Padron to O Milladoiro

17.61 kilometers. Using my headlamp, I left before dawn today to beat the heat. Roosters were crowing as I passed farmhouses, and sheep were in the pastures, but otherwise, all was quiet on this misty morning.
As the day progressed, many more pilgrims joined the trail and most of today was a steady climb up towards Santiago. At one fork in the trail a bagpiper played us a jaunty tune. The Celtic influence introduced bagpipes here a longtime ago, but their songs are different from the Scottish ones I've heard.
At another part of the Camino, a man serenaded us with his guitar. His voice was rich and pleasant and he even had a stamp for our credentials. Another stamp was available when we lined up in the lobby of a stone church. These stamps are how pilgrims prove they walked the Camino and each credential will be inspected in Santiago before a certificate of completion is issued.
The Spanish police were patrolling the Camino on horseback today and we actually ran into them two different times. Other times I've seen police cars near the trail as Spain takes the safety of the pilgrims very seriously, and it does feel very safe on the Camino and in the Albergues.
I do have a hip and a knee that are starting to complain, but I'm nearly at Santiago de Compostela. Hopefully my body holds out to the end! Buen Camino!Read more