May 7th
Lugo
We finally posted cards home which we had carried all the way from Tineo, and we also sent just over 200gms of guide books and leaflets which we have collected along the Way. Then we went for a walk on the walls and bought new stick rubbers in the 'corderia' (rope shop) just inside the Porta de San Pedro. The lady there has a lovely sello too, and Buffalo cream to waterproof boots. Then it was time to go to the Cathedral office for their sello, and the priest on duty was the one who stopped to speak to us yesterday.
We went round to the museum and finally found it open. (Last year it was closed when we stayed in Lugo on our way home) We spent the rest of the morning there.
In the afternoon we saw a few other pilgrims, one wearing a Rohan poncho like ours.
May 8th
Lugo to San Roman de Retorta
We left Lugo, in the rain, by the Porta de Santiago, over the Roman based bridge and on past the chapel of San Lázaro. The local priest was nearby by and opened the chapel for us and to give us a sello. (So many churches, that are often closed, have been opened just as we are passing.) Two pilgrims passed us on the hill. We stopped at Seoane and sheltered in the church porch (again) for a snack.
In the bar at Burgo we caught up with two peregrinas who we had seen from the church porch. They were drying themselves by the gas heater and kindly offered to move over for us. However we had our full wet gear on so we left them the fire, but all sat together chatting over drinks and bocadillos. They went on to the public albergue at San Roman, we were heading for the private one.
We passed an area of Camino with very useful granite slabs and a bridge, it ended just before a bad muddy patch!! Then there was the tree that had fallen across the path and had a way cut through in 2009 (Terry said it must have been after he had gone past)
We arrived in the albergue O Candido to a warm welcome, and a pilgrim couple who hogged the fire all evening, so different to the 2 girls earlier. However we found a lovely warm spot in the drying room, upstairs by the old range cooker.
We ordered our 3 course meal, 8€, as did the 3 wet cyclists who had arrived after us. They also took advantage of the drying room. The hospitalero went off with our washing which he brought back dry, along with the meals, for the 5 of us, just before 20.00.
(Bunks, also single, double and triple rooms here. Rooms have own bathrooms. Meals brought in. Drinks machine.)