Meis

Brierley told us that this was a mountainous slog of a day. Maybe not long on mileage but 'mucho arriba'. We started with a 2k walk back into Combarro, more to get the legs warmed up than anything else. Walking by the side of a busy road is not much fun.

In Combarro a left turn got us back onto the Camino. From the word go, the climbing started. If you're struggling to picture the steepness think back to the Hovis advert, then tilt the TV by 20 degrees. There were sections where I struggled to stand still.
Then the sun made its presence known. It always seemed that at the steepest parts there was no shade. But there were things to look at to distract the mind. Many crucerios. Many horreas. Old abandoned doors leading to forgotten places. The view back down to the bay at Combarro.

Eventually the road was finished with and the path turned to forrest track and senda. With the forrest came shade. And silence. We'd left the hoards behind. The coach pilgrims weren't going to tackle terrain like this. I saw three people the entire day and only spoke with one of them. Bliss.

The Miradouro do Loureiro was reached but with the sun directly in the eyes the view wasn't that good.

Back on the path I fancied I could hear something moving in the forest to the right of me. I guess we've always been slightly afraid when in thick forests. Fearful of the unknown and unseen. But I did feel a presence. It was almost a relief when I found eyes looking back at me. Horses!

Arriba, arriba, arriba. But gentle now. A lovely walk. The next challenge came at Outeiro Do Cribo. Could I find the petrogilfos? Nope. These are carvings made into the rock. Hereabouts. But the exact hereabouts eluded me.

Enough. Onwards. There then started the first real descent of this route since Vigo. Steep and a mixture of boulders and loose gravel. But thankfully short. Within 20 minutes the Monasterio at Armenteira was reached..... and the Chapel closed. Which was expected, as it's closed to pilgrims until October. But it was possible to walk round the cloisters and the was the promise of a pilgrim blessing at 19:00, with Mass the following morning at 07:30.

Immediately next to the monastery is a large cantina serving food and drinks. My companions bocadillos were mahoosive and my chicken hidden surprise filled a gap. What's not to like.

Later, back in the cloister waiting for the chapel doors to open for the evening service it quickly became apparent that the appeal for silence had fallen on deaf ears. The door opened and the surge to 'get a good seat' was frantic. The obligatory chattering started again. The Cistercian sisters gathered and vespers began. Some people left immediately. Others chatted amongst themselves. The pitch started high and got higher as the psalms progressed. This was no Gregorian chant though. Ignoring the instructions in Sacrosanctum Concillium we plodded on with a modern rendition of the Divine Office.

After the Magnificat we got to the pilgrims blessing. In Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and English.

"May the light and love of God bless and direct your steps. May the road rise up to meet you. May you open your heart to silence and keep with gratitude the joyus rememberance of the good things that you have encountered. May God carry you in His hands to the arms of St James in Santiago. May you go back to your home full of light and joy. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord"

Back in my room I got ready for sleep only to have one of the legs fall off the bed. It was going to be a long and difficult night.

Executive Summary. Some of the best walking I've had on a Camino, but still about 10 degrees too hot.Read more