June 14 – Fifteen miles today will get us to Cea, which should be the longest day of our last hiking week.  The morning was cool, overcast and so foggy that I couldn’t see ten feet ahead of me.  After getting out of Ourense, the trail went straight uphill for a long kick-butt climb, partly on pavement and partly on dirt paths.  

Jim found an interesting spider’s web.

The fog burned off by 10am, and the day started to heat up.  It’s supposed to get up into the 90s by late afternoon, so we want to be inside by then.  We stopped to rest under some eucalyptus trees.

There were several little towns where we could stop for coffee, and we took advantage of each one.  The locals had some interesting ways of welcoming pilgrims that made us smile.

Note to self:  do not even think of painting your house this color!

We crossed an old stone bridge that led into an abandoned town.  I wonder why the people left?
Pretty little flowers.56 miles to go.

June 15 – Spent a restful night at our Casa Rural, which included breakfast.  I always appreciate a morning when I can have a second cup of coffee!  Twelve miles today, on another cool, clear morning.  Leaving Cea:

The windmills on the hill looked surreal in the morning mist.

Beautiful garden flowers:

Then it was time to leave the road and do some huffing and puffing uphill.  The woodland views were worth it, and it was so cool I considered putting my jacket on.

Back to the highway for a while.

Then up some more.

The views from the top make the climb worthwhile.

Said hello to some cows.

Then down, down and into town.

I had been silently dreading tonight’s stay in the last albergue of our trip.  We had to walk past the town to find it.  Imagine my surprise to find two young girls waiting there to welcome us in and ask if we’d like the dormitory or a private room.  A room?  Yes, please!  The building used to be a school, with big sunny windows, an industrial tiled kitchen, and even a playground out back (used as a laundry hanger by the pilgrims)!   There were separate toilets by gender, and the open gang showers that you remember hating in middle school.  And there was wifi!  This was the bomb-diddly of albergues.  Thank you, Dozón!

44 miles to go.