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Our goal today was to reach Arzua. Camino del Norte merges into the Camino Frances here. We were here just last year as a group of 10. 

Today’s journey would be just the two of us with Galician rain and wind. The forecast called for 100% chance of rain with temperatures in the fifties all day. Since there was to be no sun in horizon, we decided to start later than usual. As we were stepping out of the door, torrential rain began. 

  
We decided to wait it out indoors rather than get drenched right of the bat. We had to wait a half-hour for the rain to turn into mist. We decided to skip breakfast and make as much progress as possible before the next downpour. 

   
    
   
It was very windy, but we managed to stay dry for the first 4 km. The sky was looking hopeful, as the sun was trying to find a way to breakthrough the clouds.  

   
    
   
We ducked under the trees a few times to avoid the short-lived downpours. The wind was working like a wind tunnel in the car wash. All we had to do was twirl around a few times and our ponchos would be dry again. 

A few pilgrims had lost their hats along the way due to heavy winds (flying around). We saw an apple tree and a chestnut tree with their branches broken off. 

   
 
This lady was busy picking up all the chestnuts that had fallen off the trees. 

   
    
 
Yes, it was cold, it was rainy, and most of all it was very windy, but through it all we managed to stay warm and dry (we used all the layers we had brought wit us). Thanks to all your best wishes, we made it, tired but satisfied, to Arzua.  Even the sun managed to breakthrough few times. 

   
 
We were here last year, 10 of us, at the brink of finishing the Camino Frances. I found the same bench where we all ate gelato last year. This year with the cold, Pat and I will pass on it. 

I just posted today’s blog but have not seen the confirmation email. You may have to go to the website to see today’s blog. http://www.caminomystic.com 

It just keeps pouring and there is no end in sight. 

Last night we had the opportunity to walk around inside the 10th century monastery and church (since we were staying there). It’s hard to imagine a world back then which required such a large structure (the current population of Sobrado is 349). 

   
    
    
   
It was cold and damp outside at night (we were nestled inside), and we woke up to rain, wind, and clouds.  We had to get out of the albergue by 8. We walked across the street to a cafe which was full of pilgrims. 

   
    
 
We had gotten used to the rain and clouds, but now it was cold and windy, also.  One by one the pilgrims began fileing out for another day’s adventure. Our goal today was a modest 10 km to the next town. That still translated into a few hours of cold rain and high winds!

   
    
 
We were fortunate to walk through some forested areas where the canopy of trees provided a brief shelter. The rest of the time it was just one foot in front of the other to stay warm and make progress. 

   
    
   
Views were great, but taking pictures meant getting the iPhone wet. Pat decided to be my cover from the blowing rain. 

   
 
We are settled in a casa rural for the night. It has been raining all day and the rain is in the forecast for next three days! We are three days from Santiago. Looks like Galicia is hell-bent on making this trip a memorable one!!!

We had a wonderful breakfast at the albergue in Miraz.  Almost everyone was up and ready for the 7 am breakfast served for the pilgrims. Everyone was hopeful for a bright and sunny day. 

When we stepped out, it was cold! We put on our ponchos as an added layer for warmth and protection from the cold and possible rain. 

It was a cat and mouse game between the clouds and sun for a bit. The view was fabulous.  This was going to be probably the last stretch in true nature as we neared Santiago. 

After a brief battle the sun succumbed to the insistent clouds and wind, and  the sun said goodbye to us for the morning. 

 We continued on to the town of  Roxica ( 11 km away), where there was an albergue and an opportunity to take the cab to Sobrado dos Monxes.  The choice was made easy, as the albergue was “completo”and the 10th century monastery at Sobrado was waiting for us.
   
 

This monastery was restored in 1954 and now serves as pilgrim albergue. We were greeted by a wonderful gentle monk, Julius. He is a delightful man who speaks English eloquently, is author of a few books and is a man of spirituality (focused on spirituality rather than religion). 

