We started with darkness in the morning and got some pretty views of the cathedral. At our breakfast yhere was a little dog that tried to get food from us with all ways – in the beginning with cute eyes and then with barking – but after 10 min he realised he won’t get anything from us because we saw that it was well-fed and well-looking.
Then we continued our way through the Eucalyptus forests, beautiful vegetable gardens and corn fields. 🌽 🌲
After a longer lunch break we met H. and his son and dad from Valencia again and talked to them again. Then we seperated and dad walked faster to get an Albergue in Arzúa for us and I continued a bit slower. After our pilgrims duties we want to call home and later go out for dinner ✨
We started early in the morning and it was cold (and we made a 20 min detour because of the darkness) . The sunrise was gorgeus and we went through a beautiful area.
Then we walked along a rode, made breakfast with some view and wore our fleece jackets until 10 a.m.
On the way we met C. and N. from Belgium several times. We passed by a farm where all animals seemed to had the best life on earth – the chickens walked free on the street, the dogs laid in the shadow, the cows had lot of space and everywhere were butterflies – seemed like a little paradise.
After another descend we passed a lake and a photo shooting from a mom with her daughter’s was far away from us. In the end, after almost 29 km, we reached Sobrado and waited about 20 min for the checkin in the Albergue in the beautiful giant monastary.
We showered, did laundery and took a look at the cathedral. After a short stop at the farmacia for Magnesium and shopping in the supermarket, we ate dinner with the two Belgians.
After waking up we started walking together again and this was really nice after 4 days of walking alone.
Soon we reached the 100 km mark and had our breakfast in a big stone house on the way. And saw an old church from the 15th century. Again Eucalyptus, a lot of blackberries and a pilgrims sculpture of stone. And unfortunately there was again some trash on the road, especially „KinderSchokobons“. I collected them all (9 pieces).
I took two times a shower because I had problems with the tiger balm I always put on my knee. Now we getting everything done and want to eat dinner with two Norwegian pilgrims.
Today we seperated again and I took the taxi for the first 6 km. Dad started walking from Vilalba first alone and then with the Spanish pilgrim H.. I walked slowly the whole time and enjoyed every kilometer and the peaceful views of cows, cats, blackberries and fruit trees. We saw each other again 3km before Baamonde and walked the rest together. At 6 p.m. we had a mass in the small church here hold by a Polish pilgrim who is a priest. It was English/Polish and I read the second lesson (Lesung). Later we want to go to the restaurant.
We started early today with an alarm from another pilgrim that first sounded like a fire alarm. Then we enjoyed a breakfast an talked to H. from Spain, also about his Spanish friend who is right now doing an Ultra Marathon in Switzerland.
I took the bus till Goiriz with some other pilgrims (grandmothers and her granddaugthers) and got a shirt as a present from the Mexican pilgrim M. we met yesterday at the bus station. Then I walked the last 7 km and met J. from Tenessy and talked a little to him and ate a lot of blackberries. Afterwards I collected one bag of trash – „Eine gute Tat jeden Tag“ . At the Albergue I met A. from Poland and D. from Mexico and ate lunch with them. Before that I went grocery shopping and saw an interesting traditional Galician parade which was part of a festival.
Dad saw many delicious Galicien blackberrys, one closed Albergue, many cows, a grande café con leche and a special cross. And a breakfast: almond chocolate with bread.
Now we want to call mom and Laura and then grab dinner with some other pilgrims after a nap.
Today we had to seperate again so dad and I waited for the bus – in the evening we had seen a sign that told us that the bus station was at another place in the village so we went there. But as the bus came it drove by us, so dad ran to the former bus station and I walked fast behind him and luckily we catched the bus.
So dad started walking and I started driving again and visited the Cathedral of Mondoñedo. I took the bus to Abadin and chilled there in 2 restaurants till the Albergue opened.
Dad had the hardest climb today and was on the way till afternoon but made it pretty good and chose the mountain route of the Camino, but instead of views there was a lot of fog. And he had a little adventure and found a dead foal on the way that was already half-eaten – later the hospitalero of our nice Albergue told us that there are wolves in this region, so they probably catched the foal.
