So – what Sort of day – faces us :-

* Rain to shine ? ~ Surely

* Dark to light ? ~ Certainly

* Aches and pains ? – Sometimes

* Opera education started ? – gradually

* Diplodocus to Horse ? – Evidently (😁read on)

It was a long 24k / up and down track day with hours to talk , Sohail called from Doobs UAE 🇦🇪 – great catch up , couple of good cafes , it was a Sunday so the villages came alive with Church and post church drink and high volume activity (Café Bar “Godsip” ) .

Past an amateur farmyard “Guggenheim”

And careful what you see in the dark – especially if the local farmer has a spare tree , some time in his hands and new chainsaw .

Much prefer the real thing as we find the Stallion called “Spirit” once again .

To our first re-fueling stop – where we form our own Sunday , High Volume Troup 😆 , 80% German / 20% English – I’m beginning to understand the nuances and meanings better – even if the language evades me 🤔 . I appreciate the girls patience and courtesy this way .

☀️Aber -was ist das? Sonnenschein? ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️✅

Yes it surely is !! – a rare moment 😆

You can judge for yourself the limited Photo – Ops – when this laconic – slightly confused – dog receives the royal 👑 attention from Meinen Damen 🤣🤣🤣

Past this arresting Church from 1737 with the patron being a man with a large blade halfway through his neck and a Quill pen in his hand . Must look it up when I have WiFi .

A good Sunday stop follows – busy on the Sabbath – maybe the menfolk use it as an excuse on a Sunday – … “Yes I am Sooo religious – I spent all day at the Sign of the Cross ! ” . Maybe this is why so many bars are called “O Crucerio ” ?

Good Photo Op’ with the piled high backpacks 🎒 – gets a little out of hand as AnTonia composes today’s team photo 🤣

Here is AnTonia – the – Camino Direktor der Fotografie – herself – and very creative at it too 😆👏 . Not surprising really as she lives and works in Berlin at one of the Opera houses – The Komische Oper Berlin , a fascinating job that she absolutely loves – and takes her all round the world 🌍

Rarely do I meet someone so enthusiastic , cultural and knowledgeable about their vocation.

Travel Slowly and you may learn things – I did – and I’ll be going to visit this Oper Huis . Anything that mixes a 1960’s rebuild of the WW2 bomb damaged facade ( the fabulous 1880’s classical interior was largely untouched ) . To look like this – ; with reviews like this ……. ✅

And put on shows of Opera , Operetta and Musical …..

…….. in surroundings like this – ……. is automatically on my “Must visit” list .

*****************************************

😅 Achtung! – Tsunami 🌊 – The Galician weather reminds us – never to keep your “Oh So Fashionable” Rain Poncho too far away . …. Does my Bum look big in this ? 🤣

From Yin ☔️ to Yang 🌞 – this blog becomes a – Wetterbericht – a Weather report . Still it’s why this place is so green.

…….. but it gives a chance for more interaction- Lovely informal pics from AnTonia .

Until we reach our end point for the day – The Alberque Caminõ Real de Siguerio . A very good alberque , very well organised where I have an enjoyable catch up with someone who I’ve crossed paths with several times today – doing that typical Pelegrína thing – walking in Flats and carrying boots . 😮 👣👣 – Nevina aka #NomadNev . Originally from Belgrade Serbia 🇷🇸 – but really a World Citizen – Masters Degree , multi lingual – now heading off to teach English in Bolzano Italy 🇮🇹 for a year . Takes it all in her stride . Credit ✅

Early night – keeping Alberque hostel hours so lights out at 10.00 pm – 😎

Early start tomorrow

Xxxxxx

I once saw a description of Galicia . The first question was – where!? . The second was – what?

Well simply put – Think of green Spain and you’re halfway there. As to its location think of Portugal and up or Cornwall and head down.

Either way the The climate is going to be wet and add to this the influence of the Atlantic and you have days like today.

My goodness did it rain ☔️. As I write this my clothes under my supposedly waterproof poncho are drying in the hotel dryer. And my credencialé looks like I’ve spilt beer over it.

