June 20 Sigueiro to Santiago 17km

Got up had breakfast and almost immediately took the re-route and for some reason, this put me in an angry mood, don’t even know why, still can’t figure it out

About half way to Santiago there is Hotel Castro nice stop for a coffee after that there is a forest, it is magical, my bad mood disappeared very quickly and was very lucky to enjoy it all by myself

I have a thing with keys, my room last night I could not open, the hospitalera had to open, needless to say I never locked it, too afraid to be locked in. My washroom was next door, also with a key but at l least I could work this one out.

Weather very humid, going up hill my glasses kept fogging

As I am walking into Santiago deep into my thought I heard my name, I started looking around and on the other sidewalk is my friend Chantal, the one I walked with on the Norte, she was leaving to go to the bus station and then home. What are the chances we would meet today, me arriving and she leaving, could not have planned better

Took only half an hour to get my compostella, many volunteers and no one at lunch

This is probably my last blog will post some pictures on FB. I am leaving tomorrow to go Muxia and will stay till Tuesday, then to Lisbon and Canada on June 28

June 19 Meson do Vento to Sigueiro 26km

No internet connection so could not post

Today I just realized that the app

I am using shows the old routes as well as the new routes and have to be careful not to follow the wrong one

Today about 10 km before Sigueiro, there is a green route that I followed the last time, today was walking with an Irish lady and we were deep in discussing religion in both of our countries and we just kept on following the markers and we never saw the green route, it really did not matter, kms are the same no matter which route you take

Today was the first time I walked with someone on the english camino, the last 13km went very fast

Woke up at 1;30 with back pain, probably caused by that hill, took an anti inflammatory pill and put some K tape, was much better this morning but still took another anti inflammatory pill this morning just in case

Today we were in luck, there are 3 bars on the way and all were opened, stopped at two for coffee and a break, same tomorrow 3 bars on the way about 4km apart.

June 18!Betanzos to Meson o Vento 28km

Started in rain for about 1 hour and ended the day with 1 hour of rain. Yesterday ended by going all the way down to Betanzos, well of course today was the opposite, going out was all uphill not as bad as yesterday morning

Till my first break only met 3 young spanish people that were walking very fast, 2 boys and 1 girl. Met them again in the bar and notice both boys were walking gingerly. Also met the ameran couple from Texas and were happy when I told them bar was about 500 meters. Also told them that the hotel could pick them up at Bar Avelina in As Tavares, they had not realized that this would save them 5km

Until the break I did well but after in Leiro miss a sign and ended walking the old way passing in front of Bar Julia, yes it is still in business even though they don’t see many pilgrims. I did this both in 2015 and 2016 and still remember the famous hill that keeps on going up, up and seem to never end. Some of the yellow signs are still there, some are faded and the cement blocks

with camino and arrows have been removed, of course did not see a soul. Was lucky I was finished going up when the rain started and was very fortunate that the bar for the hotel pick up was on my way, otherwise would have walked another 5km in the rain, also luckly did not have to wait long. Had lunch and dinner before my shower and won’t have to wait till 8:00pm

Upon reaching the hotel the 4 texans were trying to sort out their bills and I met yesterday morning a very nice Italian lady named Fabiana and she was also at the reception doing translation for the americans.

Only 2 days left on the English Camino and it looks like rain for both days.

A lot of pilgrims are staying in

Hotels rather than albergue, they are afraid if they go and they are full, might not be able to book in hotel if they are full. Our hotel last night was full and tonight

the pension across the hotel was full when I tried a week ago and this place seem to be doing good business

Also a bonus, laundry, wash and dry for only 5 euro, won’t have to do in Santiago on Thursday

June 17 Pontedeume to Betanzos 23km

Took almost 1/2 hour to get out of Pontedeume because all uphill

Walk through a beautiful forest, so peaceful, the wind was gently blowing, the bird singing and table and seats for those who wanted a rest

Then we were lucky walked on the edge of a golf course, saw the workers cutting grass but no golfers

Did not get rain but extremely humid all day, going uphill my glasses kept fogging up

Had a few good climb to get us ready to go to Hospital de Bruma tomorrow. I remember climbing for a long time, don’t remember the level of difficulty. Today I am half way to Santiago

As I was walking kept thinking that the mind choose to remember only the easy part of a walk and want to forget when it is difficult, probably because I did not remember much of the Norte that I walked in 2012.

