25 April to Viana

Today is ANZAC Day in New Zealand and Australia, a day which was originally intended to commemorate those from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who served in Gallipoli, but now remembers more widely all those who have served to keep peace. The symbol associated with the day is the poppy….you know I needed no encouragement to take poppy pictures. I started the day with an Australian mother and son who thought an ANZAC picture would be appropriate

Then I decided to take pictures whenever I saw poppies.

Most of the way today was through fields; there was just one village, and that was under a kilometer from the start.

Next stop, 12km later was Viana

Right next to the albergue are the ruins of San Pedro

Video starting in alley

Even the view from my room is impressive:

And the view from behind the albergue even better.

Vídeo panorama from lookout

Showers were put off until later today – as soon as we had made our beds, three of us (two kiwis, both homeschooling mums of many children who have just finished that work, and a Belgian) went out for lunch and picked up an American gentleman they had walked with previously. It was relaxing to be speaking English.

We tried to invite the man in the background to join us but he was reluctant.

I generally have a rule that I should not blog about things that haven’t happened yet, but this time I will break it! We walked around town after lunch, which included looking in awe at the church – and are planning to go back tonight for the Pilgrims’ Mass so we can see inside.