Desayuno this morning includes giant croissants, which actually are very good.
It's still raining, but we can't put off getting out there any longer. As we exit the bar, Kirstie spots us and invites us to leave with her and some friends. They have headlamps and we are grateful to join them. They will be able to spot the markers guiding us out of town and along the trail until it's light enough to see for ourselves. Andy and Linda wind up leaving with us also. Out in the plaza, the schoolboys are gathering in front of the church.
Today there is rain, rain, and more rain. There are several breaks, but not long enough to dry out. It's another day when only something truly amazing can make me go through the bother of using my camera. It's also a day of making our way as best we can around huge puddles and sections of gooey mud. It's a miserable day to be outside doing anything, but just thinking that each step gets me closer to Santiago keeps my feet moving. The boys are noticeably absent from the path today. We wonder what they are doing, or if we will see them in the coming days.
Along the path today are: more farms with more cows; another section of woods with a logging operation; and a most interesting machine--I have no idea what to call it. It mows down corn stalks, shreds them up, then shoots the product into a dump truck that rides alongside it. It is very cool to watch it for a while. Our guess is that the shredded product gets used as feed for the cattle during the winter. I suppose that's another thing I can google when I get home. Another interesting, but kind of weird, thing we see are giant ant sculptures in someone's front yard. It takes all kinds of people to make the world go 'round.
We slog our way to Palas de Rei, the top of today's map, where the rain begins to abate. According to the guidebook, the Xunta is almost at the other end of the town. We follow the arrows, even ask directions twice to be sure we're going the right way, but somehow we pass right out of town without finding it. We pause briefly--do we press on or go back and find the Xunta? It's almost a no-brainer; there is no going backward on the Camino! We consult the guidebook for the next available albergue. It's a private one about 3.5 km ahead. Now that the rain has stopped, going onward doesn't seem so awful.
I'm a little concerned that when we reach San Xulián (in Galega, the language spoken in Galicia, x's replace the j's in Spanish), the albergue will be full. The guidebook indicates that it has only 12 beds. However, when we arrive, only two other people have checked in already. So, the Albergue Turistico "O Abrigadoiro" is our home for the night.
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