Lestedo to Melide

Firstly, a few more pics of the restoration of the rectory:

The staff were incredibly kind; nothing was too much trouble. Luis, the son of the proprietor, was the best: always smiling and joking with everyone. It was a pleasure to stay there!

Today’s stage to Melide was always going to be too far for me. I could either walk into Palas do Rei and catch a bus to Melide - or I could walk as far as I felt like and then call a taxi ( bearing in mind I would have to see where the Camino crossed a road to do that). In the end, the decision was made for me when I discovered I would have to wait till 3.30 for a bus and the town of Palas do Rei appeared to have no attractions to help me pass the time. I would be better off walking, even though it was forecasting showers.

The trail was really pretty and tree-lined.


The grass was high and lush, thanks to all the rain that falls on Galicia.

These little plants are everywhere in the damp conditions and often grow on top of the dry stone walls that line the route.

This is the ubiquitous kale plant that grows in all the veggie gardens and is used to make Caldo Gallego, the soup of the region.

Lunch spot. On the right, with his back to the camera, was a police officer who had walked all the way from his home in Switzerland. He was discussing with some Americans the reason for all the shootings in the US.

More horreos. I passed lots today, but as far as I could see, they were empty.

Eucalyptus planting. They are controversial here, as many Spaniards believe they take all the goodness out of the soil and give nothing back. A Californian family who passed by also disliked them because they are extremely flammable.

I finally jumped into a taxi for the last 5 kms, dripping wet after several hours rain, and was dropped right at the door of Hotel Luxe, Melide.

Gonzar to Lestedo

The main problem with Hosteria de Gonzar was the location. Its nearest neighbour was a cowshed and milking parlour, from which pungent odours wafted on the breeze in the evening. People sat outside for a while, cooling off after a hot day, but were soon driven inside.

Being the first stop after Portomarin, lots and lots of pilgrims breakfasted there, so the place was packed when I went to the bar at 8.00 am. So I had to join the queue. The owner must have been delighted after the long COVID shutdown - though he was working incredibly hard to deal with the crowds.

I soon passed another Horreo, a more modern construction but still retaining the traditional style, and built right next to quite a smart house.

The next thing of note was the Iron Age Hill Fort of Castromaior:

This is the entrance, which could easily be defended against aggressors.

Lots of little tightly packed houses inside the earthen ramp and ditch. There are plenty of these in England, but I don’t remember seeing one with so many buildings remaining inside.


The Hill Fort itself is quite high up in the landscape, with views all round, but today was quite a grey day. The low cloud never really lifted, but at least it didn’t rain.

Lunch was quite a convivial affair at Ventas de Naron, together with Cliff, a Chinese American, who was walking ahead of his family (his wife, his cousin and his sister in law). Eventually they were all reunited over lunch - but the ladies were complaining about the hill. They had only started in Sarria so were not match fit for the Camino.

There are plenty of cyclists doing the Camino. They come flying past at great speed, expecting the pedestrians to get out of the way. Here they are congregating at an ancient Cross.

I arrived at Rectoral de Lestedo at about 2.45 pm. I’ve stayed here twice before. It’s an upmarket place, but guests are looked after very well. This is the view from my upstairs window, which looks out onto the Camino. I can watch other tired pilgrims going past. They look longingly at the place, wishing they didn’t have another 5 kms to go into Palas de Rei.



It is a really good reconstruction of an old priests house, or rectory, with all the renovations being done in 2005. I’ve just been looking at an old photo album, which shows what a ruined state the place was in at the start of the work:

It’s beautiful now, and still on the Fresco Tours itinerary (my first introduction to the place).

Portomarin

Portomarin is an interesting town, in that it was once submerged under water when the Belesar dam was built. The historic church was dismantled stone by stone and reconstructed higher up away from the water level.

