Camino de Santiago 17 A_Rua to Lavacolla

draft   

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ROF= Ring of Fire Odyssey  

MEF-H = Marine Expeditionary Force- Hargus 

CdS = Camino de Santiago journey            

Saturday September 21, 2019         

CdS 17 Rua to Lavacolla... Ruta Jacobea....  6.6mi

Up early, breakfast, and hit the trail out of A_Rua. Camino marker, yellow arrow showing -- this is The Way.

Overcast sky, cool, damp, air is thick/ heavy and forecast is for rain. Get moving before the front moves in.

Neighborhood street art.

Pilgrims that blow out a shoe leave them on a marker... many of these on the Camino.

Overcast, light rain/ drizzle, now on woodland Camino and not much light = blurry pix.

Open fields.

Continue to march...

Woodland Camino.

Somewhere in here we crossed past by Russell's tent/ compound.

 Back into woodland Camino. Light rain.

We're on the outskirts of Lavacolla. Closing in on Santiago.

 On the journey of a lifetime... stop to take a pic at a unique Camino marker with Camino friends UK Dave and Dame Sue. At Lavocalla... closing in on Santiago de Campostella!

we're about 400 yards from the airport, and we hear a jet spool up the engines rolling for takeoff. We're here. Lavocolla is THE Santiago airport SCQ, still 12 km from Santiago. We're excited 'cause we know we are that close.  We can see the planes coming in on final approach, landing gear down; that's how close we are.

Continue on in the now heavy rain, airport to our left.

 Full rain gear on while passing by the ILS, Instrument Landing System tower.

Feet wet, continue to march. This is the Camino; you continue on.

Feet wet for sure.

We stopped at an Iglesia/ church for a few minutes to see it,... and be out of the rain.

A good place to say a prayer; Thank you for the rain... just not so much please.

Back on the Camino. Continue to march.

Into neighborhoods now.

 Another corn crib. everybody has a garden here.

And we come to our destination for today... Lavocolla, This was 6.6 miles today.

 At the hotel entrance there was a draft beer tap and I thought... ?Is this a great country or what?

 This draft beer tap is significant... we'll talk about that later.

We stopped in the cafe for a mid day bite to eat... hoping the rain would lighten up as UK Dave and Dame Sue were already booked at Santiago. They would hike on another 6 miles to their Santiago destination today.

After an hour+ the rain had not let up. UK Dave and Dame Sue continued on their Camino to make Santiago today. They were real troopers of the ranks hiking in the rain today.

After hiking a couple of days with UK Dave and Dame Sue, got to know them as kindred spirits on this Camino journey... was sad to see them go.... said we would meet up in Santiago... but Santiago is a city of 80,000 people -- not counting pilgrims-- and was sad because we may never see them again as we all go our way back home. There are many Camino acquaintances.... some just say "Bien Camino" meaning good journey. Or safe travels. We got to talk and share with Dave and Sue and became friends on a journey of a lifetime.

Come to find out,... UKDave is a professional photographer, very accomplished... uses the equipment of Sir Richard Attenborough' Blue Planet series. And funny... UKDave had the humor of the Monty  Python mentality and kept us laughing all the way.  A really neat UK guy. Sue, I tagged "Dame Sue"  as she was a trooper of the ranks hiking the Camino with heel blisters, worked in the public sector and was just as funny by describing her answering questions from the public. UKDave and Dame Sue made our Camino journey much better for a couple of days. I consider them life friends even though we may never cross paths again... I am glad to have met them on this Camino journey!

After checking in we went to see what we could of Lavocalla. The rain was coming down hard now but we managed to see this Iglesia/ church.

After being wet, cold, tired.... rested up some late afternoon,... went down to the dining room and T-bird ordered paella. my god... this was a 24' pan and could not eat all of this. Wonderful, yes,.. but too much.

Later that night there was a wedding downstairs... right below our room.  We hear the band play 'til 1;30. The Spanish people really know how to celebrate!  It was a long day... but a good day. Thank you for all these abundant blessings!

You never drink twice from the same stream. 

Just because you wander doesn't mean you're lost. 

Uncle Hargus: Last of the Independents  

Have Bear,    

          Will Travel 

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