Camino Diary Entry #37
#37 Rest day in Palais de Rei
Emails home from the Camino
We are sinking in orange juice. Lovely fresh juice, squeezed right there and then. For each sip we take, the smiley little lady with her own version of ‘silly looking hat’ is back topping it up from her stainless steel jug. We are unsure if it’s because she really, really likes us and thinks we deserve it or if she really, really hates us and wants to have a jolly good laugh to herself later at our expense!
Our rest day in Palas de Rei has been needed probably more than we realized! In reality, it is probably the only reason our bodies are still semi-intact! We indulged in a deep tissue massage before dinner and left that feeling like we could handle 3 more days – if only just!
Our hotel here, Casa Benilde, has been amazing! Service like no other! The marble floors, stairways and hallways are so highly polished even Gwyneth thinks she could possibly eat off them!
The reception is manned 24/7 by a team of very enthusiastic staff. Every time you so much as look their way there is much hand clasping and bowing and ‘hola’s’ going on. They kill you with kindness. If rain is threatening, your laundry on the outdoor racks is moved to the garage and as you approach you are beckoned with great smiling faces and led in to view your socks! (There is no drying of washing permitted in the rooms!)
Even being here for a second day for breakfast you are smilingly forced back into the lift to go down one floor to the breakfast room.As the lift doors open ‘surprise!’ there is smiling reception lady who either flew down the stairs or used the bannister rail to slide, waiting, to escort us in and give in depth instructions about exactly what was before our eyes. I suspect that given half a chance she would even have drunk the orange juice for us.
They were absolutely the best. We felt completely safe and there was no chance of any sort of villan getting at our room. Gwyneth did try to make one break for the front door still holding the room key (apparently saves you potentially getting stuck behind some time waster at reception when you want it back later ) but no such luck! Mr and Mrs smiley, still trussed up in their high, stiff shirt collars and suit jackets in 34 degrees, were on her! “the key! You must leave us the key!” smile, smile!