Woke up to a bright sunny day, it was quite warm and humid last night. Leaving the window open was too tempting for the mosquitoes.
Last nights dinner was a communal dinner, there were 2 ladies from Germany a mother and daughter, the daughter worked in IT and an American from Montana who was a science/history/arts teacher at a Div 2 college. He also owned a farm. It was a good healthy dinner with vegetable soup and seafood paella and yoghurt/fruit for dessert all homemade, Wine and water.
Breakfast was also communal but self serve in the kitchen.
I started about 8:30am, it was sunny and cool. The humidity had cleared.
The first 2hrs was walking downhill into a valley on made road. Then started to climb up the next hill, all the while surrounded by eucalyptus forest and farmland. It was dead quiet, I couldn’t hear any farm equipment or cars.
I walked through a couple of small villages in the first 4-5km, nothing was open.
At the half way mark of today’s walk I entered the town of Lourenza, in stark contrast to the past few hours it was open for business. Plenty of coffee shops, supermarkets, pharmacies etc. I stopped for a rest break and had a Cortado. They have a Cathedral and monastery, I was resting in the shade in front of the cathedral when a little old lady with a huge handful of keys opened the cathedral and left the door open. She reappeared with broom sweeping the front door area. She gestured for me to come over and enter the cathedral. I did and she gave me a stamp for my pilgrims passport. I took some photos and sat for a while.
Galicia is more traditional when it comes to the Camino. People are respectful of pilgrims and very welcoming. Prior to this I have felt this Camino is very touristy. In Galicia people say Buen Camino as you pass, two nights ago the lady at the accommodation made me a packed lunch (free), last night the owner gave me six free beers (I only drank one), today the lady in the coffee shop gave me extra biscuits. It’s a different mind set here.
I stopped for a second break at a little bar beside the highway, just off the Camino. Because I was ordering in Spanish, and perhaps the beard, the lady that ran the bar thought I was Spanish and came outside to talk to me. I explained I could only understand her a little and she happily switched to English. Wanting to know where I was from, where I was going, etc translating for her husband. She knew that Eucalypts came from Australia. But didn’t think they had any kangaroos here.
I had to rely on the traditional Camino markers for the second running, yesterday I could not access my phone due to the heavy rainy. Today I had no phone service and no gps for most of the day. I sorted it out later when I reset my phone.
I did not see a single pilgrim today until reaching my destination when the American from last nights accommodation stepped out from a different path right beside me. Apparently he started 30 minutes after me.
My destination today, Mondonedo, has a monastery and a cathedral. It was open when I arrived and I was able to get a stamp and walk freely around free of charge, being a pilgrim. Visitors had to pay €7 each. They also gave me an Audio guide free of charge.
Spent about an hour in the Cathedral wandering around.
When I came out it was around 2pm and I found a restaurant with a Menu del Dia, 3 courses wine/water etc for €15. A big meal. Being a hot day and being a bit dehydrated I only had water. 💦
After checking into my hostel and finding out their bar/cafeteria is was closed I wandered across the road to the bar opposite for a G&T.
Today was 18-20km
Russ and Jan's Camino 