I started about 07.35 and wondered slowly down to A Fraga.

I wasted a bit of time taking photos of my first dawn of this camino, then I started. i think my hands must have been shaking a bit! I could see reasonably well but I was still a bit worried about the Boar! Then I passed a dog pound and they all started barking at me, I realised that if there had been a boar within a mile they would have been barking at that already.  I also realised, as I walked, that a boar cannot move through the wood quietly, I would hear it and be able to hide in a chestnut tree. That made me feel better. It was a lovely walk to start with, first through the wood, then on a road (but all down hill).

                                    Roman remains in Montefurado!

It was long, made longer by a detour to a bridge, rivers are very pretty but they do cause a major obstruction. I reckon I walked 17 or 18 kms to Montefurado. It was lovely to see the first shell and arrow, I felt I had arrived!!!

But there were still 17 kms to walk and it was getting very hot. I had hoped I would find a bar in Bendillo but instead I found a very kind lady, who filled my bottle of water and gave me an Aquarius out of the fridge, that was super and gave me energy to keep going. At Soldon we had a detour to take us through the village, I can´t imagine why. There was a river side caf,é but it was closed, of course, but I sat by the river, in the shade, took off my boots and socks and had the sandwiches I had brought from home. Then I soaked my feet  and continued, again I felt rested but not for long, the final 8 kms were a real struggle, they took ages, the beer I had as I walked into Quiroga was one of the best ever! I´m in the Albergue but I am the only pilgrim today, unless some cyclists appear but I have my own room and own bathroom:) Now I´m going to find the supermarket, I am so thirsty and I drank continously all day. I got to the Albergue at 17.00, I think that this is the longest camino day I have ever walked and tomorrow will be similar, except tomorrow there will be a couple of little towns with bars:)