To begin :-

A reasonable Galician morning – as I leave Betanzos. The Hotel Garelos was dragged up to an 8.0 by really good staff and a brilliant inc’ breakfast. Otherwise €20 overpriced – I’ll stick with Alberques I think 🤔.

I’m sure what you have come across obstacles in life that you found challenging – but didn’t seem to have a challenging reputation or a suitable name that Sustained a fearsome legend .The never-ending 45° hill that leaves Betanzos as part of the Camino is one such place .

It should be called things like Montanã del pie del Diablo , or Hill of the Pilgrims Suffering – something with a hint of gritty realism in it .

But no it’s called Rua Garcia -The Spanish equivalent of Smith Street – effectively a street with no name. And that means there is no justice to the 40 mins constant climb out of the valley of the Rio Mandeo. 🙁

It ends by this 60 K market on top of the high plain and the views start to open out under threatening skies.

We start to enter a series of small villages and farmlands in the sub region of Cos –

Where the main past times are religion, centuries old granary stores.

And Agricultural scenes you could’ve seen any time in the last 500 years – this really is a land that Time forgot – so different from the Camino Francés Or Portugués: –it’s a idyllic in an almost mediaeval context.

The valleys are deep now – the not so ancient village washing areas – “many actually rebuilt and used in the 1950s and 60s – deserted as they have been for the last 30 years .

The roadside bars (That look like green industrial units to the casual passers-by) – with noise of coffee cups and glssses clinking , steam hissing and food being served to solely locals only serve to enforce the sense of indifferent isolation from the modern world.

It’s not unexpected to find stretches of the Camino like this – and this is soon relieved by a very welcome – for some reason the medieval themed bar on the outskirts of Presedo

I had met a group of German girls further the road also looking for coffee after the constant bad weather – we all sheltered in this bar together for half an hour .

It had been lightly drizzling constantly for two hours now – As they left I was not going to be fooled by the rainbow outside bar – So went back inside.

To see my friend John turn up nursing a kitten his wife Beverly had rescued further up the road – apparently something she does a lot of at home. Video call to the family back home at that moment – my daughters Annabel and Jessica were charmed By the pitiful meowing over 2000 miles. ‘Aint technology grand!?

30 minutes later I come across the band of sisters and as so often happens On Camino we walk and talk together for the next three hours in what is now torrential rain – and find so much in common and so much to talk about that the time just flashes by.

Waterproof clothing fashion done with style ✅

If possible it gets even wetter so even the photographs are steamed up and damp.

3:30 pm we arrive at our nighttime stops – some of us have been walking since 6:30 am so it’s damp and tired.

Some are here at the “Crossroads Motel “– 😆- in Meson do Vento – an Oasis of concrete . I’m staying below across the way in the “Bates Motel” – actually very nice people in such an unprepossessing place.

And The rest of the group took a chance Of not being able to book ahead – and maybe not having a room , But it all paid off and they are now staying in the rather more impressive Albergue de Peregrinos de Hospital de Bruma – It’s right on the Camino and a quarter of the price that the motels charge. Looks nice – happy for them 🤣🤔

Some light blister surgery on the feet of the young man you see below from the oversized surgical kit I carry with me. There are photographs of this taken by Antonia – but I will spare you these 😱

Followed by good dinner from the menu del Dia – with some slightly dodgy wine – (Oh and don’t touch the noodle soup) –more than makes up for it as I spend a fun and noisy evening with AnTonia and Joschka .

This could’ve been a day where nothing happened and it simply rained as I trudged along rainy path’s – but as you can see there’s always a story you can tell on the Camino.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Mists and Fruit – such an Autumn theme and everywhere today .

Leaving Campolongo as the early workers share my – start early / finish early routine.

The hardworking couple who run O Crucerio have really looked after me , the lights from their bar illuminate the path. They have even planned for guests re-joining the Camino in the dark – a 3k detour ,so they painted dozens of their own Camino arrows on the road all the way !

Any help with direction is welcome as I rejoin the Camino itself – seeing my first marker post of the day is a relief after strange roads and narrow woodland paths .

Thankfully I packed a head torch otherwise navigation would not have been possible this morning ,

The fog created crystals in the air , perfect multi-sided shapes that reflected off my torch beam – a really unusual floating sensation – in the pre-dawn silence . Exactly the type of experience I value when traveling in unusual situations .

