Walking Across Italy

Today we hiked a bit over 10 miles in 3.5 hours. It was a lot shorter than yesterday, but for some reason, it seemed just as arduous. My Apple watch says that I took 28,600 steps and descended over 1,100 feet. Most of the mileage was downhill and in the woods, so the trees kept the sunlight off our heads.

As we headed out of town, we crossed a 13th century bridge.

As we climbed the first hill, we could see the small village where we had spent the night.

Gypsies

Joe and I had hotel rooms last night, but Steven and JP volunteered to spend the night in (what was described as) a camper. When they got there, it was more reminiscent of a gypsy or circus trailer than a Winnebago.

Stamps

One of the traditions of the camino is to acquire stamps in a credential booklet for each stop along the way. These stamps are available at hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, essentially anywhere that sells stuff along the camino. The rationale for this is that it serves as proof that you have actually completed the journey when you get to Santiago di Campostello.

The stamps come in all shapes and designs, usually featuring a sea shell, which is the symbol of all of the routes of St. James (if you turn the shell on its side, it symbolizes that all roads lead to Campostelo). I imagine that B&B owners try to make their stamp unique, so as to stand out on the pilgrim’s pages.

Creams

Maybe it is due to the slight change in the weather, but I have been enjoying “chocolat chaud“ (hot chocolate) in the mornings of this trip. This is usually a morning beverage that I reserve for snowy days in winter. While this drink is made with Swiss Miss mix and some hot water in the U.S., in France they heat the milk and add chocolate, so it is much creamier.

Separately, as all of my family knows, I LOVE whipped cream. And the French make a version that is thick, rich, and utterly delicious. They call it “chantilly” and whenever I see it on a menu, I have to order some.

Since this was a shorter walk today, we entered our final stop around lunchtime. There was a crowd around the few restaurants in town, so we had to settle for something that was billed as a “brasserie & pizza” restaurant. Despite my companions’ distaste for such a plebeian establishment, we all proceeded to order the burger and fries, followed by an ice cream dessert. I asked for my ice cream “avec beaucoup chantilly”. ( with a lot of whuppin toppin’). The waiter did not disappoint.

Tonight we are staying in a converted convent. The accommodations are sparse, but we each have our own room.

Bonne nuit