Camino Day 4

Again, learning from past mistakes, today we got a REALLY early start - so after Mass and breakfast (leftover fajitas from last night) we were out the door by 8:30am headed toward Pregontono.

It was along this stretch of the Camino that we met a woman from Ireland - who was there with a group of young people - but she was walking by herself for a bit.  This is funny story!

We were walking along talking about pranks that happen in the seminary - and I was recounting how a friend had put holes (from a hole puncher) on top of the blades of my ceiling fan.  When I turned it on, they went everywhere... Then we started saying how the only thing that would have been worse was if it was glitter... and we started talking about how we hate those "glitter cards"... and we discussed our dislike for glitter.  At which point the Irish lady stopped, turned around, and said (in a lovely Irish brogue), "Is that what you boys talk about on the Camino?  Glitter?  Here I thought you'd be talking about sports or something, but, NO!  Glitter!"  No matter how much we tried to tell her we were talking about our dislike for glitter, the "damage" was done.  "I can't wait to go home and tell me friends that you were talking about glitter!  A priest and three seminarians, and glitter!"  We all had a good laugh.

But this was a really beautiful section of the Camino - through the woods until we ended up along a road again.

Oh, yea - and we passed this little place with these really weird ant sculptures...

And this was our "wrong turn."  The signs got a little confusing and we, along with the people ahead of us, made a very slight wrong turn - but got right back on track quickly.

We went through the towns of Burres, Bente, Salceda - where there was a nice spot to pause and have a drink - we've been on the road for about 2 hours now - time for a rest.  But we continued on to A Brea and Santa Irene - where we paused for some lunch (and again, a nice, cold beer!).

We refilled our water bottles and got back on the road - to A R'ua, O Pedrouzo, Amenal, San Paso and  finally Lavacolla - our destination for the night.

In Lavacolla we stayed at a real albergue - although we had a private room... well, the four of us in one room.  And a shared bath that was... well, "less than enjoyable" was how one of our brothers put it.  In fact, so "less than enjoyable", that none of us took a shower - just a "French Bath" as my grandmother used to call it.  Kind of appropriate... In ancient times when pilgrims were close to the end of the pilgrimage it was customary to stop at a stream which flowed from the town to wash themselves before making the final journey down to the Cathedral.  The name is said to derive from the pilgrims pay particular attention to washing their backsides - because literally translated "Lavacolla" means "washing the tail." 

We wandered out for dinner to the Hotel Rota Jacobea - but it wasn't open yet - so we just had a few drinks and ended up at San Paio where we had a nice meal.  Went back to get right to bed for our last day on our Camino Journey.