Day 8 (17 March) 10 Miles. Blue Skies Shining On Us

A night’s rest will do wonders. Laird sent me a text at 8 AM saying that he was good to go. We waited until 9 AM our agreed upon time because I had to finish yesterday’s blog. When we emerged from our hotel, blue skies were above.

Our breakfast was in a traditional coffee house on Baiona’s main street. What a change from a buffet and self-serve. I even peeled my own kiwi. The Camino does change one’s behavior. It was an excellent start to the day.

Laird wanted to reach 10,000 steps for the day. By the time we went to dinner, we were over 20,000. How did this happen on a day of rest? We played tourists wandering to and fro around Baiona.

We met Jennifer and John hailing from near Ottawa, Canada whom we first met at dinner in A Guarda. This was our third encounter. We may meet again in Santiago. No Americans encountered yet on the Camino.

On our stroll of the corniche, we looked out onto the bay without having to lean into the wind. We enjoyed several moments of puppy love. It seemed like almost every walker was with a dog, or two.

We walked back into town to find a grocery and bakery for tomorrow’s lunch. We were successful. When leaving, we met this fellow and his 15 year old dog. He pointed to a tall statue on a nearby hill and said that must visit the Virgin of the Rock (Rocha). We climbed the hill, passed the stations of the cross, and look out on Baiona from the Virgin’s feet. We said to one another that we were grateful to be in good health – physically and mentally.

On our way down, we gave our usual Ola to a fellow working by the ride of the road. He turned to us, smiled, and gave us thumbs up for walking the Camino. Though he could speak four languages, English or French was not one of them. Pablo was his name and I asked if I could take his photograph. Unfortunately, he was in the shadows but that didn’t away from the vibes of the moment.

It was 1:30 PM – time for lunch at La Boqueria, outdoor seating. We wanted to go light so we ordered calamari frito. The pieces were just right – hot and crispy but not too crispy as to make them chewy. With beer, it was the right choice. The waiters asked where we were from and introduced us to Anna, Alejandra, and Miguel. They live in A Guarda; the husband/dad is a fisherman. Can you guess where Anna lived before moving to Spain? To be exact, Danbury, Connecticut.

After a brief visit to our hotel, we spent the next three hours wandering the waterfront. We went aboard a slightly larger replica of the Pinta that had returned to Baiona in 1493. Next to the harbor is Monterreal Fortress that dates from the 11th Century. We walked around the top of its walls and at the bottom of its outer walls. We returned to our hotel following the Camino arrow for a Guinness in honor of St. Patrick. We did not forget.

Our full day of touring ended back at La Boqueria indoors. We went Galician with Jesus being our guide. Casserole of langoustines and pulpo (octopus), cuttlefish wrapped in shredded wheat, Albariño, and a Galician cafe liquor. With warmed hearts, we strolled back to our hotel.