Exhaustion and The Race for the Beds : O Cadavo to Lugo

Over the past two days the nature of the Camino has been slowly changing as new pilgrims who wish to walk more than the minimum 100 km to get their Compostelas join the route.  When we walked the Camino Frances in 2016 the 100 km marker coincided with an overwhelming increase in pilgrims, many of whom were focused on drinking and hooking up in the evenings.  Although the transition has not yet been as abrupt or overwhelming as on the Camino Primitivo, the walls in our albergue did little or nothing to muffle the sounds of drinking and loud sex that went on around us all night.  As a result, we spent an entirely sleepless night. 

 

 

Feeling exhausted, we got up around 7:30 am and walked down to the same local bar where we had dinner last night for a café con leche and a truly enormous croissant.  As we shared our late breakfast with a few of the other pilgrims we've been walking with, including a very nice couple from South Africa, we watched a fairly steady stream of luggage transport vans, pilgrim transit buses, and taxis drive past outside.  Quite a few other pilgrims seemed to be taking the local bus in to Lugo, having chosen to skip today's 30 km stage, which is described as unappealing by the guidebooks.  

 

 

We decided to ignore the temptation of easily available transportation and instead hoisted our packs for the climb out of town.  Almost immediately we were back in the countryside enveloped in a thick fog.  The winding white dirt track was surrounded on both sides by lush green fields, and we watched with interest as small farm buildings, contentedly grazing cows, and lone trees materialized out of the fog. 

 

When we reached the top of the climb at Alto de Vacariza a small stone chapel with a slate roof, in the typical Galician style appeared through the fog.  Apparently during clear days this spot would provide views back over O Cadavo, but we stood wrapped in a thick blanket of white, listening to the sounds of cowbells and birds in the surrounding hills and feeling like we were miles from civilization. 

 

 

We climbed back down from what would be the highest point of our walk today on a beautifully forested track that was sunk about 8 ft below the forest floor.  Sloping mossy walls of emerald green decorated with delicate young ferns and patches of bright yellow and pink flowers bordered the trail.  A canopy of ivy covered oak, eucalyptus, and pine disappeared into the mist above us. 

 

 

About half an hour into our walk we came to the first of several splits in the trail.  As far as we could tell the Camino had simply been rerouted in this section, with the original path along the highway being phased out in favour of a slightly longer forested track to the right, which is what we chose.  We followed the winding pathway through a forest of very tall pines, which in the mist looked like something out of Lord of the Rings.  A particularly magical moment occurred when a deer materialized out to the fog, paused for a moment on the curving road ahead, and then vanished as quickly and silently as it had appeared. 

 

 

Around 9:00 am the fog began to burn off, giving way to a blue sky above the tree canopy and much warmer temperatures.  We continued to descend along mostly forested tracks, taking a very slight detour off the road to see the Ermita de la Virgin de Carmen, a small white chapel located in a lovely treed and grassy area with many stone benches for resting or picnicking.  The Ermita was built in the 17th century, dedicated to San Gabriel by local families, and it used to serve as a hospital for pilgrims on the way to Santiago. 

 

 

We continued our descent on gravel roads that bisected agricultural fields until we reached the tiny Galician village of Vilabade. Here we were surprised to find the very large Santa Maria de Vilabade Church.  Sadly it wasn't open, so we weren't able to see what sounds like an impressive alter piece with a portrayal of Santiago Matamoros inside.  The church did have a huge covered porch on the front where we took a few minutes to rest in the shade and admire the outside. 

 

 

From Vilabade it was a mostly pleasant walk along country laneways and paved roads through the countryside.  The sweet smell of freshly cut hay rose from a few of fields, and tall cabbages grew in many of the gardens.  Although the sun was starting to get hot, we enjoyed the change in scenery from the forested hills of the past few days. 

 

Eventually we arrived in Castroverde, a town of just over 2,000 people, where the main industries are wheat and milk production.  This town signaled a shift in our surroundings from forested mountains to flat, agricultural land.  As we entered the town we passed a very modern looking glass and wood pilgrim albergue, outside of which were the remains of a truly massive oak tree. 

 

When we entered Castroverde a very large billboard advertised a café a few hundred meters off the Camino that was dedicated to serving pilgrims.  Hoping to find something a little more authentic we continued along the way towards the center of town, where we found a local bar and sat in the shade, cooling off with ice cold orange Aquarius drinks.  

 

 

Across from us was the small central square with the tall, white, stucco Iglesia Santiago de Castroverde.  In the bricked square in front of it was the Fonte dos Nenos, a small fountain with stone children standing under an umbrella.  We crossed the small square and stepped into the town hall where we got a stamp for our credentials. 

