Day 36 elevation profile
Today is only a short hop, but with the way my foot feels, I am grateful. There is a medical clinic and pharmacy in Triacastela and I hope to get some better treatment for my blister. Narelle has dressed it as best she can and we set out hopeful for a nice day. Alas, the weather has closed in and we set off in a thick fog. Not too much discomfort though, and it certainly sets a mysterious atmosphere as we begin down the mountain. We are joined by a lady we shared dinner with last night. She tells us she forgot to bring her washing in from the line before she went to bed. This morning she had to search the local cow pastures for her clothes as the wind was quite strong last night.
Heading into the mist
It is not long before we get below the clouds and are able to enjoy the beautiful views above us. We pass a Chestnut tree over 800 years old, from which pilgrims gathered the nuts and roasted over fires.
Mmmmm- oh for some hot roasted chestnuts now.
The walk into Triacastela is beautiful and the town itself has a lovely charm. Before we can relax and enjoy the village we search out the medical clinic to have someone look at my foot. The doctor frowns as she removes the dressing and tells me it is not a blister any more, but a huge ulcer. Not the news I wanted to hear. She shows me how to treat it and prescribes an antibiotic cream rather than the antiseptic we have been using. She also suggests not walking for two days to rest my foot, a suggestion that is hard to swallow. We thank her and leave to consider our options.
We go go to the pharmacy (this pharmacist deserves an award for being so helpful – not just for me, but also for the long queue of other pilgrims seeking treatment and advice behind us) and gather the required treatment supplies and wander off to explore the town. It is a sleepy little hamlet with lots of charm.
A lovely place to enjoy our evening meal.
We find a lovely little restaurant for dinner and enjoy a traditional pilgrims menu (always tasty and great value for money), and discuss our options. We decide we will push onto Sarria the next day and see how it goes.