No more so than seeing fellow pelegrinos start to follow me with greetings of “Buen Camino” . Simple steps taking on an importance of their own when seen in this dawn back-light .

Sunlight didn’t reach the day until mid-morning today as mists persist – but it’s warm too – so comfortable for a long hike .

A chance encounter with a fellow traveller gives me one of those fascinating insights into the type of people who walk these ways . Meet Galia – from Russia – but not just any part – she’s from a part of that vast country that’s closer to Japan or Alaska. Her city is Magadan near Kamchatka. But nothing is near really this small part of her country is larger than France .

A fascinating conversation- with a lot of Google translate 😆 – Galia positions her city with the chilling line – ” you remember books by Alexander Solzhenitsyn? , about the Gulags ?” – ” Well Magadan is capital of Gulags” .

Amazing to meet such people – and another Camino Moment .

Her attitude to work and life there is engaging – but so is her attitude to any potential food growing near the road . On this one day we ate Oranges (bitter) , Grapes 🍇 (reasonable ) and Walnuts ( perfect ) . As we crushed over rotting fruit and sweet chestnuts , passing old fountains and village community clothes washing pools .

The colours of autumn in the tiny hamlets really bring home the end of summer in this green and fertile corner of Spain.

We were surprised by this free roaming friend who came to see what we were doing ……….

And stood intensely staring as we left – the one horse in a one horse town .

– all this without sun , muffled by mists and the lack of any signs of life as I pass though this chain of distant hamlets .

Creativity of a different type brings the 21st century crashing back . I rather think this is a good use of the vast concrete canvas created by an EU road reconstruction program.

As we visit this church dedicated to the Camino and the road slopes steeply into Betanzos

Crossing the bridge – amazed that the journey passed so quickly – well it does when you have good company and fascination conversation . Turns out Galia’s a mining engineer in a Gold mine 300k from Magadan – a monthly commute and frontier stuff !

I meet up with two friends of Galia’s – John and Beverly from Seattle and head to a well earned Cervesa as we explore the Betanzos Alberque for the nights stay – very nice it is too compared to some . ( The one in Pontedeumé was not so good 😊)

An afternoon ahead to recover and explore . All meeting up for dinner tonight – so until tomorrow………..

Xxxxxxxxx

Getting into the swing of things now – up at 6 am – apply “moleskin” a padding to tender areas of feet – amazing stuff – Not tried it before – but it really stands the test and sticks like the “proverbial” to a blanket 😜 even with the hottest boots and the constant friction of 35,000 steps today.

Quiet at this time of day .

Breakfast on the road – great cafés open from 7.00am – Kickstarter + Coffee and meat filled pastries in a combined Café and Carnicero

It feels good getting the miles under your belt this early – the weather going to be hot today – aiming to finish walking before 2.00pm .

It has its own rewards as the last of the dark shows the Ria in reflection

It’s changing fast ……. there’s only 10 seconds between these two photos on the exact same spot –

“Rustic” can be over-used as a catch all description : NOT HERE 😆

Vistas start to open up as I move along the Estuary – and start a steep climb on dirt tracks through the forest – past a familiar fence of crosses woven by the Pelegrínōs.

The gardens on the descent – full of fruit – huge lemons – over ripe oranges – squished apples all over the road – it happens when you have such fertile climates.

Through an interesting village – just how to address your post without giggling if you lived here ?? 😆

But before imaginations run wild I found the “New House ” – so no passion palace after all –

Down through Cabanas – over a vibrant harbour .

And this impressive bridge – the “Ponte” in Pontedeumé .

And through narrow streets that follow the Camino past restaurants on shady squares , packed pavement cafés and historic buildings

Distracted by lunch and sightseeing it’s very hot now – said it would be 27c feels like 32c .

I’m headed for this place O Crucerio 3k Up the hill – in Campolongo .

A good place to start a 25k day tomorrow.

Xxxxxx

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

Travel day to the Camino Inglés – 🚞 & ✈️ & 🚕

A long day of connections ….. from

To …….

