As you can see, or not, we started out at O’Dark:30 Here we are an hour into our walk, no longer in the dark and continuing our walk on pavement.We had breakfast at this modern bar/restaurant just as we entered San Marcos. There were only 6 pilgrims when we arrived and still just 4 pilgrims when we left. Virtually no crowding.Walking into San Marcos , we were almost alone.We’re walking down from Monte de Gozo, our last hill on the Camino. A huge complex is off to our left that has some 50 ugly concrete barracks and other support facilities for athletes attending nearby sports camps.This bridge was built several years ago to safely allow pilgrims to enter the city with the growing traffic and new expressways. In 2022, this bridge was packed with hoards of young pilgrims heading into the city… today it was just us and 5-6 pilgrims way up ahead.Crossing the expressway and heading into San Lazáro, a suburb of Santiago.Walking into San LazároLots of bars open this morning at 9:00 but only a few pilgrims.Some residential areas in Santiagomore residential and shops in modern SantiagoOur first glimpse of the Catedral towers as we entered the old section of Santiago.a picturesque plaza just before getting to the Catedral.We’ve stayed in this albergue in 2017 and 2019. Our room was one with a balcony and we watched pilgrims walk to the Catedral as we did today.Walking pastA view of Praza de Obradoiro, as empty as we have ever seen it.The western facade of the Catedral which faces the Praza de Obradoiro.This is the pilgrim’s office only 5 minutes walk from the Catedral. Only 5 pilgrims waiting at the door to go in to present their credentials yo qualify for the Compostela.
As expected with the small number of pilgrims seen on our walk this morning, we we received a number for our position in line, entered the office area and within 4 minutes were presenting our credentials and after a quick review by an official representing the Bishop of Santiago, we were issued our Compostela for completing the Camino de Santiago – Camino Frances.
Linda’s CompostelaJim’s CompostelaHaving our celebratory Hot Chocolate and Santiago cake after receiving our compostelas.Crowd building some since we walked in a half-hour ago.This is look at the Catedral from another angle.The Platerias Facade, where pilgrims typically enter the Catedral. Note the line up the steps.We thought the sign behind us was interesting showing we were in (zero km ) Santiago. 49 days ago we observed a similar sign in Roncesvalles, having just walked over the Pyrenees.July 13, 2023 … leaving Roncesvalles.
For friends and family who have followed us on this latest adventure, we want to thank you for your support and comments and also want to assure you that we are safe and quite well and once again we did not fall off the edge of the earth! More to follow tomorrow.
Last night we reviewed five different weather apps, including Accuweather, WeatherBug, WeatherRadar and WeatherChannel and all confirmed there would be 10% or less chance of rain this morning. (7:00-11:00).
This morning when we got ready to leave CHE, we again reviewed all 4 apps, including their respective radar and again confirmed no chance of rain this morning. So, we included rain gear in our day packs (wise pilgrims that we are) and began our walk.
Within 10 minutes, a very fine rain began, causing us to put on our rain gear immediately to keep from getting soaked and that condition prevailed until we finished walking at 10:30.
Linda joining the Camino on a path from Pensión CHE Note 2 pilgrims coming up behind her and to her left
Completely baffled by the totally un-forecasted precipitation of the morning, we concluded that what we experienced was not normal rain droplets from the sky from a cloud, that is picked up by radar. We were actually walking in a cloud virtually resting on or just above the ground consisting of a fine mist, not raindrops, all around us … for the duration of most of the walk.
This was what the Camino looked like for the first mile. It was a gradual uphill pull in the fine mist, not picked up in our photos.The path got a little less defined just before the airport.That’s part of the Santiago airport runway from where we will takeoff for Paris, early Friday morning.We passed this marker about 13 km (8 miles) from the Santiago Catedral as we emerged momentarily from the woods to reveal one of the expressways serving the city.Here we are continuing our walk around one end of the airport runway and back into the woods again.
We walked into the hamlet of San Payo (pop.25) where we stopped for breakfast. There were a hundred or so pilgrims in line to order, get their credential stamped, use the toilet. The rest filled the inside tables, except for the one Linda grabbed for us. The outside tables were unused because of the continuing non-rain.
Being the patient pilgrims we are, we waited for the lines to dissipate, then ordered, got our credentials stamped, inspected the restrooms and actually ate our breakfast before the next surge arrived.
