Author: Robert Moore

The sun was bright again the next morning and after a rather expensive breakfast at a local bar-it seemed that the closer we were to get to Santiago the more we were to be overcharged-we struck out for Arzua. Soon we had left the city roads and were once again in forest, walking in little groups again. Jon and I walked together as we came upon a rough bridge made of flat but uneven boulders stacked on stones which crossed over a tributary for the river Catasol. It was to be a rather a dicey crossing and I wondered aloud about the ones to follow us. Once through the forest, we walked parallel to the road a bit, and was back into the woods until we came upon the town of Boente, where we stopped at the church for a sello and a few pictures. Off again to our next stop, the German Cafeteria el Aleman. The ground had grown more level and the walking had been easy so we were in high spirits by the time we arrived. The coffee and the pastries were great and sitting in the bright sun in their garden area, life seemed beautiful! Continue reading “Melide to Arzua and spaghetti alla carbonara”

The weather forecasts had rain for the day so we all broke out rain gear. shipping the bags ahead to Arzua meant that some of us were the last ones to check out of the albergue. As it would happen, Jon had placed his trek poles by the bar and when we  went to leave they were missing. Everyone looked high and low. I remember seeing them by the bar by themselves so I knew that they had not been moved unless Jon had moved them; no, they had been taken. Jon was furious and the albergue staff offered him a pair of mismatched poles that had been left behind as a kind gesture but he declined. I insisted on giving him one of mine and with that we set out, with the resolve to pick up another pair in Arzua. So off we went, out of town. Continue reading “Palas de Rei to Melide: Rain and The Miracles of the Walking Poles.”

Giant mushrooms, giant ants and Luba:

The next morning after a brief photo of the group we struck out under the bright Spanish sun. Once again we went up. The camino path runs alongside the C-535, a barely used, two-lane road that connects several small hamlets. A couple of km up this road put us over our highest point in the trip at 722km, and then down to Ligonde where the camino takes a shortcut down a walled path, barely wide enough for two at some points, but best trekked by one. Continue reading “From Ventas de Naron to Palas de Rei”

Portomarin:

Our second long walk day. We headed out in small groups again, Alita, Jon and I teamed up for the first short walk to Portomarin. The morning was cool and overcast, but that just made the walking easier. When we came to Portomarin we had to cross the highway bridge. Continue reading “Mercadoiro to Ventas de Naron”

At first light we all grabbed coffee and breakfast. Then, strapping on the backpacks we headed out for our first walk. The group broke up as we turned left outside the albergue for the short uphill climb back towards the Convento. At the top Jon and I posed for a quick photo at the Sarria marker before locating our first yellow arrow and setting off down the steep hill road out of Sarria. Continue reading “From Sarria to Mercadoiro”