With a transfer at Madrid Barajás

And a short Hop on an internal flight to O Corunña

Ends in a traditional Spanish pavement cafe and a long awaited Cervesa Grandé of Estrella Galicia 😘

And welcome Pintxos with Rationés to follow ….. top rambling fuel ⛽️ ….. 😘

With a welcome room upgrade at €19 all in as my roof top bunk has the windows screwed shut in 28 c heat – Good Swop !

Early night as on the trail at sun-up tomorrow…… 🚶‍♀️

Xx

Pre-Dawn 🌅 ……and like the 💪 Caministas we now are ; we regretfully but swiftly pack up our apartment into our backpacks 🎒 rainy , still dark – we hail a cab and at the station for 7.00am . Time for a superior station breakfast ! and ready for the Vigo train .

It’s unsettling to see our walk of the previous 9 days unravelling at such speed as we reverse our trail on the way back to Porto.

But first – we have cross back into Portugal to go via Vigo – not on our previous route .

“YOU CAN’T GET TO PORTO BY TRAIN”

All the travel sites , inc’ tbe good ones Trainline.Com , Rome2Rio etc won’t give you a rail connection from Santiago to Porto. “Just take the bus” they say – I wondered why – I found and booked the connection – but now I know why .

They don’t believe you can arrive on the 8.33am at Vigo Urzáiz ……..

And get across the city in time to Vigo Guixar for the 8.58am to Porto ( 2 trains a day – the next at 5.30 pm !!! ) …… and ….

…… having done the mad taxi 🚕 ride across town … ( Driver seemed to relish the challenge 🤣) …. I can see their point ! – but you CAN make it – we did ! 👏 👏 .

Worth it though . Cross the border in the middle of the river Ria de Vigo we had previously walked across – upriver at Redondela a week ago .

It means we’re in Porto , a full day ahead and sat out on our own Perfect Pan-tiled Porto Patio by 11.00am ….. lush .

Tonights hotel – The hugely over-ornate 5 Storeys folly of a house known as the Castelo Santa Catarina is a hoot!

Clad in Millions of Blue Tiles , it’s own Chapel , own Victorian Grotto – bizarre with rooms made out of random parts of the house – ours is the middle right Pic next to the blue vase – vast – that used to be an entrance hall , patio and staff quarters 100 years ago – quite eccentric .

We head out to see the town – immediately taken aback by the mix of beautiful , historical and modern mixed with dilapidated, & wrecked buildings – just 10 mins walk from the centre.

Gradually you begin to get a feel for the place – the faded grandeur on one hand and the vibrant future on the other.

Still – a property developers dream

Under-dressed for the fabulously baroque /kitsch Café Majestic ( when you carry everything you own on your back – fashion sacrifices have to be made 🤣😇 )

We follow the descending tram-tracks and more blue-tiled magnificence to the almost Parisién pavement cafés of Praça de Liberdade –

…….. remember we’re still in the Santo Ildefonso parish same as the hotel and the wrecks

I have some places I want to go – we have best part of 2 days …… bars , bridges culture , cathedrals, religion , Douro riverside , restaurants ….. so where to first ?

Yep …… H&M ….. the tweenagers fave clothes shop followed by McDonalds 🙄.

Apparently I (May) have suggested a shopping day at the end of our trip as motivation – ( bit of a blur really ) .🤣

At least we are in the Via Catarina 🛍 Shopping Centre – with that quirky approach to street art I’ve only seen in Portugal 👏

….. and if you’re going to have A toy shop at least you should have a separate entrance for the children! After all it’s their show.

🙏 ….. released from the bonds of waiting outside changing rooms and making approving noises ; we head for a welcome glass of Vinho Verdé on the main square again – people (and 🐻 bear) watching.

……. and yet more imaginative street art – and one of my top 5 favourite pictures of the trip.

….. while being stalked on the way back to the Hotel ………

And head out to Dinner – uphill to Praça do Marqués de Pombal – new outfits of course !

its a cool , quiet evening on this square – in the opposite direction to the main attractions . All local “Porto-istas” – around here . I learn that lesson about Porto again – “not judging a book by its cover”

We pass this …….. Café Pereira – looks perfect for dinner …

…… but we jumped out when – BIZARRE – they have a “reverse” smoking policy !!