We returned to the typical dirt path through the woods just before entering Lavacolla, our destination.A dirt path led us to the main street in the village of Lavacolla (pop. 171).The dirt path became a paved street.One of a number of impressive looking homes seen as we walked into Lavacolla.Getting nearer to our lodging.Some pilgrims just ahead of us as we arrived at Pensión Xacobeo.Pensión Xacobeo
We stopped and chatted briefly with the owner. She welcomed us and said we could check in and leave our poles/ backpacks, etc. but our room was still being cleaned and would not be ready until 1:00.
We left our poles (our transported packs had already arrived) and walked another few hundred yards to the village square and hung out at Bar/Cafe A Concha.
A ConchaThe Iglesia de Benaval/San Pelayo overlooks the village squareLooking down from the church at the village square
Lavacolla ( Latin: “Lavamentula”) literally means “wash private parts.” Medieval pilgrims seldom if ever bathed along the journey and ridiculed Muslim and Jewish enthusiasms for personal hygiene, so apparently took advantage of the small stream that runs through the village to cleanse themselves for arrival in Santiago.
The stream looking rather chilly for bathing today, but most pilgrims these days have already had a bath/shower or two along the way to Santiago.
We complimented today’s short walk with an equally easy afternoon in Lavacolla and had our host order a pizza for us, delivered to the pensión’s self-catering dining area.
The above is the 4 mile route we walked this morning, from Pensión CHE, going around part of the airport then advancing to within 10km (6 miles) of the Santiago Catedral.
We’re looking forward to our walk into Santiago tomorrow morning and the conclusion of our 5th Camino, Camino2023.
Santiago was waiting for us this morning as we left our knapsacks in the office of the Turistico Salceda. We exchanged hugs and good wishes and said our emotional farewells for likely the last time.
We took the short cut via the property back gate, revealed to us in 2015 by Santiago to expedite our walk to the medical clinic in O Pedrouzo.A nice silhouette of eucalyptus (right) and pines (left) as we walked along the shortcut.The light drizzle, threatening rain and fog, plus a mostly level dirt path made the walking easy this morning.We stopped for breakfast #1 at a newly established eatery near A Brea
The drizzle got a little stronger, but still not officially, rain, but Linda put in her poncho. Jim, however, decided the hassle of unrolling his poncho, getting it wet, then having to deal with it, when the rain stopped, etc. was worth the risk.
So, Jim figured if Linda was wearing her poncho, Mother Nature might decide not to get more aggressive and allow Jim to get away without wearing his. And if Jim wasn’t wearing rain protection, the same Mother Nature might, at least, continue the drizzle, justifying Linda’s preventive action.
Linda, in her poncho.Jim without his poncho, relying on the balance of Nature (Mother, that is).The Camino was not very busy for the duration of our walk this morning . This family of five passed us near A Rúa.Walking into A Rúa, still a slight, but lessening drizzle.Breakfast #2 at Restaurante O Acivro. It’s attached to a very nice Hotel Rural O Acivro in A Rua. Pronounced “Cola Cow”, it’s the Spanish version of hot chocolate. Ask for “chocolate caliente” and you get a much thicker drink commonly used with churros.This handsome fella hoped we had an apple handy, as we left A Rúa. Unfortunately, we were empty handed.This is where the Camino (a final section on pavement from A Rúa) met and crossed the main road going into O Pedrouzo… direction Santiago.
The Camino took an alternate by-pass path just as we arrived at the edge of O Pedruozo. We continued up main street and prepared for the final portion of today’s walk.
We are staying at Pensión CHE, one of a half dozen or so eating and lodging establishments in O Pedrouzo owned by a guy who’s name, abreviated, forms the letters C.H.E. He is known as “CHE”.
In 2017, we learned the hard way that Pensión CHE is not in O Pedrouzo. It’s a couple of miles beyond, outside the village of Amenal, but only a few hundred yards off the Camino. It’s a nice property, has a big pool (always too cold for Jim to use). It also has no food, only a bar with drinks. If you want food, you order it from O Pedrouzo and have it delivered by a CHE establishment. No other services are near Pensión CHE.