I streched in Albergue, drank tons of water, showered and as dad came we both took a nap. Then we needed to plan the next day and went shopping – and cooked a zucchini tomato pasta 🍝
Today dad and I spent our day seperatly. But before that we went to a Spanish doctor in the health care center of Ribadeo and she told me that I should only walk again if all pain would be away.
So I had to take the bus and he walked 27 km. He saw a lot of animals on the way like cows, horses, dogs and cats. The altitude rised and it was not easy to walk – but with some sugar and Cafe con leche (and sugar) he made it to me at Lourenza. I met several diffrent pilgrims in the bus and before I drove to Lourenza I talked long to a Mexican pilgrim about our lifes and cultural dishes.
At Lourenza we were two of three guests of our Albergue, which felt pretty strange because the Albergue was meant of 24 persons, but we had one dormitory for us! At dinner we stayed in a restaurant and enjoyed Dorade and a lot of meat.
Today we woke up late and were (once a time it’s nice to do it) the last pilgrims that left the Albergue. We had our breakfast at the beach and watched a surfers. 🏄
For the first time we saw a big group of pilgrims, mabye about 15 people. Then we went along the beach and the shore 🌊 and through endless corn fields. 🌽
At a church we made our second stop and had (for some days) the last lunch with sea view and big waves with surfers and surf schools.
Afterwards we walked over the bridge from Austuria to Galicia – 600m way and very beautiful canal with some boats. The whole way my knee was not so bad but I felt it some times.
We arrived at the first Albergue and got two beds. This is so far the beautifullest Albergue and the woman who owns it is friendly and all bedrooms, the living room, the kitchen and the garden.
Soon we’re going to the city center of Ribadeo and probably first to a pharmacy to by something for my knee and then we go to eat dinner with H. (Germany) and P. (Espagna).
We woke up at 7 a.m. and started walking. We walked almost the whole way to La Caridad with O., a French pilgrim we met on the way and talked about the camino, our future plans of hiking and traveling, our family, traditional food and dishes of our homecountries, lives at home and found some figs that were ripe and delicious.
At La Caridad we had lunch and met G. from Poland who currently works in Germany in Landshut who walked the last two days 55 km each day and had a backback with more than 13kg, which seemed a little crazy to us.
Then we dicided to continue walking to Tapia and said goodbye to both. On the way my knee began to hurt, not bad but I could feel little pain which was never a issue I had.
So my dad and I decided after a break that he would walk the last 7 km and dad would call a taxi for me – yes, sometimes the Camino means calling a taxi. The driver was very friendly and we talked the few minutes with a translator about the Camino and Tapia🚕
At the Casa Cultura/Tourist Office I reserved two beds for dad and me. Before we went to the albergue we decided that we will walk only about 12 km tomorrow and have a lot of rest so my knee will heal hopefully.
Then we walked to the beach at a wonderful bay. There were many locals and some tourists and we bath in the comfortable (it was not as easy to go in as in the Mediterranean Sea, but staying in there was comfortable) water. The waves were high and strong and it was a lot of fun to jump with and into them. 🌊
After a quick shower we walked to the Albergue, made our beds ready and washed our laundry – there I met another German Pilgrim in the Women’s Restroom who currently works in Barcelona and talked to her a bit. We enjoyed our dinner (Platos combinados with chicken, salad, eggs and fries and a pizza) at a local bar. Afterwards we shortly walked thorugh the city center and crowded pedestrian zone, saw some fish and looked at the harbour and the small boats. ⛵
Today we started with a beautiful sunrise over the Spanish hills. Then we walked through Luarca, a village near a habour where we shopped in a backery and a supermarket. Afterwards we made our first breakfast and we ate a little too much. We went up some hills, walked by ruins, churches and a lot of corn fields. We saw swallow/Schwalben and sparrow/Spatzen.
Now we arrived at our Albergue at Piñera where we were the second people that checked in but a few hours later the Albergue began to fill.
In the afternoon we talked a lot with a French pilgrim and had dinner with a German boy. It was really nice meeting and talking to all this people. We ended our day with a sunset and a lemon we shared together and I had carried for 2 days 🍋
