Day 12: Lugo - As Saixas
started walking at 6:26am arrival 15:14pm
again, not sure of the accurate distance, but believe it is about 37.4kms.
Poor start to the day, as we followed the original stone way markers out of, I believe, the gateway known as Porta Miña. After following the camino and descending the hill we came to a section that is now a quagmire, and impassable. We retraced our steps back to the walls of the old town, and found a sign indicating a deviation, which we now followed in order to exit Lugo, crossing the old Roman bridge, subject to a recent serious over-restoration, leaving it looking spanking new. As we ascended out of Lugo we passed the way marker indicating that just over 100 kms were left to walk to get to Santiago. The intended destination was full, and we forged ahead to the albuerge at As Seixas, a delightful place, just a few hundred metres removed from the camino. This is what albuerge's should be : a conversion of an old building, retaining all the charm and character of the original while adding the comforts of the current century. A very friendly woman (Mari Fé?) is responsible, and the overall ambient and setting makes this, I am sure, one of the better albuerge's that will be found on any of the caminos leading to Santiago. There are no shops at As Saixos, but we ate at the nearby small (private) albuerge, Casa Goriños, which has a limited menu, but while it may be limited, the portions were generous, tasty and good value. Eating also helped revive my wife, a bit. I think.
Day 13: As Seixas - Ribadixo da Baixo
started walking at 7:00am arrival 13:10pm
again, not sure of the accurate distance, but believe it is about 22.9kms.
Another ooops moment, as we walked out of the albuerge and, in error, turned left. It was an silly error, as we should have returned to start from the point where we had left the camino the day before. Like the day before, we had to once again retrace our steps. The next unfortunate is that this is the day that the Camino Primitivo joins, at Melide, the
Camino Frances. Why unfortunate ? Until now, the number of peregrinos has been (relativly) few, even allowing for those that started, like my wife, at Lugo. The
Camino Frances is a different matter, and in the middle of August, it is simply a column of ants marching in one direction, interrupted by the occasional bicycle or group of bicycles, smashing their way along the camino. Perhaps I am a kill-joy, but I personally am against the cyclists being on the same route, and believe that they should be taking the asphalt roads to Santiago. I find that having to step to one side to allow the cyclists to thunder by with the cry of "
Buen Camino" flying in the wind quite unsettling, and when the path becomes muddy, as it did, the bicycles tend to churn the path up. Anyway, back to the day : this was another 'destination' albuerge, as I had stayed here all those years ago when I walked the
Camino Frances some 12 years ago. So pleased that we - or at least my daughter and myself - were able to get here in time so as to have an overnight in this albuerge, which is an original albuerge sitting in a valley beside a small river. It is totally idyllic, and my daughter spent several hours playing in the river. The walk to this albuerge, at least from Melide, was at a very brisk pace, as my daughter marched me Left-Right/Left-Right almost the entire 10/11 kms, leaving my wife well behind. The sole intention was to ensure that we could stay at Ribadixo da Baixo albuerge, and in order to do that, my daughter and myself must have passed something like 60 to 70 other peregrinos, all who were coming along the
Camino Frances. What these other peregrinos made of a young girl walking along and barking "
Left-Right/Left-Right" and "
come on Papa, come on Papa" I have no idea, but we made it in record time, my wife following on some time later. We ate well in the bar/restaurant next door, 'Meson Ribadiso', though the croissants we bought there before heading off the next morning looked great but disappointed.
Day 14: Ribadixo da Baixo - Albuerge Santa Irene
started walking at 7:20am arrival 12:20pm
I believe it is about 19.4kms.
While en route, we passed through San Paio, having a good coffee at Casa Porta de Santiago, and watched the steady stream of peregrinos pass by. Come mid-morning it was clear that my wife was not having the easiest of times, so we stopped at the Albuerge Santa Irene and waited for it to open, while also feeling the effects of Galicia's finest and very faint rain, which I am told is called "
chirimiri". We waited for the albuerge to open at 1:00pm, and were the first peregrinos to check in, though it quickly began to fill, as the rain became heavier and encouraged more peregrinos to seek shelter and call it a day on the walking. We were able to eat at a nearby bar, Arca O Pino (?) where we once again were very agreeably served large, tasty portions at absurdly low prices.
Day 15: Albuerge Santa Irene - Lavacolla
started walking at 7:36am arrival 12:10pm
I believe it is about 12.6kms + 1 km to the hotel
Another hick-up to the start of the day, as we walked the 200 odd metres back to the bar where we had ate the previous day, in the hope of starting the day with coffee etc. The assured opening time of 7:15 to 7:30 passed without any sign of life within the bar, and so without having had the hoped for coffee, we turned on our heels and headed back in the direction of Santiago. A few moments of light rain/heavy mist were sporadically passing, and though these were not constant, the path was quite muddy from the rainfall of the day before.
Still, this was a short day for walking, with our destination being the Paxo Xan Xordo, situated just outside Labacolla. There were four reasons for this destination. The first is that from what I had seen of the Paxo Xan Xordo on the web, that this was a delightful place. Second, to make it a short day with an overnight away from the noise and disturbance of the albuerges, while third was to be close enough to Santiago in order that the following day we would arrive very early, while finally Lavacolla is apparently the location of a stream that in former times peregrinos would wash themselves in before their arrival at Santiago. So it felt appropriate to being at the Paxo Xan Xordo, relaxing in a bath and making ourselves as clean as possible before the final day of walking that was to follow and which would see our arrival at Santiago de Compestella.
Day 16: Lavacolla - Santiago de Compostela
started walking at 7:01am arrival 09:00pm
I believe it is about 10.3kms
We made good pace to be at Santiago as early as possible. The first few kilometres wind through the ubiquitous eucalyptus plantations that are so abundant in Galicia, before the final few kilometres of the entry to Santiago, which has little to recommend it, until the old town is reached, and the full beauty, charm and attraction of Santiago overwhelm the senses. We made the final steps through the gate that leads onto Plaza Obradoiro, and with beautiful synchronicity the bells of the Cathedral were chiming 9 o'clock.
The distances I have recorded add up to a little over 331kms, so shy of the 343kms that are recorded on the Distance Certificate.