Also, very few people in O Pedrouzo have heard of Pensión CHE as we found out in 2017, wandering for miles and miles around the town looking for it, by asking directions, etc. We ultimately discovered that you must go to Hotel Pensión Platas on main street O Pedrouzo and give them your name and they will arrange for a van to take you from there to CHE.
So, we got to Pensión Platas, checked with the sweet, young receptionist, who spoke reasonably good English, to verify that the same drill to get to Pensión CHE was in effect from 2022, our last stay. She confirmed nothing had changed.
She confirmed the next van would head out to CHE “around noon”. It being a few minutes after 11:00, we found a place nearby to have lunch, our main meal for the day. While eating lunch, he had the barkeep prepare us some sandwiches with take with us to CHE.
The barkeep delivered our sandwich supper to our table as we were finishing up, we walked a few steps down main street to Pensión Plata and met the van, which took us to CHE and that’s where we checked in after a 15 minute wait for our room and spent the rest of the afternoon doing our routine stuff.
Pensión CHE, a large residence is next door, that’s all.Bar/checkin areadining area (no kitchen), also hang-out areaThe CHE pool… a group of pilgrims from Valencia, sitting on the edge of the pool, feet only in the water. Once again, even in August the water too cold for a dip!
At 6:00, we pulled out our self-catered dinner and chowed down before calling it a day.
leaving Arzúa at daybreakWe joined the dirt path less than a hundred yards from our pension.Sections of deep, earthen paths were frequent occurrences during today’s walk.Breakfast stop #1: Not many pilgrims here at first, so we ordered and had a table and used restrooms without waiting, then, whosh!!!… it looked like this as we moved on...: the crowds lightened up a bit as we passed under the main road… …. within another few minutes the path filled up again as faster pilgrims walked by.
We walked on the relatively flat path for a while meandering through small neighborhoods of just a few farm houses each. Soon after, we returned to the woods and some uphill and downhills just to make it interesting.
a long gradual slope through mostly eucalyptus trees mixed with some pines and hardwoods (probably oak based on all the acorns popping under our shoes).We thought about stopping here for breakfast #2 but it was too crowded (no place to sit, lines too long)We walked through several flat, wide dirt paths that we hoped would provide some shielding if the threatening clouds delivered the forecasted rain for late morning. The wide paths also allowed for elbow room with the passing pilgrim surges.This section was heavily forested with eucalyptus trees.We also walked through several areas with these deep earthen paths… this one was just before stopping for a belated breakfast #2.We stopped for hot chocolate and a rest-stop at this unusual bar/albergue with a horreo hovering over the path.Linda stirring her hot chocolate at Casa do Horreo.We saw this beautiful palm tree and thought we might have entered a time warp back to South Carolina.Just before Salceda we passed a section with several large homes using hydrangea bushes as a buffer to line the path on both sides. We named it Hydrangea Lane because of the huge blossoms. As we closed in on Salceda, we thought the pilgrims might be thinning out, so we made one final stop for breakfast #3 at the last bar with services on today’s walk.Just as we got back on the path some 15 minutes later, still another surge engulfed us as we walked the final half-mile to our destination for the day.
We arrived at Albergue Turistico Salceda at noon and were recognized by Lyudmila Lires, Santiago Lires’ daughter. We were so happy to be welcomed so enthusiastically and to hear that she and her family were well. This is our 5th visit since 2015.
The front of Albergue Turistico Salcedathe barthe dining areaour roomSantiago’s daughter, Lyudmila, and co-manager of the Hotel Rural.steps between ground and first floorprimero plata (second floor hallway). Santiago’s daughter, Sandra, plays the viola.Our ‘light’ lunch: Ensalada Mixta (best on Camino2023 so far) for Jim. Linda’s favorite salad discovered here several Caminos ago (apple, eggs, asparagus)Crepes for dessertPork cheeks for Jim. Linda went light with homemade vegetable soup. Santiago was the chef for both delicious Galícian specialties.
