July 8, 2026 – Jimandi

Walked today: 6.1 mi. Camino’26: 291 mi.

We left our backpacks in reception for Correos, paid our bill and said our goodbyes to Santiago, then exited Albergue Turístico Salceda out the back gate to take the shortcut that Santiago told us about on our first visit in 2015. Two pilgrims from Russia, leaving the albergue at the same time, asked to join us. We chatted while walking the shortcut and after Jim told them how to merge with the camino path, they walked on ahead.

The two pilgrims from Russia, who joined us on the short cut.

Leaving the end of Santiago’s short cut just before merging with the camino for today’s walk.

We walked this road for several hundred yards, merged with the camino path as it crossed the road and moved into the forest.

We walked on a path like this through several small hamlets… two, of which had places for breakfast, but both were closed.

Like many of the hamlets in this area, hydrangeas seemed to be the adornment of choice.

We left the forest and hamlets behind and walked along a busy, large truck infested road until finally stopping at restaurant O Ceafoiro, located at the intersection of another busy, truck infested road.

Still on the edge of the forest, but following the main road.

A small park with a “dry” water fountain for pilgrims.

Pretty forest scenery dominated by eucalyptus trees.

An impressive underpass cut into solid rock.

Walking through a couple of tired hamlets with ruin dominated dwellings.

We stopped at an upscale campground with a nice attached bar/restaurant. We unanimously decided to skip the camping part, but did indulge in small glasses of fresh squeezed OJ.

After the campground, we walked down, then up a paved residential road that rejoined the main road into O Pino. The camino crossed the road and headed back into the forest skirting O Pino and O Pedrouzo, aka: Arca.

We left the “official” camino and walked on into O Pino and neighboring O Pedrouzo, where we will be staying until rejoining the camino tomorrow morning.

Walking past the albergue we stayed at in 2015 on our first camino.

Leaving OPino and entering O Pedrouzo . We stayed in the large building on the left on our second camino in 2017.

We texted our destination for the day and got confirmation that we couldn’t get access to our room before 1:00. It was only 11:30, so we went into kill-time mode.

We stopped at a convenient bar/restaurant and ordered drinks and found a seat and table just outside on the sidewalk. We sipped, people watched, greeted passing pilgrims and sipped some more.

Our initial time killing perch, waiting for our room.

Getting bored with the time killing, we got more creative and decided to (1) visit Jim’s #1 source for Padrón pepper seeds and (2) find a restaurant close to our reserved room and (3) make a reservation for dinner.

We stopped here to buy fresh (2026) seeds for Jim’s and Anne’s hydroponic gardens.

We stopped at Arca Gourmet restaurant which is next door to Pención 9 de Abril and had a simple, light lunch, anticipating a heavy, early dinner.

Jim ordered a tuna on toast to add extra B-12 and protein.

We finished lunch at 1:02, paid our bill, walked next-door and checked in and got settled in our room. It’s a fairly modern property, expensive at €94.50, but meets all our needs for today’s visit.

A typical look of being “settled” in our room.

After doing some chores and a brief nap (Jim only), we walked a half-block to a grilled steak specialty restaurant that we discovered last year on Camino2025.