in the fog and drizzle at 8:30 this morning.
Walked today: 3.4 mi Camino2023: 243 mi
The Rubia Gallega committee was waiting to wish us farewell and “buen Camino” as we walked out the door of Casa Lucas.
We made a rest stop and hot chocolate break in the village of Biduedo (pop. 31) to give the clouds a chance to clear out of the valley below.
A traffic jam (for vehicles and pilgrims) on main street in Biduedo as cattle are moved from the barn (for milking) back to pasture.
The walk along the edge of the mountain and the initial descent offered some extraordinarily views as the clouds lifted and the sun began to highlight the fields and and pastures below. Eventually, the constantly changing weather brought in more clouds that rolled down the mountainsides and worked their way into the valley, forming darker storm makers that began with drizzles and eventually rained more heavily on us.
But the timing was just right, because we had seen and photographed all the good “stuff” and were focused on the descent when the crisp, colorful views disappeared.
Aira do Camiño is one of the best eateries on the Camino. We’ve stopped here on every Camino on our way into Triacastela. Rosa, the owner/manager of the restaurant is very efficient and customer oriented and serves delicious Galícian foods of the region. She also has excellent sweets like homemade cheesecake plus vegan and vegetarian options.
We also have been impressed by the cleanliness of the restaurant, restrooms and outside lounging/eating areas. Thinking that Rosa also managed the albergue, was a reason we chose to stay here for Camino2023.
However, today we learned that the albergue next door is under different ownership/management. And our initial impressions of the owner’s response to our simple request about the possibility for an earlier checkin, have created some doubts. We’ll see when we finally get to check in at 1:30!
The albergue was ok, similar to other albergues but relatively expensive at 43€ for a double room with shared bathroom. The climate control was marginal in keeping the dampness under control in the rooms. The beds and mattresses were soft and not as comfortable as many we have encountered on this and previous Caminos.
So in summary, its a typical albergue, nothing special and not a value. If the restaurant next door were not here, the viability of the albergue would diminish significantly.
We had dinner tonight in the restaurant to sample several of Rosa’s offerings and reaffirmed our earlier assessment of the food quality and variety.
We complimented Rosa on all she has accomplished and thanked her for her splendid hospitality and service. We chatted briefly about the excellent reputation she has cultivated among pilgrims, since starting this impressive small business in 2010 and showed her some reviews from pilgrim apps about her great restaurant.
Thanks, Rosa, for a wonderfully positive experience at Aira do camiño, in Fillobal, Spain.
Jimandi 