 

At the far edge of town we passed another shaded, grassy rest area with several stone benches and a fountain that looked like an inviting spot for a break.  However, with a longer day ahead of us we continued on down another mossy forested track.  We enjoyed the shade and the bird song, trekking along pleasant country lanes until we came to the next tiny community of Souto de Torres. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't remember much of this community except for another small stone church with an interesting bell tower.  On the opposite side of the road was a huge and magnificent pine tree with two benches placed below it, and just beside this was a tall stone cross. It bore a carving of Santiago which had grown bright green moss in places, making him appear like he had bright green eyes. 

 

 

At the far edge of town a sign directed us a few hundred meters off the Camino to see the Igresia de Santa Maria de Moreira, a stone monastery built in 1185.  We decided to make the side trip, thinking it was worthwhile to see the old stone building.  We had been leap frogging with another couple of hikers all morning, and they were also checking out the historic site when we arrived. It turned out to be majestic brick building with an old and peaceful feel.

 

 

By this time the sun was getting pretty hot, so the next short jaunt down a very exposed paved road was tough going. Apart from the pleasant pastoral countryside, a highlight was spotting several truly huge lizards basking in the heat on the edge of the pavement.  Their blue heads and bright green tails were virtually glowing in the bright sunshine. 

 

 

Just before noon we reached Vilar de Cas, where we had been told there was one of the nicest albergues on this Camino.  It was located on a small working farm, and we stopped for a freshly squeezed ice cold orange juice and homemade apple empanada.  We sat at long tables on an outdoor patio under a wooden roof with huge old beams.  The stone wall was decorated with all kinds of artisanal arts and crafts.  It was truly a wonderful spot for a break, and we definitely wished we'd stopped there! 

 

 

Just after this village we came to another opportunity for a detour, this time to see the Igrexa de San Salvador de Soutomerille.  This route added nearly a kilometer of walking, but it was well worth it. We followed a shaded track through an amazingly beautiful forest filled with enormous, majestic, old oak trees.  One of them had a plaque indicating it was more than 350 years old!  Tucked under the layers of vegetation, as though the forest was slowly reclaiming them, were the ruins of the old monastery. We took the time to investigate the three different buildings, which were in various states of decay.  It was a very peaceful spot and well worth the detour. One of the main buildings was still standing, and the view through the metal grate on the door was incredible.

 

 

After visiting this magical place we had another stretch of road walking, which was very hot in the afternoon sun.  In addition, the Camino skirted around a quarry, with blinding white rocks and piles stone dust.  After that we made our way through fields and vegetable gardens, many of which were being actively tended by their owners as we passed.  When we reached the well to-do town of Santa Maria de Gondar we were expecting to find a café or bar where we could get a cold drink.  It turned out we hadn't read the guide carefully enough - there were only vending machines in the town, and when we walked through they were all out of service.  

 

 

The last part of the day was a mix of countryside and small rural villages.  In some sections we walked on dirt tracks that cut across open fields, and in others we followed the road.  By this point the heat was starting to get to us, and we decided to pick up our pace and power through to get out of the afternoon sun.  Despite our best efforts, as we watched the distances on the way markers slowly decreasing a few meters at a time, we felt like some kilometers were never ending. 

 

 

The approach to Lugo was pretty nice, and until the final kilometers we wouldn't have known we were approaching a large city.  We followed a dirt track, crossed over two freeways on elevated pedestrian walkways, and then continued on the track through an open shrubby landscape.  We slowly descended, and at one point we rounded a corner in the road and could see the white buildings of Lugo ahead of us.  It didn't look anything like we'd imagined it! 

 

We knew Lugo was on a hill, and that it was surrounded by Roman walls.  We'd been imagining something that looked like Pamplona from a distance, with castle walls clearly visible from a distance, but from afar Lugo looked like a modern city. 

 

 

As we descended through the suburbs we watched the markers counting down to the point where we were only 100 km away from Santiago.  Just at the edge of the city we passed the official 100 km marker post. We followed a busy road under a railroad track, climbed a short, steep hill, and suddenly turned a corner and found ourselves entering the old part of the city through the Puerta de San Pedro gate.  We followed the Way towards the main square, waving a hasty hello to Mik who was already enjoying a spot of lunch at an outdoor café.  

 

We soon found our hotel, where we will spend two nights, did our laundry, and headed back out to explore a little.  Around 6 pm we sat down for a cold cerveza at a small café in one of the lesser squares.  We were hungry, so we ordered a plate of pimientos de padron, as well as tapas that was fried and salted mushrooms.  Both were delicious! 

 

 

As we sat there Tom turned up, and then Ben, Roni, Frieda, Michael, Ally, and about half a dozen others.  It turned into a long and festive evening, with great company and good conversation that lasted well into the night.

 

Distance: 30.4 km

Accommodations: Hotel Mendez Nunez