Boente to O Pedrouzo

Another super early start but very warm from the off after a very warm night. Very noisy too at Pension Boente with trucks roaring past - I wouldn’t stay here again.
Very dark for quite a while after departure at 6 and had to use my phone torch for the first time.
Managed to find a toast and coffee stop in Arzua after about 7.5k (most places were albergues and only doing breakfasts for their residents).
The. Another short stop for second coffee another 2.5k on in Pregontoño. Should have hung on for the next little cafe which looked much nicer - ours was blaring very loud Spanish pop music but had a good (if eclectic) bathroom!
Then a long stretch walking with Tammy from the Northern Territories in Australia who had been down with the camino stomach bug (as are our friends Ryan and Kyle from the US - currently in hospital getting metaclopromide jabs!). Seems to be a bit of a thing this year.
On and on (just over 28k today). I don’t love this bit sadly. It’s so busy and the scenery is not that wonderful. I wouldnt do this bit again but would aim to take the Invierno route from Ponferrada (after, of course, going to O Cebreiro and then doubling back on the bus to start again).
Anyway I had a wonderful hour or so in the end talking to an American catholic priest, Father Luke, who was walking in full priestly travel gear including biretta. He was completely fascinating to me. He is from a catholic order called the Institute of Christ the King. He is leading a small group of about 20
Pilgrims from the US to various places around Spain including Avila and Madrid and the Covadonga in Asturias. They are walking the camino from Sarria. They have mass (in Latin) every day. He was a very interesting guy - trained for seven years in Florence and in France where the order started.
Anyway that conversation made my day and after that there was not much more to go until we reached our destination of O Pedrouzo. Stopped just before the town (as it’s not a very interesting place and quite noisy) in a place with a garden for another cold drink and a cheese and tomato sandwich.
Our pension in O Pedrouzo is the same one as last year (Caroline will remember it well). It’s very hot - we are in the roof this time - with no air conditioning. However there is a free washing machine and we now have our laundry strung across the room which smells very musty as can’t open the window yet because of the heat.
That apart, all good. We managed to get a swim in a hostel with a pool and are now sitting with a glass of cold white wine at a cafe on the main drag. Pilgrims still limping in occasionally.
For once (I have been to this place three times) the interesting little restaurant Taste the Way is open so hoping for a good meal.
It was a good and vegan meal. Galician soup and pasta with vegetables. But followed by the second and very much non- vegan ice cream. Fab ice cream shop which has banana flavour! I’ve been looking for this for the last month. Delicious.Читать далее