The beauty of this kind of travel is the surprises we receive daily. From a spectacular sunrise to an unexpected rainstorm, we never know what our day will bring. I love it! There is one guaranteed surprise at the end of each day—our nightly accommodation.
In the past, we never booked our rooms in advance. Part of the gift of this kind of travel was not being consumed by anything other than the moment we were in. If we wanted to stop walking early in the day, we would. If we wished to stay an extra day, we could do that without having to be anywhere other than the place we were in.
The place we end up in can provide us with the experience we will have for the rest of the day.
We had an opportunity to stay at the Brandesco Country Club near Arzua. As this place was a bit off the path, our host had agreed to pick us up at a designated location in town. We decided to meet in the plaza at the end of our walk and wait for our ride. I knew the moment we pulled into this estate house we were in for a treat. This house was built in the 17th century and is still owned by the family members.
I love the history of this place. Although the house was built in 1620, the land was chosen because of the chapel on the grounds, which was built in 1548. The land has been in the family the entire time except for ninety years. The thing I found most fascinating after the history was the antiquity of the furnishings. I can not recall the last time I saw a zebra rug or a bear pelt as part of any home decor.
Our room was luxurious. If the weather had only been cooler, I would have lit the fireplace and never left my room. Our bed was soft, and the linens were freshly ironed. The bathtub was considerable, with the best-smelling lotions and potions at my fingertips. We could want for nothing more except maybe never to leave. Our dinner was one of the best in Spain and Portugal. We felt pampered and well cared for while we were here. We sat in various sitting rooms, libraries, and outside areas, sipping wine and chatting and letting ourselves imagine what it would be like to have lived in a place like this with all of its history. Leaving in the morning was hard, but I felt refreshed.
We also had the opportunity to stay at a unique place in Palas De Rei. Our group was staying off the trail, and Tom and I had a small place in town. Our host mentioned a few places to go for dinner, and we opted for the one that offered a home-cooked meal. We walked into the bar, which was nearly filled with local people enjoying drinks and tapas, so we knew we had come to the right place. The owner told us we could not eat in there but to go around the back. Slightly confused, we did as he asked, unsure how we misunderstood the situation. To our surprise, the owner stuck his head out the back door and told us his wife would be with us shortly to make us dinner, and he gave us a bottle of wine to enjoy while we waited. We had homemade soup, salad, bread, and cheese with homemade jelly. We met a couple from Texas and enjoyed a lovely evening chatting with them. We would run into them nearly every day after that and often walked with them for miles.
Two very different places and both are embedded in our memories for a lifetime. There were many other places we could have been on these occasions, but these were the best for us.
These moments make me think of you. I am looking forward to the time when we are home together. You are loved.
Buen Camino.
Tom and Nancy’s Journeys 