Tomorrow is the longest day and the most difficult according to the guide book but have to think one foot at a time

Today met 14 pilgrims, 5 from yesterday and all the others new to me probably because I started later than my usual 7:00.

Breakfast at 7:00 and will be gone by 7:30 hopefully and forecast of rain for next 3 days

Jne 16 Naron to Pontedeume 27km

Yesterday coming into Ferrol saw some pilgrims on the bridge and I could not remember ever being on that bridge, today I realized it is a shortcut to avoid going to Neda. Today in actual fact we walked all around Ferrol but on the other side of the estuary

In my hotel we were at least 4 english speaking pilgrims last night. Met two girls walking alone but I had seen both in the bus, also met 4 girls don’t know where they came from also saw yesterday. Saw a father with his two children running down a hill also took pictures for an argentina couple, so all together 13 pilgrims.

In Fene went to a bar but walked out a spanish guy was there shouting, went next door and who shows up same guy still shooting, drank my coffee quickly and left.

Today my app did not match with the actual camino, could not figure why

Really took my time, walking alone you pay more attention to your surroundings. After Fene we went up hill for 400 meters but they were civilized because very gradual where you reach Vilar do Colo, time for another coffee to prepare me for the sharp descent to Cabanas and Pontedeume, my home for the day

Leaving Neda this morning we walked in a parkland path and wooden boardwalk where I came upon a cat sitting and meowing, still had an old bogadillo so gave him all the meat and cheese, he was very affectionate and purring very loudly and very thankful, I don’t usually feed animals but he was so hungry and I got rid of excess baggage

Had my first calamares today and they were very good, not overdone. The resto is called Compostelle, very noisy, a spanish lady with her two kids, a boy and a younger girl, reminded me of my brother and me when

we were young, I tried to follow him everywhere but it did not always work so I would cry and this young girl did the same, mother was screaming louder than the kids, not my day for people noise

Yesterday was the first time in weeks that I could sleep more than 8 hours, so having lunch and dinner early, after the blog while looking at facebook I notice I was nodding off, it was 6:30 so closed the light and was gone right away, the buzz of my phone woke me up at 10:30, it was Rogers telling me I could roam like home, I have been here for 2 1/2 months I think I know that by now, they are very annoying. Then it took a while for me to fall sleep there was a soccer match and every so often they would cheer very loudly and noise carried through the stairs, by midnight I was back in dream land and woke up at 7:36 put pm instead of am on my alarm. Breakfast was at 8:00 and being a short day it did not matter. Tomorrow breakfast is at 7:00 am again a 20km day, not complaining just enjoying leisurely walk

Just finish a long epistle to Merrell regarding my new boots, less than a month, less than a 1,000km the top, inside the boot is ripping, and both sole on one side have no treads, not impressed, just hope that the hole on the back does not get bigger still have a week left of walking, what a bummer

June 15 Ferrol to Neda 15km

Took the 9:30 bus to Ferrol to start the English Camino. There are a lot of pilgrims on the bus not sure if they are people returning home or actual pilgrims walking that route, will see how many are going to km 0

Walked from my hotel to bus station, it took about 40 min. Pleasant walk very few people in the street of Santiago, saw a few pilgrims arriving, not sure from where.

