By Jim
Berducedo has no train and the bus does not run on Saturday, so our only options for getting out of town were: a taxi, walking, or some combination of the two. Laurel undersold our condition and spirit when we arrived at Casa de Aldea yesterday. We were flat broke! The absence of cell phone service and a WiFi dead zone in our room were the only things preventing us from booking a taxi, there and then, to take us to Grandas de Salime the next day. We decided to sleep in, have breakfast at the hotel, and book the taxi in the morning from the lobby.
What can I say? The markets rallied overnight, and the energy reserves that we thought were spent were replenished with favorable interest. A glass of fresh orange juice, a cup of coffee, and a piece of cake?? were all we needed to hit the road an hour later than usual.
Leaving town in sunshine put bounce in our step, but clouds were building on the horizon. By the time we passed Mesa to begin ascending a 2 km hill, it looked like rain was imminent. We stopped to cover our packs but the clouds proved to be more threat than action. Descending the other side of the hill brought the Salime reservoir and dam into view. A 5 km steep decline through the mist and we crossed the 75 year old dam amazed at the different water levels on opposite sides. Second breakfast at the water’s edge and a cup of coffee at a bar overlooking the reservoir provided the impetus to mount the final hill into Grandas de Salime, a half hour ahead of schedule. ¡Los caracoles rápidos hoy!
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| The day began with sunshine, but clouds were building. |
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| Eventually the clouds swallowed us up. |
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| The Salime dam and reservoir were completed in 1954. |
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| After crossing the dam, the clouds disappeared. |
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| Grandas de Salime and our Albergue for the night. |
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| Our status as caracoles is winning over the Spanish pilgrims. |
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