Hungry and Thursday – Spanish pulpo

Now this one’s got legs and will run and run… it’s Spanish pulpo, or octopus!

Walking the last leg of the Camino with www.caminoways.com involves you getting a car ride from Santiago airport to Sarria 100kms away.

My driver speaking little to no English and me poco Espagnol it was a long journey.

Broken up only by looking out onto lush Galicia and the roads I imagined I would be trekking.

In truth they were more forested and open plained and even more beautiful.

And the couple of Spanish words I did pick up from the driver.

Albergo and pulpo.

Albergo I figured out was ‘hostel’ from the driver pointing at them on the journey.

But ‘pulpo’ I had to figure out for myself.

Pulpo is octopus and is a specialty of the Spanish region.

I still lick my lips at the memory of sitting up on a tall stool in Santiago de Compostela at a round bar table.

Picking my way at the pulpo and its tomato sauce… no Heinz or YR this.

Pulpo was my reward for completing the 118km stretch from Sarria to Santiago which entitles you to your certificate.

You get a stamp in your Camino passport at every 15km or so stop-off.

Where you will stay in a hotel and have your luggage taken to the next accommodation.

I walked on pure adrenaline, fuelled on sardines and cerveza (beer), water, home-made sandwiches from the supermarket, Starburst sweets and Garribaldi biscuits.

Show me how pulpo is done

And the good will of my fellow peregrinos who will greet you at every step with a hale and hearty Buen Camino which gave me an extra spurt.

I got a chance to see how pulpo is made when I attended a Spanish Tourist Board sponsored cookery class at Cooks Academy in Dublin http://www.cooksacademy.com.

Best leaving it to them. And they’ll talk you through how to make it.

If nothing else you’ll look the part in your natty apron and you can even borrow the chef’s hat.

I walked again with www.CaminoWays.com from Viterbo into Rome and will take to the Tenerife roads in a couple of weeks.

Camino Ways is offering €50 off per person for your next walking trip in October, a quieter and cooler time to walk.

Quote the code OCT19 when requesting your itinerary at www.CaminoWays.com and www.FrancigenaWays.com.

And walk with me on https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/camino-a-pilgrims-prayer/ and https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/small-roads-lead-to-rome/.

Remember because it’s cocktail hour somewhere in the world right now…

And today is Jocktails day with us looking at the Bajan Monkey… and why not. See https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/2019/08/15/jocktails-bajan-monkey/