Could see lights flashing last night from my window looking toward the Monte de Gozo but could not hear any sound with the window opened

Walked to my destination and arrived at my destination at 3:00 and promptly sat for both lunch and dinner. Did a zig and a zag with google map because my reservation is in Naron and had no clue as to how far it was from the camino, google map had 15km and Map.me had 17km so opted for the shorter route, all together I walked 21km, counting the hotel to bus and in Ferrol the bus to km 0 and back up the same way as the bus, did a portion twice, and going off camino saved me some km

As we were walking yesterday, they were filming pilgrims walking with different backpacks. It really looked phony, not real pilgrims, brand new shoes, clothes and backpack. They would have been better taking the real thing than people that look so fresh

Three days before I finished the Portuguese Camino my back started bothering me, not enough to stop and attributed this to lack of stopping every two hours. Went to Muxia, it all went away.

Again three days before I finished the Norte my back was not happy, the last 4 days on Norte were mostly on the road so took anti-inflamatory and today all is well, hopefully it will continue

Tomorrow a short day just 16 km so will sleep in till 7:30 and breakfast at 8:00

June 14 A Brea to Santiago 27km

Since we were on an off stop for the night did not see that many pilgrims, one group of high school kids, another group of adult, don’t know from where. By the time we got to the Monte de Gozo the amount increased by quite a bit. There was a lot of police activity because the concert started today, we saw the stage from afar as well as the tents, many cars parked everywhere.

Took less than 1 hour to get our credential and found a place where we could eat before separating since Chantal is going to Muxia tomorrow and I am leaving for Ferrol and the English Camino.

Sorry cannot post anymore pictures because they say my media is full and I don’t want to delete before I get home.

June 13 Sobrado to A Brea 34.5km

Very happy today is over, was a long day. Two nights ago had almost no sleep so when we reach Sobrado yesterday I was really tired but thanks to a good night sleep today was easier. The morning was spent walking road then forest for 16 km and after that lots of road close to 10km then as we followed the very well marked road we realized we were going to O’Pino 5 km further than we had anticipated. Thanks to google map we put the name of our pension and we were very lucky we did not add any kms and was only 6km from our destination

For our breaks, the BOYS have not help us in the last two days, because of the long days, very few villages, the opportunity to stop were far in between and being on the road very though. Yesterday we stopped on the side of road, Chantal on some loose rocks, me on the ground and 5 minutes later this is what was awaiting us

Today same scenario, on the ground, on the side of the road and less than 5 minutes, this is what was waiting

Just our bad luck

We are in a pension, dinner and breakfast provided for 19 euro and tomorrow we are in Santiago

June 12 Baamonde to Sobrado 34km

Very long day, some in forests and some on road. This is a new route only 2 years old and does not go thru Miraz, it cuts about 8km from the route. Not many pilgrims use this route, met two germans and three polish at the first cafe and never saw them again

Tonight we are staying in an appartment for fairly cheap

Also today we said goodbye to the french canadian that we met a while back as well as the swedish girl both are going to

Miraz and will be arriving on

Sunday after the concert

As I get closer to Santiago, have less to write about and not taking many pictures too many kms to walk and very far from civilization

Our first stop these two were playing games, dog and cat, dog chasing cat, cat teasing dog

These lovely ladies crossing the street, flower in bloom

Santiago on a house, sunrise in Sobrado

June 11 Vilalba to Baamonde 21km

We had a few sprinkle of rain, not in forecast, everyday a surprise. Weather has been perfect for walking, morning around 6C and by end of day around 18C we did not get the hot weather of the sourh or the nasty snow, hail of the camino frances

We have been meeting new pilgrims, you can tell by the spring in their steps, the old pilgrims shuffle one foot in front the other

The way today was easy, some paths in forest, some on back roads where you don’t see many cars, two coffee breaks along the way. Saw some storks but did not see their nests

Storks

Our hotal is attached to a restaurant and we had the menu del dia when we arrived and hopefully we can eat around 7:30

Next two days are very long and not sure of accomodation tomorrow since the hotel is closed and the owner will provide an appartment if I understood correctly.

The cat sleeping in safe area, a chain so no cars, hunter’s bar and other cat relaxing on top of pole

Flowers on the way