Date: Saturday, November 4 2023
Route: Hike from Arzua to A Rua
Location: Casa de Acivro Rua Pedrouzo
Weather: Raining, except when it isn’t. 12C and windy, except when it isn’t
Distance: 18.6 km, 4h 10m
Steps: 23,462
The taxi from Casa Brandariz drops us off after a 15 minute drive back to the Camino.
The day is the now normal mix of rain, wind and very occasional sunny patches.
There are few places to stop for a coffee or lunch – most of the cafes display cerrado signs and look shuttered for the season. We stop for lunch just up the road from A Rua, Tracey swoons over a kale and quinoa burger, complete with hot sauce.
We join Tiffeny and Sharon, Australians with a wicked sense of humour and warm hearts. The conversation is focussed on what’s next, reminding me that Santiago is not the end of the journey for us – we still have a handful of days to reach the coast.
I feel little anticipation at the prospect of completing the Camino Frances tomorrow, though it has been a key milestone for the journey. It will be interesting to get a compostela certificate, but the actual arrival seems anticlimactic and ho-hum.
Many Trips. One Life 