After dinner we settled our bill and chatted briefly with our hosts, wishing each other well, in case we didn’t connect tomorrow morning. The highlight of today was our reunion with two special friends we have made on the Camino Frances.
top: the street where Pensión Orios is located. bottom: the entrance to our building, marked by the big ” P” for pension.Melide town center at sunriseWhich way is the Camino? In the dark, this could be a problem.., was for us on our first Camino. The arrow on the right takes you past several more historical markers than the road on the left, but both roads converge on the way out of townOn the path out of Melide we soon encountered downhill and uphill sections, some rather steep. A modern home with an ornamental horreo in the front yard… with a non-traditional use.A closer look at the horreo reveals the left door is for the mail/newspaper and the right door is for the morning delivery of fresh bread, “pan”an interesting tree canopied section of flat pathWe walked through a number of eucalyptus forests that dominate this area and continue for the rest of the Camino.The mature eucalyptus tree is very tall and straight… in the distance we could see the next generation of forest underway.The Camino in Galicia has some rather picturesque bridge scenes like the one above.This huge eucalyptus tree was right on the path and it’s height and size and straightness was awesome The path wound through a number of farm properties with corn fields, cattle and trees… many with impressive homes and yards … in clusters of one to maybe 3-5, not associated with a hamlet or village.Whenever the walk got too flat or otherwise, easy, the Camino created hill for us to tackle, up or down, to remind us that this was a pilgrimage, not a ” walk in the park”.We stopped for breakfast in Boente, then continued on to Arzúa.After a few more small villages, we entered the outskirts of Arzúa on a long, straight, mostly flat dirt path.We passed this newly completed house that must belong to a relocated pilgrim from Va Tech, Tennessee or Clemson.The path changed to a wide sidewalk and quite a bit of traffic, coming and going on this Saturday morning. Arzúa also has it’s share of huge building exterior murals.We stopped at this bar on the way to Pensión Casa Elena for a breakfast #2.
We got to Casa Elena at 11:45 and were able to checkin after a 15 minute wait for our room to be ready. Normal checkin was 1:00.
The rest of the day was pretty much routine, much of it resting and recovering from yesterday’s longer walk.
The owner took this photo as we left Rectoral de Lestedo at 6:45.Palas de Rei is not a favorite. We’ve stayed here once, stopped for breakfast 4 other times and inspite of all the pilgrim traffic, maybe too much, the barkeeps and pilgrim housing keepers tend to be short, indifferent or just plain negative when interacting with us.… after a relatively quiet walk to Palas de Rei, about mid-way through town, the pilgrims began feeding from a multitude of overnight accommodations into the Camino so that by the exit from town, the Camino was loaded.Exiting Palas de Rei with most of the pilgrim surge ahead of us by now.A van loaded with pilgrim gear for supporting a group of pilgrims walking, some with only a stick. We’ve noticed a larger number of families walking the Camino since Sarria.A mom and two young girls passing us.Construction on this part of an autovia exit? seems to have stopped since we first viewed it 2015. It does provide nice shade, though, when it’s hot.In San Xuluan, two contrasting hórroes (used to store grain and other food crops in winter to keep dry and away from varmints)… one very old and the other relatively new.a seriously impaired pilgrim walking the Camino on crutches
We stopped at O Coto and had lunch and rested after 8 plus miles and then continued on to Melide.
nice even path out of O Coto on the way to MelideIglesia de Santa María de Leboreiro
The Iglesia de Santa María contains an image of the virgin that legend says was found in the nearby fountain when light and a pleasant fragrance emitted. Villagers took the image to the church, but that night the virgin went right back to the fountain. After a few days of back and forth, the locals made the tympanum and dedicated the church to her and the image finally deemed to stay put in the church.
Tympanum of Santa Maríastatue of the Virgin that kept retuning to the fountain until the parishioner’s dedicated the church to her.15th century wall paintings inside the Iglesiamounted just outside the church was a model of a “palloza”, a traditional thatched roof house built by Astur tribes of pre-Roman times.after Leboreiro, a medieval bridge into Disicaboa very strange tree that has fascinated Jim everytime we walk by it… today he documented it into a photo in our blog.tree lined path along an industrial area outside Melide. An apparent warehouse fire recently destroyed the building leaving only metal racks and ash. The tree damage indicates the fire was confined to the building behind the fire scorched trees and brown leaves.here the path continues along an industrial park of mostly warehousesmore wall murals, this one of a beekeeper
Our room in Pension Orois was larger and newer than the last two visits. Walking the extra miles today got us to our room to checkin at 1:30. After chores, we napped then went to a favorite, Bar Garancha.
Padrón peppers, pulpo (octopus) and Tortilla Espanola
Tummies filled we went back to our room and called it a day. 5 days to Santiago!
Jimandi 