Today the water level is incredibly low, so the walk across the viaduct is a bit scary:

Some people were enjoying water sports down below:

The official Camino enters Portomarin up a flight of steps: just what you don’t need after a long walk on the trail:

I took the road!

This is the Church that was reconstructed:

I enjoyed a nice lunch just opposite the Church:

Scallops: a Galician specialty.

After that, I got a taxi up the road for 7 kms to Gonzar, where there is a brand new Hosteria.  Everything is so new; I must be the first person to book a room here. There is even a swimming pool, but not in use as yet.

Morgade to Gonzar via Portomarin

Knowledge is power and I’m beginning to think I know how to do the Camino now (with years of experience).

It was another misty morning as I set out.

The first stop was another Romanesque Church.

Near Ferreiros, I think.

This is a significant spot for those pilgrims interested in getting their Compostela in Santiago. I don’t remember it from before, but a Frenchman went to ask and was told that the Camino had been re-routed in these parts.

This little bird was not scared of me…

… nor was this rabbit.

The cows didn’t care one way or another!

More typical scenes today.

If you need to buy a shell, this is the place!

I stopped here for a drink and a rest.

The owners are a German woman and her Italian husband. The Italian father-in-law was also staying and doing some carpentry for them. The dog was flat out:

Sarria to Morgade

This hot weather is surprising everybody. It’s almost too hot to be out walking in the afternoon. Thank goodness I booked a half stage day. Sarria is the departure point for those who want to get a compostela by only walking the last 100 kms to Santiago and the Camino has got much more crowded, especially as it’s the weekend. A whole class of noisy teenagers passed me early on, the boys in front listening to pop music, the girls behind talking non stop, their teacher bringing up the rear.

I even shortened my day by about 5 kms by taking a taxi up the hill out of Sarria as far as Barbadelo, where I remember visiting an ancient church. Plenty of time for a repeat visit:

It was quite misty for the first couple of hours. Then it lifted to reveal a bright blue sky and endless views:

In the distance is a stork foraging for food amongst the stubble.

There was plenty of shade, and stones for water crossings. Pilgrims have been walking this exact route for centuries.


I finally reached my destination, Casa Morgade at lunchtime. This is the terrace next to my room. It was too hot to sit outside and too cold inside! It’s a traditional stone house, with very thick walls and small windows. I ordered lentil soup and went for a siesta.




Old horse trough across the road.

F and C for dinner.

Triacastela to Sarria

(By bus)

My accommodation last night in Triacastela, Meson Vilasante, had one serious drawback. It was across the road from a construction site. All afternoon there was noise from machinery; a siesta was out of the question. Two different gangs were at work; one renovating the interior of a house, the other laying new tiles on the pavement. Suddenly everything came to a halt. One of them had apparently overloaded the electrical supply and there was a good deal of shouting as each side blamed the other. On the one side was a concrete mixer, on the other a grinding machine for cutting pavers to shape. They tried and tried to get things going, without success. Eventually they closed down the site, jumped in their respective vans and went home.

Triacastela means “three castles” none of which have survived. The ruins at the top of the hill might possibly be one of them:

The bell tower of the oldest church, but not dating back to 1220 when Alfonso IX founded the town.

At the end of town, pilgrims have a choice: turn left for the Monastery of Samos or turn right to go directly to Sarria. I have walked both ways in the past, so this year I took the bus., leaving at 10.30 am. I didn’t know which route the bus would take, so I was happy when it turned left for a scenic drive.

Sarria was quite busy and I had to use the app on my phone to direct me to Hotel Alfonso IX. This is very nice accommodation, I must say:

I went for a walk in the late afternoon and discovered that the Camino going out of town meant negotiating a huge long flight of steps:

Returning to the hotel by a footbridge over the river, I saw two girls soaking themselves in the water. It was a very hot afternoon (maybe 29 degrees, which is most unusual for Galicia):

I would like to have cooled off myself! The hotel supposedly has a pool but they don’t open it so early in the year, they say.