A long day

We left Samos in the rain yesterday---not heavy but it persisted all day. Walked through some glorious countryside---lanes covered by trees--streams with little stone bridges--scenes that would have us stopping in awe a dozen times a day. But hard going physically---lots of ups and downs through the hills---we had left without breakfast and were hanging out for the first bar and to get a break from the cold and rain---finally we saw a village just ahead ---and then bypassed it. Finally in a tiny village with about 2 people we found an open bar---Ellen was there --glad to see her---and the lady in the bar cooked Jo and I a fresh tortilla---beautiful and hot and with some crusty bread---sometimes the very best of meals can come at unexpected times. Santa from Latvia(40) had been walking with Jo and I for a few days--we must have seemed safe to her---but her feet were quite bad after wearing inadequate shoes for a couple of days and she quit the camino in sarria. Jo and I went on---we faced a 14km day to Sarria or 27kms to Ferrerios and we decided as it was a wet day it was a good day for our feet---which was true---but 27kms was really testing---it seemed to take us forever---kept on trying to take breaks so we could go a bit further---we looked like facing the last 8kms without anywhere to stop so Jo and I decided to manifest a stop---we wanted it about halfway----a bar with something to eat and a place to rest out of the rain---and blow me down--in the middle of nowhere--not near a village--was this bar ---right on halfway. We suspected that as soon as we left it would just vanish again. we didnt get in till 10 to 4---9 hours on the road---we were exhausted---went and had something to eat at the local bar and were in bed by 8---a lovely mixture of snoring last night but nothing could keep me awake. up at 6 as usual and had toast and coffee at 630 in a nearby restuarant and on our way by 7---have stopped in Portamarin for 80 minutes or so so update our blogs and have a coffee and get some money from a hole in the wall--Jo cant access her cash so Im financing her---gives me a lot of leverage in the decision making process and she has had to drop some of the defiance and petulance she has been going on with---lessons from the camino No 148. Still raining outside---heading for Hospital de la Cruz today---probably---one day at a time