32km (613.8km)
Wednesday 28 June 2017
We knew from the forecast that another rainy day way in store so we didn’t even pack away our waterproofs for this morning. As we left Robyn and the Albergue at 6:30 it wasn’t actually raining so for a brief period we thought maybe the forecast was incorrect and we had escaped the inclement weather. We climbed out of Luarca and then were more or less on level ground for most of the day, which was some sort of relief for the troublesome feet. The clouds started building before I’d even taken one photo today and we were walking full waterproofs before 8am. The day was spent taking off and putting on wet weather gear with plenty of excuses for a few coffee stops, given the stormy conditions . Towards the end of the day the sun came out and I was starting to feel positive about finishing the day on a high, in the sun with waterproofs drying out when an almighty storm hit us, drowning us instantly but still we stayed positive in the knowledge that we were nearly at La Caridad…I would also add that our proper waterproofs allowed us to battle the elements today whereas everyone in their pilgrim ponchos had to take shelter, during the worst periods, in case they were whisked away by the prevailing winds!

We arrived in La Caridad, having booked ‘Hotel Rural Xusto’; it looked lovely in the photos and it was apparently near the town centre . It did not disappoint but it was obviously too exclusive for La Caridad as the hotel’s bar and restaurant were shut, giving an eery feeling of impending doom/closure to the lovely place. The lack of essentials meant we had to walk to kilometre back into La Caridad for sustenance (me in my flip flops and socks, a great look but my only option give the state of my feet :(). There was nowhere to find a meal in the whole town, which is rather dead, so I ended up with a tuna sandwich and some vino tinto for dinner. The weather promises to remain terrible until Saturday so we are trying to stay positive and I’ll say at least it’s cooler and more manageable than the 33 degrees of last week. Looking forward to our night in the fancy, half open, hotel…we are the only residents too….

I have just posted some photos and believe me when I say it DID rain today :);

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