Day 10 Caldas de Reis to Angueira, 27 km

It was a good day. Started off with a couple of hours of light rain, of course, but by the time I was done, my rain pants and raincoat and jacket were all in my pack. So much nicer to walk without the hood and the layers of waterproofing.

Proper Galician countryside today. Hills, forests, small villages full of lanes and vegetable gardens and chickens and so many cats. Lots of ferns and vines and moss. Green, green, green. More swollen streams and water running everywhere. The sound of it is always in the background.

Two okay coffees. A small lunch of caldo and flan just after Padrón. Leftovers for dinner.

Padrón was packed. Walking into the town you started to see tons of cars parked alongside the road. There was a street market and fair , with food and rides. And wall to wall people and loud music and smoke from huge barbecues covered with grilling meats. Long lines of people waited outside tents where they were cooking octopus. I didn’t have the stamina to get through the whole fair. It stretched along the river, the whole length of the town.

I’m staying at a private albergue that is 17 km from Santiago. One of the consequences of the rain and cooler weather is not getting to take advantage of all the incredible gardens and terraces. And this place has a pool. Two people actually went in.

The house is kind of in the middle of nowhere. They have food you buy for supper, including a freezer that is completely filled with frozen pizzas.

Nice vibe with everyone staying in for the evening. I was surprised that people weren’t talking more about getting to Santiago. Maybe it feels less like a big deal after a short Camino?Read more