As we left Boente we stopped at the Iglesia Parroquia Santiago de Boente. A young priest, seated just inside the church stamped our credentials and explained that during the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic, Santiago was closed, so this small church became the end of the Camino until the epidemic was over.
The walk today had a lot of ups and downs but they pretty much balanced out. The finish into Arzúa was a nice flat dirt path separated from the road by a hedge. Overall it was a good workout, but not too much.
downhilldownhillsteep uphill very steep uphill uphill A short break from hilly path to flat pavement on the way into Castañeda
We took a short break for OJ at Albergue Santiago in Castañeda, We’ve stayed here twice before, but the husband and wife owners were not to be seen and we didn’t ask. In the outside terrace were thick overhead vines with a plentiful fruit. A closer look revealed them to be kiwis. We asked a local pilgrim who said kiwis grow very well in the Glacian climate and soil.
Kiwi fruit overheaddownhill out of Castañeda a long, not-so-steep, grade for a half-miledownhilltwo big dawgs… looked like St Bernards… ignored us … it’s a good thing cause that wire wouldn’t hold’em for sure.… one final stop at Bar Manuel, surrounded by farmland, on the hill going into Ribadiso da Baixo. The owners live above the bar.Following a pilgrim that looks a lot like a backhoe over the bridge into Ribadiso da Baixo.Ribadiso has origins in the 6th century and housed a pilgrim hospital in the 16th century. The hospital was converted to an albergue in 1993 and the rest of the village has grown with new buildings and albergues added each time we pass through.the shaded path on final leg into Arzúa.A monster of a wall painting going into Arzúa highlighting the Camino Holy Year of 2021 (extending thru 2022 because of pandemic)our room at Pension Luis in Arzúa, with sunroom!some places we’ve stayed didn’t have soap, toilet paper or drinking cups… this one has very nice amenities.
Jimandi 