Retreat to Corunna

 Having quite a few internet problems. Hopefully normal service will resume shortly. We've both been cut off from our providers: Jude as a fraud risk, and me something to do with data roaming.

Anyway, we left the British army as they had nearly exited the mountains. On Jan 10 1809 the left the mountains and the next day reached Corunna, only to find their transport shipping hadn't arrived yet. With the French still pressing they had to hold on, shades of Dunkirk.

The engineers blew this bridge before Corunna to slow the French

The view east from the British left flank on Monte Mero. The bridge at O Burgo is centre of shot.

The view from Elvina on the British right flank back to the old town of Corunna. (Believe it or not.) Somewhere around this point Moore was mortally wounded.

The battlefield has been heavily built over, and a motorway runs through it so it's not easy to navigate in a motorhome! The British held Soult off against the odds and on 18th Jan 1809 they sailed away, leaving Sir John's body behind.

We didn't go into old Corunna but continued to Santiago de Compostella. (Saint James of the field of stars.) We were wondering if we counted for a clam given we'd followed the Camina, but I guess we haven't really put in the leg work. (Pilgrims were fed on clams when they arrived, so a clam shell became the sign of one who completed the journey.) 

I have to say that the Cathedral was quite a building. In fact there were many signicant piles, which you might expect I suppose. There were fewer pilgrims than I expected, but I guess they trickle in at all times rather than in crowds.

We had a bit of fun getting back to Reggie as the bus driver forgot to roll his destination back when he got to town, so 4 Italians, 2 Spaniards and the two of us all took the bus to the end of the line in the wrong direction before coming back and carrying on the right way! Lucky we weren't in a hurry, such as trying to catch a plane since it was (or should have been) the airport bus.

Nice view from our park-up.