Lubián 2019/4/23
Today and the two next days seems to be cold and with rain. Then weather should be better.
Pleasant stage for a completely rural and mountainous environment. It starts with an ascend by dirt road to Alto de A Canda (1265m), an ascent of 310 meters in 4 km from the Santuario de la Tuiza. At this top I enter Galicia.
Now in Galicia. Very fine walk, a little muddy. And actually no rain.
The one and only bar comes some 5km later in Vilavella.
After coffee, beer and a bocadillo I have 13km to A Gudiña. The landscape is beautiful, the views fantastic. But the weather behaves a little special. First snow, then hail shower. It’s of course because the altitude is around 1000m.
In A Gudiña I sleep at the albergue.
A Gudiña
The little one-street village A Gudiña was not exiting. I went to bar Oacar in the evening and got something to eat, together with an australien, Pedro. And the night in the albergue was quiet.
In the morning I could see it was the day where I had to use an extra wool layer and the raintrousers.
Heavy headwind and snow. I was well packaged, so there was actually no problem walking in this weather. But it was mostly walking on asfalt, and you could’nt see more than 100m.
I thought it was enough with 20km.
And stopped in Campobecerros.
Campobecerros
Coffee and toasted bread. Then rain trousers on. The weather not so awful as yesterday, but on a scale from 1 to 5 we are rather close to 1.
It is really grey in grey.
Nearly asfalt walking all the day.
I think I reached the top after 5km. Then the rest was nearly one long quiet descending to Laza.
Passing some very small villages, where most of the stone buildings are ruins.
I guess that with sun and a little higher temperature there will be very beautiful here.
Laza is another little pueblo laying at the foot of the camino, but with not much of interest.
Laza
Long stage, 35km, beautiful landscapes and with many slopes. Nearly no rain. It became a fine day.
The journey goes through the rural area to Vilar do Barrio, with a steep climb from Tamicelas (540m) to the cross of Mount Talariño (965m), passing through Alberguería.
In Alberguería I get coffee in a strange bar/shop decorated with shells overall.
In Vilar de Barrio there was of course a bar.
From Vilar de Barrio to Bobadela, a section through an agricultural plain.
From Bobadela, at the end of the stage, mostly down to Xunqueiro through scrubland. Very beautiful.
In Xunqueira de Ambía I find my albergue, casa Tomás. I guess it’s the only place in this pueblo with wifi. Without wifi, no signal.
Xunqueira
Today a short walking to Ourense, 22km, but very boring. By road all the way, and the last 10km through ugly industrial area.
But Ourense looks great. The albergue is quite new and close to Plaza Mayor.
And now it’s like summer.
Ourense
The albergue in Ourense was new and very fine. Three floors with each 7 bunk beds. And only 200m from Plaza mayor.
In the morning many peregrinos are starting quite early. I refuse to do anything before 7, so I’m one of the latest to leave the albergue.
After crossing río Miño there is two alternatives. I use the one going through Tamallancos.
There is a strong rise at the beginning, from the 115 meters of altitude of Ourense (in the Ponte Vella) to the 525 meters of altitude of Cea.
Crossing places which look nice, but which is actually ruins. Now going into Cea.
Cea
Yesterday I meet the first danish peregrino on this camino, Alex.
Looking back a little later. Fine day.
Wonderful views as I approach the big monesterio Oseiras.
Alex is at the bar and we have a lot of time for talking about nothing and everything. He goes further, I stay because I will have a guided tour in the monasterio.
It is old, huge and very strange for me.
From monesterio to Castro Dozon there’s 10-12km through a wonderful landscape, mostly on dirt track going up and down.
Castro Dozón
Pretty cool and fog when I started. The fog lasted nearly to 12 o’clock.
I didn’t get anything to eat in the morning and hoped for a coffee stop in one of the first small hamlets I passed. But no luck. I had to go to A Laxa, 20km, before there was a road bar where I could get something to eat.
The last 8-9km was through a beautiful landscape. As always a lots of ups and downs.
And then Silleda where they served pulpo on tuesday. Here it had good sense to say ‘skål’.
Silleda 2019/5/1
I slept pretty well and woke up at half past seven. I got coffee and toasted in the pulpo bar and ready for a nice walking day.
As usual going out of a city means some walking along N-525. Here the route swung away from the road after just 1-2 km.
The plan was to go to Ponte Ulla and have something to eat and then continue some 4-5km to Outeiro and sleep there.
In Ponte Ulla I got a decent menu and continued following my plan.
It was a wonderful day for walking, some clouds and not to hot. I passed Outeiro without noticing it. The plan was then changed to go directly to Santiago, 20km more.
I suddenly met Katrine, a danish girl Alex has told me about. Simply a super walker. She stopped in Lestedo and I continued.
Santiago de Compostela
A whole day without any plans. I got the last stamp in my Credencial del Peregrino. And I was at the Correos where they helped with sending my navajo, lommekniv, home. Super service.
