I intended to have a shorter first day – 18 K to break my feet in

Dark at the start with a cool Atlantic maritime dawn . Café con leché to start – near to the Hostal .

with a nice surprise – the walking sticks I sent via Amazon to the Hostal as I couldn’t take them on the plane – were found behind reception – a good start !

– and the weather followed…..

Perfect walking weather for the longer of the 2 routes – if you wish to earn your Compostela- you need this route – the other from Corunña is too short .

Unless that is you start your walk / your pilgrimage in England ! – Yes that’s a thing – it always was on this route – from 13th Century- after all it’s the “English” way – seems typical it’s the shortest Camino 🤣 .

As long as you organise to have your Credencial del Pelegrino – the all important passport stamped in England – ( Durham , or Reading or Walsingham to Canterbury , Southampton, Plymouth etc ) the Pilgrims office will add those miles to your kilometres here. 👍 Neat .👍

A little sunlight on the way along the coast out of Ferrol ….. intersection of ancient and modern as it has quiet beaches and Abbé alongside a vast Spanish Naval Base.

Cool conditions before the day heats up .

Passing parks and sculpture….

…. and a simple Monastery and öffentlicher raum to the patron saint of conceptual & 3D video mapping artists – San Martin .

…. the way divides – it’s getting hotter so I stay on track – too early for sightseeing 👀

….. happy a did as the left hand route takes me past grazing goats and …

…… shoreline scenery as the Ria Ferrol gets narrower .

Vibrant walls , yellow arrowhead markers and ( credit to the Galicians ) every ancient water pump – dozens of them – work perfectly and is safe to drink .

I locate my target marker for today – the 100k stone all too soon –

I’ve enjoyed the walk so much I’m here in under 4 hours – It’s tempting to push in for a 30k day but stopping is sensible and gives me chance to explore Fené and Narōn .

Oh and an ice cold Cervesa and Tortilla !

Never one to pass up a decent Hostal – the welcoming bizarrely named Hotel Kensington – the owner’s an Anglophile 🤣 offers my favourite taste of Spain 🇪🇸- the Menu del Dia . Anti pasta , Fresh Maraxchia ( shark family ) and sweet rice – €9 ! – inc’ the carafe of wine you see on the table – ( always decent too )

A satisfied, completion to the day as it ends in the bar uncomprehendingly watching Real Madrid struggle against Paris St Germain – . It doesn’t matter who wins the locals explain to me as half the French side are Spanish anyway.😜

I like this attitude.

Xxxx