The restaurant last night was a surprise. Our hospitalero drove us to the cantina which was under a farmhouse. The cantina was very rustic and in the space previously used to keep the animals. The owner/manager/barlady/cook, offered us a meal of homemade chorizo, chips and eggs (not sure what would have happened if we had chosen anything else) accompanied by vino tino produced on the premises. On completion of the meal the owner drove us back to the Albergue (better than walking).
The Albergue was definitely one of the best encountered on our Caminos to date. The only downside being a very small and poorly thought out kitchen without any utensils and no clothes line. The beds were great and I was well asleep by 7:30pm
Breakfast was stale bread, jamon (ham) cheese and water. Coffee was not available until we reached Chantada after 8km of walking.
The walk today started with a steep 300m downhill over 2km with a very steep uphill on the other side of Rio Mino over the same distance. Neither the downhill nor the uphill were pleasant. We did have a very nice dog accompany us over most of the climb.
Today we passed the 100km distance marker to Santiago de Compostela. Pilgrims have to complete at least 100km on foot into Santiago in order to qualify for a Compostela. We are not sure what happens if you cheat the system but expect it will be something similar to excommunication.
The walk today (except for the downhill and uphill) was nice along the usual tracks and quiet roads with the occasional sunken lane thrown in.
Tonight we are staying in pilgrim quarters in a nice hotel in the middle of nowhere. When we arrived we found the gate to be locked and with check in time 2 hours away. We were not pleased. Contacting the owner soon rectified the situation and shortly thereafter we were showered and eating an excellent lunch.
Wow, the view over the Miño River is amazing: excellently composed photograph; interesting terraced fields. There is a church, too. churches everywhere. Your canine companion looks tired but happy; he obviously enjoys the pilgrim visits.
As for cheating one's way to a compostela certificate, I guess it depends on one's conscience and how hot one expects the fires of Hell to be. Luckily, none of your friends will have to worry about your afterlife… at least in relation to this. I hope you post it proudly as the climax of your Blog. Can't wait—that rocky track is making the shoes in my wardrobe flinch.