Harvest in Wine Country. The mountians are here.

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Hi,



We are in Villa Franca del Bierza in the mountians, It´s a great little mountian town with narrow roads and streets, and mountian streams flowing through it. The buildings all have flower baskets hanging from every window. This country is loaded with flowers and they are in bloom and everywhere. Every possible kind. It really makes the day that much better. I pick a few here and there along the road and then hand them out to the old ladys as I walk and they thank you and kiss you on both sides of your cheek in appreciation. A win win situation. We are in the mountians, but not on the MOUNTIAN. Yes that mountian.... I stress that fact because I keep going up and up this damn mountian and it isnt getting any smaller. I can see the path we have to take tomarrow and it screams pain to me..... It doesnt matter becuase this time tomarrow it should be over with. I will have conquered it or a cablegram will arrive saying I am grape food. This is the highest mountian in Galicia and in all of Spain. I am not sure of its name only of it´s fable. Either way, tomarrow it will be my Bitch.

We left Ponferreda at daybreak and walked up some mountians into the wine country. We passed through little towns and villages of 10-100 people or so and there were many. Each village kind of tells its own tale of the peope and what they are about. I feel like I am taking the same pitcures, only in different parts of this country. Out here everywhere is wine country. They don´t have mexicans, so everyone, and I do mean everyone, pitches in here. It´s a community thing. They work the fields with smiles from daybreak to sunset. They are a proud people with pride in their wine and region. Wine is cheap here about 1 buck a bottle and the very best might cost 6 bucks. Back home that equates to about $10 - $100 per bottle of wine. Of course wine is free with every meal and that includes breakfast if you drink. The people want to show off their product. They also have pomagranites here. They grow on trees in case you didn´t know that. I stress that becuase before today I didn´t have a clue, so that makes me dumb or you depending? People here in the fields pose for pictures as you pass by and greet you as a welcomed guest. Probably becuase you are one. They want the pilgrims here to see their homes and experiance their culture. This way we can go home and tell everyone to come here. It works. So today I walked about 22 miles total through the mountians and villages and pretty much listened to my IPod and enjoyed the scenery which was great. Everyday out here seems to just get better. I hope that doesnt sound mundane, but it is what it is.

I miss home and the family a lot as I always seem to say, but its true. I´m closing in on getting near the end. The hard part start tomarrow, but the ysay that the really scenic stuff does also. Hard to believe.

Here in Spain they are very energy concsience. Now I am all about the green thing. but all lights are on timers. Motion detectors. It is very hard to make number 2 when the lights go out every 6 seconds. When I say 6 seconds I mean 6 seconds. Even with number 1, I start and stop no less than 46 times. That is a lot of work. As far as number 2 is concerned, you have to start waving your arms in the air to activate the damn thing. I´m a private person when it comes to that stuff so I try and do the 3 a.m. thing when everyone is sleeping so they don´t know I am in there and then I´m making a shit load of noise doing an aerobic happy dance so I can see my legs. It´s kind of scarey and really bad if you run out of toilet paper. I will save you the details even though I am tempted to go on.

It´s been great so far. I can´t wait for tomarrow. I was planning on extending and maybe doing Portugal or France but I´m not so sure as of yet. I miss the family and we have a new addition I am told.

Everyday they leave little quotes to think about during our walks, so I thought I would leave one for you.

If you want the rainbow, You´ve gotta put up with the rain! Dolly Parton

Very appropriate out here. Very.



Ciao,



Big Richey H

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