Sunday, August 8, 2021

After all the pilgrims we saw yesterday and with the uncertainty around bed availability and Covid protocols, we decided to get out the door even earlier today at 5:30 am and walked nearly two hours with our headlamps on. It was only three of us on foot today and the other three taxied in.

Once it got light, it remained foggy and even chilly for the majority of our trekking time. The sun finally came out about 10:00 coinciding with the time we were at 10 miles of walking. Pretty uneventful- mostly flat, through teeny hamlets, we beheld more cows, passed by an old cemetery that looked eerie in the mist and a 14th-century church, Inglesia de San Xoán. We crossed over the Rio Labrada upon an impressive Medieval bridge in Ponte de Saa. Also in town, the “Romanesque Church of Santiago dates to the 14th-century. Baamonde was the birthplace of the acclaimed sculptor, Victor Corral and his home has been turned into a museum documenting his life and containing his works.” (From The Northern Caminos guidebook)

We were the first pilgrims in line at our quite nice albergue by 11:00, which did guarantee us beds, yet the sun surely tried to melt us as we waited literally on the curb until the place opened at 1:00!! Once we got checked in and laundry was done, four went to lunch. Not me though – I made myself a spinach salad with olives AND olive oil, carrots, cucumber and salami!

We are in an ancient building with a beautiful, grass covered yard to sit in and really enjoyed the afternoon chatting with Piper from Milan, Italy.

We walked 11.3 miles from Vilalba through the tiny villages of Cobos, Pacios, Gabin, As Turbelas, San Xoán de Alba, Ponte de Saa, Penas, Contariz, Casanovas and Ferreira to end in Baamonde.