Cotelas

Cotelas

We had a fairly dry morning as we left Ourense. Today was to be one of our most strenuous walks with a steep ascent out of town. We would walk nearly 24 kilometers but the ascent would occur in the first 5 kilometers. Cea was to be our destination for the day and we began early as rain was expected later in the afternoon.  We had been intentional in our desire to stay in Cea. It is famous throughout Spain for its dense, flavorful Galician bread. Any place that is famous for it's bread must be worth staying in. In fact, it even has a bread museum. Imagine that.

Along the way we met a man who owned a Casa Rural  in Cotelas. Cotelas was not one of our destinations nor was it even on our radar. In fact, it was an 'alternate' route. We are inclined to ignore these offers to stay somewhere off the route  because they are usually a lot more work than they are worth. But there was something about this man that caught our attention and so we listened to what he had to say and even took his card with his address. Perhaps it was his sincere offer to help us if we should need anything during the day that prompted us to carry anything extra with us, even if it was just a small piece of paper.

As we walked we made the decision that we would stay with Antonio as his place was very traditional and  at an unbelievable good price. It would also cut about nine kilometers off our walk for the next day. 

We walked on and as the day progressed the trail suddenly became a stream. It took some skill on our  part to maneuver it and in spite of my 'skill' I fell into this stream. I was soaking wet and covered with mud.

It was a bit further than we had expected and by the time we got there I was dry and covered with mud. When we finally reached our Casa I felt as if we had come home. Mama Aurora showed us to our room and got my clothes washed. She cooked dinner for us. Pulpo (octopus Galician style), fresh Iberian ham and Galician cheese, pasta with garlic and tomatoes, and the famous Cea bread. They stood over us making sure we were full, warm, and content. Lots of homemade wine and limoncello and fresh made yogurt for desert. 

It was a stunning day. One I will treasure always. Thinking of you...you are loved.