I ordered café con leche, xugo de naranja (Galician term for fresh orange juice), and tostado for breakfast. She asked if I would like marmalade and margarine (mantequilla) with that.

Add to the list of things I eat here but never eat at home: margarine.

It was a relatively easy hike of 21km, about 5 hours with a pack. Unlike the eastern part of the country, much of the trail in Galicia is shaded by trees. It is warmer here, though, in the mid-70s, and prone to rain.

I’ll arrive at the outskirts of Santiago tomorrow having avoided a single day of hiking in the rain. That is a small miracle. Others who started slightly earlier have had days of rain hiking. You prepare for this, of course, but when your socks get wet the chance of blisters goes way up.

My comida (“food”) meal this afternoon was in one of the two restaurants in town. The menu had the choice of either a 1 kg or 500 g steak. I asked if he had something smaller, and he turned the menu over to show a 350 g steak (about 12 oz).

It came seared but uncooked and sliced on a plate. Then came a huge stone platter that had been heated to at least 500 F. Without explanation, I figured out that I was supposed to cook the meat at the table.

I’m addition to the requisite French fries (patatas fritas), it came with a big green salad. Never a huge fan of iceberg lettuce, it is often the only way you’re getting any fresh vegetables around here.

Needless to say, I didn’t need my second “food” meal 5 hours later, so I went to bed early.