Inside – thick fog – everyone , EVERYONE smoking : Outside – very nice facing the square for NON- smokers . Ha ! 🙄.

Next door what looks like a run down bargain-booze shop …….. ( Book and Cover )

Turns out to be ……… high end Italian !

…… Great food & wine and a calm space to end our first day in Porto .

Xoxox

Hard to believe we’ve only been here 24 Hours – from first sight yesterday through silent quaint villages above Santiago ………

to the noisy re-unions and party atmosphere of the town – the side streets are filling up for another day …. and we’ve seen and done so much already.

I was looking for a suitable phrase for a Camino / Galician version of Mardi Gras . That’s why this post is entitled tbe nearest I could get – Domingo Gordo as it’s a huge celebration – and its not a Tuesday! ……… 🎉 🎉 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

The little Bar “25 de Julio” – we live above is at the heart of Santiago . The entire top attic floor is a family suite . It’s quirky and great fun . The girls enjoy having their pavement breakfast

Always best to take pics as you arrive😜Here’s our loft BEFORE we messed it up 😆

It’s in a simple square that’s quieter , but 300 Metres away from the main visitor centre , local cafes, bars and informal restaurants . We spent a lot of time here!

( Ciara would like me to add – we don’t always have beer for breakfast – this pic was on the square the evening before 🤪. )

Before heading into town to see what Sunday holds for us . The Cathedral is open – but under renovation in time for 2021 celebrations.

……. and as we passed the University we bump into more friends – Judy and Dianne from Montreal- amazing achievement ladies – Full weight packs and some 30k long hot hiking days to get here.

Then Chris and Charlotte walk past with Rachel ! – ( it’s NOT that small a town either ) – so an even bigger team pic – 👍

… hugs all round – we’ll see them soon – we head off for coffee – past street musicians and a few ( actually a lot ) of Souvenir shops.

As we are finishing our coffee we get a call and rush back again to Cathedral Square. One final group of friends are almost here ! We met on the first night in Rubiaes – they took the lovely detour on the coastal Camino Portuguese Espiritual route adding extra days .

From Holland 🇳🇱- the fabulous Marijke and Jacob !

As our routes crossed and diverged we kept missing each other . But Camino Mail ( Napkins of course 😆) left for us at the Casa “As Chivas” – the Mad Goat place -near Redondela – re-united us!

….. and when you can’t recall my name. Marijke just used a nickname for me from the great night out we’d had – Ha ! 😆 and it still got to me ! .

Love Trail-names – this my 4th. ( Long Story 🤣)

…….. and yes they are each both over 2 Metres tall – Wayyyyy Over !!

An early liquid lunch with them – means we start real Lunch much later at l’Incontro on Rúa del Villar – lovely man who owns it kept us happy for 2 or 3 hours .

4.00 ish in the afternoon – still having lunch – we hear this …..far down Rúa de Villar …..

( These Videos are large files – any issues playing them – use Wi-fi or go onto my site directly – CaminoRamblings.com ) xxx

And jump up to investigate ……. it’s getting closer …… the noise immense ….. you can see Ciara and the girls loving it ……. I felt fortunate , privileged to be at that spot on that street – pure chance . A proper Camino Moment .

These people , this Drum errrrr ( band is too small a word ) , this Drum ( Corps ? Battalion? , Tsunami ? ) …..Wow , just Wow!

They took 20 mins to pass where we were – hundreds of them . All smiling , loving their beat , their togetherness, engrossed, lost in sheer happiness…….. as was everyone around them . Marvellous.

😍The next time I’m back here – I’m coming back as one of these BatéBatuké – Looks like I’ll have to learn a little Galician -it’s THEIR thing .

Hope those Vids played ok for you 😘 Don’t normally load big files on this site -but they’re worth it . 🤩

Afterwards – and I know this day already seems full – but with Tweenagers there IS always an afterwards . The Fair beckons 😕……. oh Goody

My babies – growing up ! Wow – new gear – and a strongly worded brief from Mum – see below 🤣 – they’re allowed to head out on their own ………

…….. And we ? ……. we head for a decent G&T on our favourite square to end the day . A Brilliant , just Brilliant Santiago Day.

