Day 6 pic

Day 6: Palas de Rei to Melide

We woke up at 6 and prepared ourselves for rain - pack covers, ponchos, cagoules, and in Dasa's case a big plastic bag which covered her pack quite effectively. It started raining then stopped then started and it was like that all day. The trail was in a good condition though so it was fine to walk even in the rain. We stopped for 2nd breakfast at a lovely old farmhouse Casa Domingo and we made excellent time. We got to the outskirts of Melide by 11.50 and stopped for olives and a local cheese Ulloa and a sip of beer.
Refreshed we continued into the centre of Melide, got beds at the Albergue Crucerio and now we have had showers and are about to go out to eat.
We went to a local restaurant and had enormous salads, Dasa had a burger the size of her head, and we sat surrounded by Spanish families enjoying lunch out together. The waitress would call out - quieten down, I need to hear the order!
Later we had a walk around the town, visited the local museum, had a look at a motorbike festival, bought some wine, cheese and olives and returned to enjoy them in the social area in the albergue.

Day 5 pic

Day 5: walking to Palas de Rei

We set off from Gonzar at 8am in the mist. We took a detour to see the Castromejor bronze age archeological dig on the top of the hill. The buildings looked like the ones we saw in the village yesterday - slate, dry stone walls, rounded rather than straight. We had our favourite pan y tomato breakfast with cafe con leche.

Then the sun came out and we made our way through the Galician woods, fields and villages. We arrived in Palas de Rei at around 2pm and got a room for 4 in the San Marcos Albergue.

We went out for our pilgrim menu. Dasa and Taňa tried the octopus.

Then a bit of shopping and rest. Dasa and I went out in the rain to the little church next to the albergue. In the middle of the sermon there was a great clap of thunder and all the lights went off and I thought the roof was going to fall in!

Day 4 pics

Day 4: Ferreiros to Gonzar

Today we had a good walk through the beautiful Galician countryside. Again it was about 22°C and good for walking. We got to Portomarin at around 10. 30 where we had a late breakfast. Then Zlatica and I went ahead to Gonzar. We walked with a Chinese software engineer who tried to teach us the proper way to say Confusius which sounded like Kongzhua. He also played us a Chinese military marching song, so that we could make good time.
Now we are in the municipal albergue in Gronzar and we are out watching the England Belgium match in a nearby bar.

Day 3 pics

First way marker with distance to Santiago

Day 3: Sarria to Ferreiros

We woke in good spirits despite a bit of noise and disturbance in the night, but not more than to be expected. I went with Tana to the kitchen to make tea and when we got back the others were up. It was a damp, cool morning. Pilgrims were already setting off and passing our window, along the camino. We joined them about 7.45 and suddenly we were on our way, part of a tide of walkers making their way through the damp, rolling fields of Galicia.
We climbed a hill into Barbadelo, where we stopped at a cafe for my beloved cafe con leche, juice, stamps in our credential, pilgrim shells, postcards, Santiago almond cake, the toilet, photos. We talked with a young Slovak who lived in Germany, pieces of bread and tortilla from last night's meal.
Then we set off again along the farm tracks, past apple trees, and fields of cabbage trees and garlic plants taller than me, gnarled and coppiced oaks, past cows being led to pasture by a tough old lady. Zlatica started to get a hot spot on her foot so we put a piece of sponge over it and it seemed to work along with retying her shoes.
It was pleasant weather - cool and a little overcast at times but no rain.
We then had a beer in a cafe to keep us going, and a few pumpkin seeds for zinc, a most expensive banana, some biscuits, a sweet fatty Kamchatka speciality.
Now we are at our albergue Casa Cruceiro in Ferreiros. It is a big modern building with wonderful views up on the hill.

Day 2: Madrid to Sarria

The Ibis hotels was good - excellent sound insulation and the heavy curtains meant we got a decent sleep.
At breakfast we learnt to make pan y tomato with jamon from a very precise old Spanish gentleman who put his breakfast together with great care.
We packed, paid and set off on foot to the metro station. Tatiana had been there yesterday so it was an easy trip. We got to  Chamartin station easily and went to get some supplies at a supermarket. I helped an old lady chain her trolley. She refused to believe I don't speak Spanish and she happily chatted away to me.
We are now on the fast train to Sarria - very comfortable. My glimpse of Madrid is over and we are travelling through the countryside. We had to show our tickets and put our luggage through an xray machine before boarding the train. The man in front of us was a pilgrim too and the little boy in front of him showed us his scallop shell too.
We arrived in Sarria at 7pm. The dry rocky plain had changed to green woods and hills. We walked to the Albergue Casa Don Alvaro. We have a 4 bed room with our own toilet and shower and sheets - luxury! We haven't even walked anywhere yet.
We ate at the Meson o Tapas - Dasa and Tatiana weren't very impressed with the typical camino fare. There is low cloud, about 22°C, but dry. Madrid was so hot but here it is more pleasant.

Day 1: Arrival in Madrid

Today we start our journeys: Tatiana from St. Petersburg, Zlatica from Povazska Bystrica, and Dasa and I from Banska Bystrica. I asked Dasa what she was most worried about and she said staying in the albergues. She is travelling to Santiago for the adventure and to see the other people and their perceptions of the journey. She's not sure what she is looking forward to.
Her rucksack weighs just over 6kg and mine too if we don't count food and water.
Pretty good packing.
We ate little plastic buckets of porridge that I had prepared for the train. Dasa said it tasted of rum though I hadn't added any.
We met up with Zlatica in Bratislava with her new Osprey rucksack and smart walking shoes from Japan. Her pack weighs between 7 and 8 kg.
Now we're on the plane to Madrid. We're all in different sections of the plane as I didn't want to give Ryanair any more money than necessary.
We're off.
When we landed in Madrid it was nearly midnight and still hot when we left the airport. We caught the hotel bus which was full of pilots and cabin crew. Tatiana met us in the hotel lobby and we had a celebratory drink in her room. Four women, three languages, one camino!