Grado to Salas
13.7 miles
5/12/2019



Marta's father took me back to the trail, then Marta was going to take the Brits later (she wouldn't be able to fit all 5 of us at the same time).

It wasn't very long before we were plodding uphill - again through some beautiful countryside. Just as I was working on becoming slightly more confident of my walking pace, a too-full-of-energy young German guy who thought more miles should be added to each segment because he wasn't feeling challenged enough (show-off Europeans).  

I finally met another American, Bill, from San Francisco. He was quite an interesting character - retired, searching for another way of life back home, and marching to his own drummer and not looking forward to our peaceful country experience changing to organized chaos once our route joined with the hundreds of pilgrims headed toward us from the French Way (the most popular route) in Lugo. 

After Bill and I walked together for about 30 minutes we were joined by Reve,a Spaniard from the north of Spain who was young and too full of energy. They were both tall and there was no way I had of matching their stride so I told them not to wait on me while I took photos along the way. (I think they were secretly thankful for the reprieve).

This torturous route of rocky downhills and quivering quads will probably result in several toenails dying. It was looking very ugly when I finally pried my shoes off.

The B&B Castillo de Valdes Salas Hotel was a major letdown after our stay at Marta's. It was situated in a beautiful location, but everything inside was very sparse and well-worn. And where was our jacuzzi when we needed it?

Even though I thought I was starving, there was way too much starchy food - bread roll, paella, fried ham/cheese and potatoes. The idea of consuming that much starch so late in the evening and going to bed right afterward, made me push away from the table after just a few bites. I don't know how my British friends were having no trouble at all. They were intrigued by the concept of yearbooks, politics of course, and from that topic via Kamala Harris, the topics of sororities and fraternities. Matthew, clearly the instigator of the group, took it upon himself to explain sororities and fraternities to the others - even very precisely detailing rush. (I couldn't have done a better job!)