The darkness at 7:18am startled me this morning, I thought maybe the rain had come early and that all was bleak outside. Then I remembered the time change: Spain adopted Germany’s time zone during the war and is therefore an hour later than it geographically should be. Whew! I’d hate to be late!

Breakfast was included with my stay. Lots of fellow peregrinos there. I think most of them must be part of a package walking tour as there were different nationalities + several hard-cased suitcases in the lobby waiting for transport.

I left just after 8:30am in overcast skies. The forecast for the next few days does not look good so I’ll have to make the most of today. I circle around the inner harbor then leave town on a worn down rock path with cart ruts dating back to ? Far too soon we were directed up above the coast to a wide paved shoulder of a highway. A garrulous older Spanish biker stopped and effectively said we must stop and visit his cafe! The couple from New Jersey that I was walking with (also customers of last night’s hotel) agreed we must!

After a couple of kilometers we were sent down to a little path just below the road which instantly felt peaceful even though I could still hear the passing traffic above.

At 8 kms I met up again with the NJ couple at a little cafe/Quonset hut in Portecelo. Again, an enterprising local! We’re thinking it’s the man’s on the bike, leaving his poor wife behind to run the bar.

For the next 6 kms I’m varying between walking on pavement by the highway, on gravel path, country road, narrow dirt trail, some newly built then not, and then more of the same. Eventually I reached Oia, a cute little town with some historic buildings and a huge closed-looking monastery. At 14.5 kms I was ready for another break but was coffee-d out and not ready for my lunch-as-my-main-meal-of-the-day yet so I settled for sitting in the little town square having water and a granola bar I’ve been carrying since home.

After Oia the way took us closer to the sea but still separated from it by small farming plots. Potatoes, onions and cabbage seem to be the current crop. The sun finally came out and that just made the walk that much more pleasant.

1:30 pm and 17.6 kms I was back to the highway, not a particularly attractive part either. My body was getting a bit tired and I was looking forward to finishing the last 2.5 kms so I could put my pack down and have some lunch. Then I walked by a restaurant advertising a Pilgrim’s Menu with a lovely terrace overlooking the sea. “No, finish the walk then eat”, I thought. “But what a pretty view”, I then thought. “No”, as I continued on, “you don’t want to walk on a full stomach”. Well, apparently I did because I turned around and was welcomed with a fine tablecloth and the best seat in the house. And who was already here? The NJ couple!

Well, lunch was spectacular. A cold beer, a large wedge of tortilla de patata to start, then grilled grouper with salad and fresh potatoes. Finished off with a cafe con leche. One of best pieces of fish I’ve ever had. So much for not walking on a full stomach.

It turned out to be closer to 5 kms to my hostel via the highway or minor roads, walking mainly through residential areas. I think they tried to keep pilgrims from the main road but that means weaving up, down and around sometimes, adding a few more kms instead of what a car might do.

Finally at the hostel I was given a choice of a dark back room with 8 bunks or staying in what looks like a light, bright apartment! No quandary there. There’s a huge patio where my clothes are now optimistically drying in the gathering clouds. Rain might come as early as this evening.

Oh, no, that’s not my pack dropped in the middle of the floor, it’s my bottom bunk mate’s. My stuff is nicely tucked away there in the corner. There’s a bar next door so after my shower/laundry I’ll resuscitate myself with a glass of vino blanco and write this blog!