We now leave Lestedo with renewed energy and purpose. I think most of the bugs have been worked out and the leg pains have subsided to a very tolerable level. Due to the pain and weariness from the daily grind , I decided that the mantra should be “There is NO Crying on the Camino”, as taken from the Tom Hanks movie about women in baseball during World War II…or at least until we arrive in Santiago. Then the tears of gratitude could flow unintentionally from this accomplishment of purpose.
Our journey takes us through the city of Palais de Rei. Little has changed over the centuries in this little corner of Spain. We see farmers with their cows as they plod down stone streets. Everyone seems to be at peace with life. Their fathers and forefathers before them had lived pretty much similar lives. At times the trail gets a little mundane, but at that point a new waterfall, or a new landscape of green hills and farms owned by the same Galician family for 15 or 20 generations appears as if on cue and taken from the palate of the Grand Architect of the Universe. And then just as quickly, we find slippery footpaths covered with mud and uneven rock and shale, or maybe a torrential down pour of rain and hail. Sometimes the trail becomes unknown and a bit of anxiety runs through you and now a new concern becomes attached to your being. These sights appear again and again, yet seem to put a smile on our faces, as we realize what life is all about. It appears, after all that the trail does mirror life itself, and just as we become comfortable and satisfied with life, out of nowhere we are given a new perspective.
We finally arrive in Melide which is a modern city while keeping a touch of the past running through her veins. Life, it appears seems to be the same now as it does back home. But just as we move to the 21st Century, we are again transported back to another era in time. Our home away from home tonight is found in a Galician country manor house dating from the 16th century. It is called the Pazo de Eidian and was built on land once owned by the Knights Templar, and from whose time only the chapel remains. The premises are totally enclosed by a stone wall and encompasses around 15000 square meters. The palace has been restored with period furniture and is most definitely a diamond in the rough. The original coat of arms is still engraved in stone as you pass through its portals and become part of the Lopez de Basadre Family for two nights.
I feel I must add to this… just in case you think we are totally roughing it (and we are at times), the Palace Eidian does also have a pool, a spa, a masseuse (who is now coming back to America with me), a restaurant serving authentic Galician faire, 12 beautiful rooms with again hot showers to die for, a gathering room, and a walled courtyard to enjoy Galica’s finest white wine called Albarino in. Maybe I should have left that part out.
So tomorrow we transport back to Melide and trek on to Arzura. Yes, we are getting closer and continue to fill our “Pilgrims Passports” with stamps from many villages, churches, and restaurants as we inch closer to Santiago and the tomb of St. James. This will be our shortest day which only involves 9 miles and at this point a piece of cake. Did someone mention Tarta de Santiago? OMG…unbelieveable!
We found out that there is a web cam in Santiago that films the pilgrims as they enter the City Square, so hopefully we will have that web site for you to check out as we march in on Monday afternoon around 4:00 PM, which is 10:00 AM in Indiana (ET), and 8:00 AM on the Pacific Coast. Stay tuned for updates on that.
Buen Camino
Dave and Judy
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Glad you are having such a wonderful adventure.
ReplyDeleteYes, you would have garnered more respect without the description of the amenities.
But, you deserved them after the early days.