5/29/17 – 13km/8.1mi from Nueva to Ribadesella.
Despite starting off early at 7am hoping to knock out 18 miles before an afternoon rain forecast hit, we found ourselves pummeled by rain around mid-morning. It hit when we were on dirt farm paths that became massive mud puddles. There were no dry or covered places to change wet socks or clothes, so we wound up walking a solid 8 miles from Nueva to Ribadesello before being able to take any shelter. We arrived at a cafe/bar and with our clothes and shoes wet, spirits a bit down, and with an all-day rain forecast, we decided to stop for the day.
We could have kept going, but our planned destination, La Isla, was another 10.5 miles away and walking that far with wet shoes is just asking for foot problems. We’ve got nearly 30 days to go still! The Camino is a marathon and we decided to play it safe, stay the day, and dry our shoes out. David also rightly said that IF you have the time to spare – and we all do – it’s not worth walking in bad conditions just to get further. We’re here to enjoy the trek, not to struggle and risk foot Armageddon. So we posted up in Ribadesello, did some necessary grocery and sundry shopping, and then made an absolutely fantastic dinner that left us all stuffed, but also fueled up for a massive 24-mile day tomorrow.
Before the rainstorm, we did come up to a village that had a beautiful wall of hand-painted stones about the Camino. Whether painted by kids or adults, each one was great and together they were incredible. There were a lot with inspirational messages as well – it was a real treat! In addition, we passed a horse that, the moment we saw him, we called him “Fabio Horse.” The photo has to be seen to be believed. I will eventually sound like a broken record, but these daily treasures are what make a good journey an unforgettable one.