Xxxxxxxx

Hard to believe that by the end of today we’ll be standing in Cathedral Square.

It’s odd – I do / but don’t want to get there. Unlike on the French way this recent green Portugués detour means we still have the route pretty much to ourselves and a few fellow peleginös

We’re only 7k out and we think , just maybe we can see the famous Cathedral towers …….. zooming in later ; same view below – we are right ! It’s just in the skyline – to the right of the vast Ferris wheel at the Ascension weekend fair.

Motivation 🤣 even from traffic signs

….. on this route we avoid the modern suburbs – well most – and soon are in the old town of Santiago

And SHOCKINGLY- from a narrow side street we are here !! Praza do Obradoiro – the Cathedral square – the end to all Caminos . Earlier than most travellers – but still surrounded by emotional cheers as each party arrives . 100 or more Spanish / Italian / French / teenagers – a huge group send chills as they arrive singing in amazing tones – marching fast and strong the last steps .

We’re laying on on our backpacks 🎒- just staring at this magical place , Sun still rising as stories unfold around us – when this moment occurs – dusty boots , big and and not so big , seems to sum up a family Camiño – the little girls have been amazing – Ciara strong , positive, engrossed in the physical and spiritual, they’ve made a million friends ……… who will soon catch up .

Just perfect . 💕

……. then across town to the Pilgrims Office to show our Credentiále / Pilgrims Passport – the multi stamped record of every town and sleeping place we passed through – To be awarded our Compostela- the elaborate illuminated certificates. Here in the peaceful garden of the Pilgrims Office.

…. We get a 📞 call so back to the square again …….

The Sun’s properly up as we head back to greet some of our extended Camiño family. Here – Sarah , Sam , John ( Charlotte N.C. 🇺🇸) Rachel ,Chris & Charlotte (California🇺🇸)

Great catch up late lunch – and later with our new member – Jess’s loudly mooing Galician Cow – 🤣

And – the girls drag us off to the huge Ascension 2019 fair .

And that Enormous Big Wheel – we saw 7k away this morning .

With a final tired 💤 flourish we’re back to our home for 2 nights –

But with a view like this from our roofline Family flat – it’s a end to our arrival day we won’t forget .

💤 💤 💤

Xxxxxx

Sun rise ……. The whole country seems to be holding its breath – people moving slower . It looks like a triple moon , some type of minor eclipse ……. or it might be just too flippin’ early 🙄

We’re used to the hour and start seeing people we know – all with that same wonderful camaraderie but now all with the same second objective – finished before 1.00pm if you possibly can 🙏

Woodland paths , past natural springs , villages with bars just opening for breakfast – take us past the 32K marker.

And sure enough – by late morning we are past the “unlovely” outskirts of Padrón.

We discover a “natural wonder” an entire promenade shaded by a deep green canopy- Huge .

The temp’ outside this shady refuge is ridiculous. We’re close to our Hostel- best stay here then ! 🤣

So second breakfast ( now an official term ) turns into an early lunch . Fresh warm tortillas and a real treat – Padrón peppers roasted in olive oil and sea salt – eaten in actual Padrón . Yum

General giddiness 🤣 – it’s a symptom of effort rewarded , and occurs when you have a Dad who is content being a figure of fun. ( 😆I’m crying on the inside 😉)

Onwards – ( we left quite some time later 😁👌) a couple of K to the Hamlet of L’escivatude .

Our booking at the cheerful place nearby had been lost .A quick check nearby found a Casa Rural – the Casa Grande da Capellanía . Ideal – just 2 rooms left – they appeared to be unaware of the heat .Basil on reception says “swimming pool closed Senór ” – really ?? “Yes only open in Summer ” – it’s 36 degrees out side – when would you like summer to start ? – “2 days time – June 1st” – ahh gracias Senör Fawlty.

And dinner in a generous roadside restaurant named “Buen Camino” – friendly people where the dish below – loads of chicken wings all round – was in fact the free tapas !!

End of Day – can’t believe it’s last day walking tomorrow 😴

Xxxxxxx