Oia

Today was our first full day trekking Spain. We wondered how it would compare to Portugal. Distance was supposed to be only 8 miles, so I convinced myself it’d feel relatively easy after yesterday, which was over 13. Oh, my mercy!

GoogleMaps said less than 3 hours to the Hotel A Raina. I added an hour in my mind: four will surely do it. Ha! GoogleMaps FAIL. Trekking Galicia is much more a walk on the wild side than a walk in the park.

Conditions were rough, especially on the coast. High wind gusts and steady rain, sometimes in sheets. It felt fierce! We also trekked wooded areas and alongside a highway for short stretches before reentering the woods. We got some reprieve from the elements away from full exposure at the coast.

Around noon we found a small cafeteria style restaurant on the trail and grabbed a table in the nick of time. There was a mad rush of trekkers not far behind us. It was so nice to take off the pack and get out of the weather for a while.

The proprietors spoke little English; neither did anyone within earshot. The menu was simple and effective. I had smoked salmon and cream cheese on toast. Our friends had the famous Spanish ham, shaved off the hock, on a hearty sub-styled roll. The Hubs settled for snackies. They offered a Credencial stamp and clean restroom, too — no fee and with TP. Woo-hoo! Win. Win. Win.

When we loaded back up, I tried not to think about the fact that we were less than half-way to our destination. This would be a long, wet, hard day! A lot of uphill and downhill; big stones, little stones, slabs of stone, gravel; dirt and mud; crossing streams; dodging big puddles. The slim stretches of the flats never lasted as long as we hoped.

And all day long I was struggling with pack adjustments. A few days ago I was marveling at how well my back was holding up, how well my pack was working out. But the past two days have been brutal. Today I was fidgeting, trying to get straps just right to ease the pain.

Finally, somewhere about 9-mile mark, we saw the little village of Oia stretching out on the coast. Our hotel was on the outside of town, but it’s so small that didn’t take long. It’s the only hotel in town.

A few minutes after we arrived, other trekkers arrived without reservation. They didn’t get a room. Instead, he pointed out a neighboring house, “Knock on the door. She rents rooms with toilets.” Tough break, eh?

I was immensely grateful to learn of hotel dinner service in-house. We passed a lovely but tiny pub/cafe, packed out, and one restaurant, reopening later, on our way through town, which was encouraging, to be honest. This is a very small town. But there’s torrential rain in the forecast tonight. None of us were looking forward to getting back out.

Post-dinner Update: Delighted by Hotel A Raina delicious paella! The owners son said they owned a restaurant and were “known for their rice.” Indeed. Boys shared beef version and girls the seafood. We’ve quickly learned in Spain they serve scallops in the shell, with scallop intact. Quite a different scallop! Huh. I tried the “extra” piece, encouraged on. It was a “no, thank you” bite. :=)

The hotel is also gracious to offer limited laundry services. You can self-serve laundry in town. But here, they will dry stuff. (1) Free: hang your clothing on their drying line. A brisk breeze will dry in no time. (2) 4Euros: 1 bag of wet clothes in commercial hotel dryer.

Amazing! Can you guess which one I took?

Here’s the hint: I got busy with detergent in the sink and a pile of necessities. My most comfortable quick-dry trekking gear is filthy dirty and/or wet. Tomorrow, more rain! We hung our jackets to dry in the room, cracking the window to create some airflow. Just another day in the life of a trekker.

We saw loads of Pilgrims on the trail today. We noticed the uptick only yesterday, near the border. It’s clear the Camino in Spain is much more significant. Hoping we meet some interesting characters with stories to tell!

Today my devotional was on abundance; with our God there is no lack or need. The reflection question: where do you need more of His abundance in your life? When I read the devotional, I couldn’t imagine what more I could need or even want. Truly.

But through the day, struggling with back pain, I wondered: am I missing something essential? Perhaps I need an abundance of wisdom as to how my body works? Or some other form of abundance to be healthy and whole and healed? I’m open to receive whatever I may be lacking. They say miracles happen on the Camino. Why not me?

Hold hope. Keep faith. Walk your walk.

~ Sincerely, Sondra