Camino de Santiago Primitivo
Day 31 and 2 Rest/Work Days
This is a camino of gratitude for me. Each day, I choose something I am grateful for in my life and think and journal about it throughout the day. I will share an excerpt from my journal entries at the end of each day’s post.
Day 31: Cadavo—Lugo ~ 18 miles
27 October 2017
It was pitch dark when we had to leave the albergue this morning. We are still under the rule of daylight savings time, but the days are growing shorter quickly. At 7:00 am, it is still night. With flashlights, we pilgrims peered around in search of the yellow arrows leading us away from Cadavo.
But my reward for the early start was a majestic sunrise.
It was to be a hard day—and the longest one I have done (at least longest by choice). It is challenging to have shorter days in this part of the Camino Primitivo at this time of year. The albergues are far apart and many are beginning to close for the season. It is important to plan carefully and be prepared to go farther than expected.
About 10:30—time for my “second breakfast”—I was walking through a sleepy village and came upon a food truck—believe it or not! It looked so out of place. I have not seen very many food trucks on the Camino, and to encounter one practically in the middle of nowhere was a real surprise. The owner strategically placed the truck next to a cathedral that some pilgrims visit, and the owner’s wife offers to open the cathedral for anyone who would like to go inside. I was just glad to have the opportunity to eat!
They were very friendly, offered a wide assortment of food and drinks, and had a nice place to sit in the shade and rest. They even had their own Camino stamp, which I had them put on a piece of paper, since I was running out of space in my Pilgrim’s Credential.
By late October, the chestnuts are bustin’ out all over. On some trails, they make it challenging to walk. I had never seen a chestnut tree when it was bearing, and I got a nasty surprise when I bent and picked up a nut from the ground. They are prickly little beasts!
There are so many kinds of fences in Spain. Today I would encounter stone fences and fences made of slate!
I took a rest near these arrows, including the huge brick one on the ground. I teased pilgrims who walked by, “I am sitting here to make sure you go the right direction!”
After a lot of steep climbs and descents in the morning, the country was mostly rolling hills.
The city of Lugo was my reward today. I had been warned in the guidebook that there would be a steep ascent into Lugo. BUT…it did not tell me that first I would have a steep DESCENT! And at the end there were STAIRS—groan. I just looked at them and at the arrow pointing UP and I mumbled, “Not funny.”
The albergue in Lugo was huge—it must hold over 100 pilgrims. It was busy when I arrived. We would be required to leave by 8:30 am in the morning. I had decided to stay in Lugo for a couple extra days. I still had work to do for a client. But I also wanted to explore this old Roman city a bit as well.
Since a pilgrim can only stay in a municipal albergue for one night, this meant I had to look for other accommodations. I had decided on a place on the other side of the city, so I spent the morning carrying my pack around as I explored this ancient walled town.
I walked completely around the top of the Roman walls, imagining what it was like when soldiers patrolled the ramparts.
By mid-morning, the pastry shop was just too wonderful to pass up!
I chose to stay at a private albergue called Roots & Boots, located over a cantina near the river at the edge of Lugo. Only one other person was staying in the dormitory and he was in a different room, so I basically had a nice private room for a couple nights.
By Monday, I was ready to continue my pilgrimage…60 miles to go.
From my journal:
Inspired?
Want to learn more about how I travel?
Click Here
Sounds like so much fun, thanks for sharing your stories just Love them.