*Day 4 was a 17 mile walk today, with temperatures climbing to an 86 degree high for the week. May is simply a beautiful time along the Camino. There are so many flowers in bloom, and the fields and forests are a fresh blanket of green.
*Several bikers passed me on the route today. Fifteen percent of pilgrims bike the Camino Francés. If that’s interesting to you, you can learn a bit more here.
*I walked with Monica from Prague for a few hours this morning. Monica started her Camino up north in Oviedo and walked the Primitive Route which merges into the French Route in Melide. She’s been walking 12 days. It is not at all uncommon to see solo walkers, many whom are female, and most are from Europe.
*I parted from Monica in Arzúa because I had not yet had anything to eat. Coffee, a pastry, and a banana had become my daily breakfast an hour or two into my walk, and the café I walked into this morning did not disappoint.
*Further down the road, I drank my first ever morning beer at a place I came across called Tía Dolores. This outdoor bar specialized in one thing: Peregrina Beer. Peregrina, brewed in Santiago, literally means “pilgrim”. Tía Dolores sells this bottled beer and encourages the buyer to drink it up, personalize their bottle with a white marker, and help create the actual decor of this one of kind outdoor spectacle. I couldn’t not stop, you know.
*The host at my albergue yesterday recommended and booked my albergue for today, Albergue Andaina. Instead of passing through the hub city and moving on beyond it, I would be stopping in Santa Irene, about 5 km short of the hub city, Arca (also called O Pedrouzo). I had mixed emotions about this recommendation, as I was hoping to get a little closer to Santiago, but I had read that lodging becomes more difficult to find on this last night before the final walk into Santiago. Several other routes have merged onto the Camino Francés at this point, and with the increased number of pilgrims, I decided to take this man’s recommendation and stay in Santa Irene.
*As I approached Santa Irene, I could sense a difference in the Camino tone. Walking into Santa Irene along a highway, there was a distinct party feel. It reminded me of the last town on Iowa’s RAGBRAI ride before reaching the destination each the day. It was 1:30 p.m. and I approached an outdoor bar/café where the music was loud, drinks were flowing, pilgrims were plenty. I saw the sign for my albergue across the street. I still had energy and good legs, and I so wanted to press on. After going back and forth with indecision, I decided to stay and go with this sure reservation.
*Albergue Andaina’s rooms were above a crowded smoke filled restaurant and bar, crowded with Spanish men catching up over drinks, cigarettes, and a meal. As I checked out my accommodations, I looked out back through the bathroom window. I had hoped to see a clothesline but saw sheep instead. I decided to shower, hang some handwashed clothes in an open window, and head to a quieter patio next door where I could get a pilgrim’s meal in a much more serene setting than the restaurant below my room.
Comments