Stopping at a small hermitage just a few steps from Casa Morgade this morning at 6:55, temperature 59F.
Our plan for today was to walk to Mercadoiro and have breakfast, then call a taxi to take us to Gonzar where we are staying tonight. We stayed at Albergue Mercadoiro in 2015 and stopped for meals several times since. The restaurant has interesting and healthy items… to broaden our Camino culinary experience.
This picturesque pathway is designed to provide better footing when it rains.Stopping to enjoy the scenery and sunrise.This is a climb back up from a very steep dip as we walked out of Ferreiros.
A half mile later, just after passing the sign for Pena, we arrived at the 100 km marker. This marks the beginning of the last 100 km to Santiago Compostela which is the minimum requirement to earn a Compostela certificate.
At this point we had not seen a single pilgrim. So we wanted to take the traditional photo posing at this milestone. So we tried a selfie which didn’t work and finally got creative with another approach.
No pilgrims around to take our group photo, selfie not so hot, so we improvised.Leaving the 100km marker and Pena and on to MercadoiroBack on to the dirt pathJim’s turn to pose.A brief change in sceneryWe returned to the walled way for a bit, then walked on a portion of country paved road. Leaving the road for MercadarioAn impressive, welcoming entrance to MercadarioCurses! No breakfast for us at Mercadoito restaurant.Moving on to the next village looking for a place to eat and call a taxi.Another different walkway to mitigate erosion from rushing water.Looking for another breakfast stop at A Parrocha.All closed up with a charming sign on the door “Sorry, we’re closed”, in English, nonethelesstheless.Next village was Vilacha, At this point we were willing to wait 30 minutes until this place opened at 10:00. But a nice young man saw us approach the gate and kindly opened it and welcomed us inside!We finally had our traditional camino breakfast of cafe-con-leche and dos tostadas. Kudos to the folks at O Remanso for a charming cafe and exemplary hospitality.
We felt so good after breakfast, we decided to walk on to Portomarin before taking a taxi to Gonzar.
Even ET hangs out at O Remanso. Before we walked on, Jim loaned him his iphone to ….A different version of walls followed us out of Vilacha.The path made a few turns among the fields, with Portomarin getting closer.We began with a steep, but manageable downhill section.Then a more gradual slope down to the main road. We followed it to the bridge.We followed this main road for a few hundred yards to the bridge.The “new” Miño River Bridge into Portomarin.For this pilgrim, such a high bridge over such a long, nartow span was a bit unnerving, if not plain scary.The reservoir created by the flood control dam built in the 1950’s required the new bridge.
The original Portomarin is now at the bottom of the reservoir. Critical structures were moved stone by stone to its present location..
To enter Portomarin you either walk all around left or right then up the hill or climb the steps. Linda chose the steps.Then a second tier of steps.Having some OJ at a favorite, routine stop whenever we passed through or stayed at Portomarin.The owner of the Albergue/Restaurant Gonzar.
We took a taxi to Gonzar, checked in at 2:00, and spent the rest of the day doing the usual.
The Hostería Gonzar. Usually packed with pilgrims inside and outside from late morning to mid afternoon, today had unusually low traffic based on our previous 6 stays.Jim contemplating a dip in the Hostería Gonzar pool, but decided against it after plunging his big toe into the still very chilly water.
So, things don’t always go as planned on the Camino. We ended up walking an extra several miles to find a place open for breakfast. We had an unexpected positive experience in Vilacha. We ended up walking from Mercadoiro to Portomarin again, which we hadn’t done since the pandemic. We expected to walk among the hoards of pilgrims again, but remarkably saw less than a dozen other pilgrims during our walk and at the Gonzar Albergue.
On balance it turned out to be a nice, satisfying and enjoyable day for Camino 2026.
Jimandi 