We left O Cadavo early since it was going to be our longest day at 19 miles. At some point, a section of the Norte route was joining up with ours. I tried to enjoy our last bit of isolation on the Primitivo. But the day was hot, and the miles stretched on.
Mid morning, a welcome surprise greeted us out of nowhere. A random guy set up a tent in a grassy lot and was carving watermelon for hikers. That was so refreshing! He had cold water, too. We rested a bit, got an extra stamp in our credential, and left him a tip.The trail continued onto blacktop roads as we meandered through different villages. After a long day, we finally reached Lugo! This is where many new pilgrims will BEGIN the Camino. In order to earn your compostela certificate, you have to walk at least 100 kilometers and get two stamps per day.
We planned to stay two nights in Lugo to allow our bodies to rest. So we said goodbye to some of our Camino friends who were continuing on their journey the next morning.
The GPS guided us to our apartment that was inside the old city walls. What a cool place to stay! Halie and I shouted from the window to our travel companions when they arrived and were looking around for our place.
After we set our bags down and freshened up, it was time to eat. On the way to the restaurant, this cool marker reminded us we're staying right along the path.
The pilgrim menu included the best salad I'd had on the trip. Grilled chicken, tomatoes, strawberries, candied pecans, feta cheese, purple onions, and basalmic dressing on a bed of leafy greens. Yum!
The next morning we awoke at 7am ready to explore. Only the town itself was still sleeping.Literally no one was out and about except us.
The church was easy to find with it's steeple towering over all the other buildings.
We eventually found a bakery opening up and the pastries were delicious! Since we weren't in a rush, several of us had a second coffee and just enjoyed the lazy morning.
We took a walk on top of the wall going around the city. It was only two kilometers and it gave a great view of the old city inside the walls as well as the city outside it's walls. This is the only place in the world with Roman walls still fully intact around a city and complete.
With our rest day over, it was time to head to Ferreira. One of our friends captured this picture of us leaving the city walls of Lugo.
Just outside the wall was our first Camino marker of the day. Sally and Eleanor were gracious to pose.
Once we were out of the city, the views of the countryside filled my soul. We've really been blessed with amazing weather on this trip and I'm so grateful.
A midday stop at a watering hole allowed us to meet some new Camino friends who started the trail a day after us.
The land was definitley flatter now than the mountains of Asturias, but still beautiful.
We entered the village of Ferreira which had all of two albergues. We secured the last four beds just a few days prior. Other pilgrims had to keep hiking to the next town.
The owners of our albergue also owned this restaurant across the street. Seeing as it was the only place to eat in the small village, we headed there for dinner.
We were excited to see two of our original Camino family members walk up: Dino from Ireland and Iris from Holland. We invited them to sit with us and share a meal together. I discovered I like the beer in Galacia better than the wine. The cold bubbly beverage just hits the spot after a long hike. Their local brew in this region is Estrella Galicia, a pale lager.
The next morning we left the alburge around 6:15am. I needed my headlamp for the first 30 minutes as we hiked under the canopy of trees following a dirt path.
Before long we entered the eucalyptus forest. It smelled so good and was a nice change from the cow manure smells of the dairy farms. These trees are not native to the region, though. They were brought in from Australia in the 19th century as a way to produce paper more economically because of their fast growth and favorability to the Galacian climate.
Around 11am, we passed through Melide, a larger city where the Primitivo merges with the Frances (or most popular) route. Almost immediately we saw youth groups, families, and dozens of pilgrims. Most were carrying little day packs and a single water bottle, clearly not having to endure the rough journey we've experienced. But they were still pilgrims nonetheless, so we shared the ever-widening trail and listened to their music blaring for everyone to hear.We also started noticing vendors selling their trinkets. This was unusual for us on the Primitivo, and it became increasingly difficult to dodge the crowds as they took up space along the path.
Apparently it wasn't just people we had to dodge.
We ended the day at our favorite albergue, El Aleman. This cute hostel on the Camino catered to our weary feet with a refreshing pool to soak them in. To make it even better, the pool and restaurant on the premises were only for overnight guests. What a tranquil retreat!
To make it even better, they had spaghetti!! That became my favorite dish on the Camino. I enjoyed every bite of it.
