Camino Norte, Day 39 => O Pedrouzo

A perfect fall day with 13 miles, 1250’ ascent, 1500’ descent and no steep hills.

Crowded, and a party-like atmosphere that was surprisingly fun for us today. Lots of people with day packs, snack packs, or some carrying nothing at all. And a few limping.

The quiet of the remote countryside is gone. There are improvised cafes every half mile. We see small tables along the side of the trail with people selling stuff. Some are drinking beer at 9:30 in the morning. Others stop for coffee. Lots of talking, some singing, and a couple saying the rosary as they walked. We decided to join the people having a beer. “Functional alcoholics” the Irish woman behind us said as she raised her beer bottle for a toast. We hear the sound of Galicia Celtic music in the background. After so many long hard days, sometimes it’s nice to just cut loose and have some fun.

One more day…..We’ll miss it. We might come back for the Camino Portuguese one day - for so many reasons. But we’re also ready to sleep in our own bed and rest a little bit.Read more