Airexe to Melide

Intersting day all around! Up early, alarms, double alarms, am not sure why folks set them! They are up with the crack of dawn anyway! :-)

Find the kitchen and tea and chat to 2 spanish fellows, of course Ireland Chris! , another couple from Spain, and a few Germans who are in a hurry!:-) Wait for light! It has rained during the night has stopped now but is dark dark dark!  Chris is ready to go and then asked the time; 6:09 by my clock! :-) We chat for a bit and he leaves. .....peace!  :-)

Soon all start moving, and it is time to get going! I tag with the girls again, we leave at 7:30ish.:-) It is stupid dark! I guess I tried to dare the weather, I have my gear but of course am not ready! Have to stop qnd put my tablet in plastic, my rain coat on, hat on, etc. I was smart enough to put the rain cover on my knapsack before we left but that was about it! Idiot! :-)

Anyway we walked in pouring rain pretty much  for the next couple of hours. Sooo much fun! :-( We reach Palas de Rei and stop at a cafe to dry out and fuel up! Saw some familiar face some I haadn't seen for a few days! As we are leaving three girls from the school group were in front of singing, so the three of us joined in and had a great round of supercalifragilistic (sp)! And the rain comes back! We walk with the rain downhill, along side some mini raging rivers, catch up with more students, more students catch up with us and on we go. We do catch up with a group that is being escorted by Alex who we met yesterday. We do see him at one point as well, nice and dry under a big umbrella waiting for his clients! :-)

We reach a 2nd cafe that has set up a huge tent outside, get the largest coffee I could and dry out a bit. We chat to a girl from Sweden who has been to Vancouver, is escorting a group of older folks and had great stories! She told us that she was picking up garbage along the path a few days ago and an old man thanked her, he then gave her a beautifully carved walking stick and asked her to take it to Santiago for him. He said that he was too old to go to Santiago and would be grateful! So Catherine from Sweden is doing just that - taking the walking stick to Santiago!

It is pouring, however we decide to continue on, suit up and away we go! Not too far and then a bit of sunshine and a lady selling bananas! Yippee! Terri and Pam start singing children's songs which I had forgotten about! That sure helped the long downhill slog! We reached the outskirts of Melide and walked about 4km along a gravel trail, came out on a cute little street and there was Alex! No umbrella this time! He gave us directions to the centre of town and some room choices. Away we went! Finally, albergues, stores, cafes, etc. We find an albergue - new, clean, noisy and in an old building. The staircase is amazing! Six bunks and I have a bottom bunk! Yay!

Laundry,  warm, dry clothes and food!

Good day but long! No pictures though!