The magical and misty mountains!

Buenas dias todos! Tonight´s albergue has computers and internet so you don´t have to wait so long for a post this time :)

As it´s been so hot we´ve been setting off early so we can get a good day´s walking in before we melt. So for the last few days we´ve set off in the dark which is really odd (before we were setting off at sunrise). Yesterday we walked along a road so it wasn´t too bad, but last night we were in a little hamlet called La Faba which is half way up a mountain, so we walked to the top of the mountain by moonlight (and an Italian ladies spare torch!), it was really magical and as we got to the top the sun was beginning to peep into the valley and as the mist lifted we watched the sun come up over the mountains :) the mountains in the distance were still covered in mist but the tops were poking out and looked liked islands! B E A Utiful!

Our walk today brought us into Galicia and although the guidebook warned us of steep climbs and descents we aren´t complaining too loudly as the views are well worth the effort! Beige wheat fields and bland views have turned into lush green fields and trees and mountains! (I feel like I should be writing a poem, not a blog entry!)

Pilgrims are a funny breed of person, and I think we´ve just about seen it all! Today we saw the first pilgrims on horseback which was pretty cool. And the other day there was even a man walking with a donkey carrying his luggage!! Two days ago we saw a couple who were walking with their young baby and their dog!!! The baby had a seat built into one of the rucksacks... and the dog was carrying paniers!!! No joke, the dog was carrying it´s share of the luggage!!!! Sadly I didn´t get a picture and we haven´t seen them since!
The newest breed of pilgrim is less entertaining, they are the fresh-faced, springy-limbed, rucksack-free pilgrims who bound past you on their second day of walking wishing you a "buen camino" as your 650km tired legs hobble down the mountain!!

We get a mixed reception from the locals of northern Spain, today we went through a tiny little village and a lady popped out of her house with a plate of freshly made pancakes for us, for a small donation! It was a wonderful moment and the pancakes were really good!!

Less than a week to go... (although we realised yesterday that cyclists who were leaving St Jean would arrive in Santiago at the same time as us!!!)

Love from Spain,

Helen and Mary :)