We had a good night in the impressive Monastery, a simple but nourishing Pilgrim's Breakfast (lots of walkers (no not the crisps!) in the cafe and then we were off - into the stiff unrelenting
Westerly wind that tried to push us backwards all the way to Santiago.
I had recovered from my Gastro Intestinal ailments - but that was the only good news. We worked hard and had little to show for it - apart from Jonny's 100 Euro fine for cycling with earphones!! The Guardia Civil officer was polite but there was no mercy (even though the noise from the wind was so fierce that we could hardly hear what he was saying and the fine was given because earphones make it impossible to hear the traffic - with or without we heard only the wind!!).
The landscape was boring - straight flat roads, empty villages, nothing but fellow travellers (on foot - "Buon Camino" as the greeting goes!).
We made it to our next lodging Albergue la Encina in Hospital de Orbigo - simple lodging but a great bar and big meals for very little money! 124 km at av 16.6 km/hr (!!!) .
The following day the wind was even fiercer - and as there was a bus taking us westwards we decided that religious insanity was not for us - and we took the bus for the first 50 km and planned to do he last 40 on bikes ! But St James heard about this and after we had headed off on our bikes a thunderstorm made us revisit our options - and we arrived to our destination in Pedrafita by bus!
The following morning (Thursday) was cold, wet and windy (what's new?) we climbed up to the summit at 1330 metres - it was 2*C!!! The scenery was now lush green hills and winding mountain roads. It looked like Scotland - but was much colder!!! We overtook some mountain bikers going up (on the road), and then there was along windy descent where you really had to concentrate to hold on to the handlebars. We were wet and cold (arm warmers, windbreakers but just shorts - all wet!!!).
We had a rather lovely lunch - looking at the rain hitting our bikes horizontally!!!
To add to the joys of the day we got lost, did an 18 km detour, Jonny fell into the mud and we were shivering land cold when we arrived to Palas de Rei (Jonny got lost and arrived 30 mins after me but his mood improved when he saw the Burger and Beer waiting for him!). We had done 114 km at 17 km/hr and climbed 1899 meters!!!. And we had fought for every one of them!!
On the last day of our Pilgrimage everything was still wet - a tumble dryer gave temporary relief, but the rain kept coming and after 36 km we had reached our sod-this-pilgrimage threshold. From out table in a cafe we could see a taxi rank - and we arrived to Santiago in style - although still soaked!!
SO was it horrible? Well it was b.... hard work. The bikes were great (the Airnimal folding road bikes, we had one pot-hole puncture but no mechanicals - and if the weather had not been so miserable. But we did 650 kms and we drank a lot of good beer - and enjoyed each others' company. And Santiago had good food - and more very good beer so it was worth it all!!
