The infamous Galician rain put me and my boots, rain jacket, and Camino spirit to the test.
And we did ok
The day started walking out of Palas de Rei in complete darkness. And I was alone. It was woods again so once again I felt a little lonely. I wasn’t scared, as I know the Camino is safe, but it is a darkness I am not used to. With that small iPhone flashlight I made my way.
About an hour in, Camino magic. I was walking through a small town, and there were some Camino detour signs because of construction. Since I was alone and not knowing my directions I decided to ignore the detour and keep going through the village. That brought me to a small church and a lighted doorway.
Inside was the cutest Spanish man, who was giving pilgrims their sellos (the stamp in our pilgrim passports or credencials). He had built a wood fire to warm the church, it was cozy and smelled great. I left a few euro coins and gave him many gracias’s. It was the Church of San Xulian de Camino… and this sellos is one I will cherish forever.
I stopped for eggs and bread… and ran into Judit, so we walked together for a few hours. Through Melide (famous for pulpo) and then the rain started. A nice drizzle at first, I was really enjoying it. Judit took off because my right foot is swollen and giving me some pain so I didn’t want to hold her back.
About 4 kilometers from Arzua, the rain started to increase. By the time I got to the outskirts of Arzua and to my hotel it was really coming down. I checked out the hotel I had a reservation at, but it looked half abandoned and dreary. I walked into the lobby and it was down right depressing. So I high tailed it out of there and kept going towards town.
By now it was pouring and my pants were soaked. I ducked into a small cafe, made a new reservation at another place closer to town. But this meant one more kilometer in a downpour. It was worth it. The new hostal is great.
Today was another 30km (about 18 miles) day, my last long day of this Camino. Tomorrow is around 18-19km and then the last walk into Santiago is 20km. Oh boy I can’t believe it is ending so soon. I am really trying to savor every minute, the rain threw a little twist into the tranquil countdown.
It definitely has been different since Sarria. There are many new pilgrims and a sense of urgency to get to Santiago. I am also meeting some great people, who for some reason I missed earlier.
As I write this, I am in a local Arzua bar, it’s Saturday so there are many Spanish men (no women) here playing cards and arguing with drama. There is Spanish football on TV, I have a beer. It’s a perfect moment. A little kitten keeps sneaking in, so I am loving that! The rain has stopped!
Amy's Camino 
I hope it’s a bit sunnier today for you! Wishing you the best as you finish your walk.
Katie
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Ian is tracking your journey on our world atlas 🙂
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