I just posted the blog for today but for some reason did not get confirmation email. You may need to go to caminomystic.com to check today’s blog. 

The real fiesta in Spain does not start until late. The fiesta we walked into yesterday afternoon was just a preview. We found out that the real fiesta would begin at 10:30 pm and would go on until 4 am.  They lied, it did not end until 5 am. Fortunately, we had our ear plugs. Unfortunately, we had another stage to walk, so we could not indulge in the fiesta. 

Marc was still hot and cold, so Sakkar and Marc took a cab to Santiago. 

We left early morning to enjoy the play of life. When we stepped out,  the air was filled with mist and cold. We stepped back in, dawned our Galicia garb (poncho) and were out again. The show must go on!

    
We started on a small highway. Two kilometers into our walk, it began pouring.  At 3 km, we left the highway for a beautiful path. 

   
 
We were in a different world immediately. We crossed the rio parga, which signaled that we were less than 100 km from Santiago. 

   
Right after that we passed the 14th century chapel of San Alberte. 

We met James from South Africa. He is 81 years old and doing his 4th Camino. 

  
An hour into our walk, finally the rain stopped. 

   
   
The dance between the sun, clouds, wind, and rain has been going on all day long. Just when you think the sunshine is here to stay, the rain or clouds take over. 

   
 
At about 10 km we found this cafe in the middle of nowhere. It was an oasis for pilgrims–to relax, have coffee and orange juice and some cake (Torta de Santiago). 

   
 
We continued on for another 6 km to the cute little town of Miraz. 

   
    
    
    
    
 
The albergue here is managed by volunteers, mostly from the Confraturnity of St. James based in London, and they have made this into a nice sanctuary. The Confraturnity of St. James publishes and revises each year a guidebook to the Camino Frances, and they update their guidebooks to other routes, as well, when they can get to it, such as Camino Ingles and Le Puy to Puente La Reine.  The website for the Confraturnity of St. James is http://www.csj.org.uk  

Outside the cloud, rain, and sun dance is still going on as each one takes its dominion over the other for a brief period. 

We have been cris-crossing our path with these two German sisters for last three days (Theresa and Rosa).  

  
James, also, has just arrived here for the night.  He has made a delicious spaghetti dinner to share with the other pilgrims. Inside in the dining room there is a wood fire burning as I write this blog. 

Our plan called for us to be in Baamonde since that was the next town with accommodations. There was another town along the way at 7 km, but it had no accommodations. 

Marc did not get much sleep and was not feeling well.  He decided to give it a go anyway, at least until the first village. As we stepped out of the albergue it started to mist and rain. We went right back in to put on our rain gear to start the day. 

  
The mist did stop soon, but then it came back again. It was slow going for most of the morning. 

We continued on for a few hours before reaching our first stop (cafe, bar, grocery store – all in one stop). 

Marc was feeling worse, so after breakfast Sakkar and Marc took a taxi to Baamonde. Pat and I moved on in intermittent rain and mist. 

  
It turned out to be over 21 km, but we made it to Baamonde in time to enjoy a little bit of the fiesta going on in town. 

Today our goal was very lofty. We had planned to go about 20 km with options to stop at 15 and 18 km. This would be a first-ever experience for Marc walking such a long distance. Sakkar, on the other hand, had done much more distance on the previous Camino walk last year, but this would be her first on this trip, also. 

After yesterday’s climb out of the way ( 195 floors), today was considered a fairly flat course.  

We left the pension at 7:40   The weather was cold, and fog was mixed in with a little mist.

 
We immediately moved into a beautiful country path. 
   
    
   
Fortunately, mist did not turn into rain. The fog and cold were welcome, as we did have some minor climbs in the early part of the day. 

   
    
   
We kept moving for an hour before taking our first break. 

   
    
    
 
We found a cafe about 9 km into our walk (unexpected, as it was not in any of the documents). We gladly stopped to have fresh eggs (from the cafe owners who own chickens). 

   
    
    
    
    
 
It was probably the best day for blackberries, as they were plentiful and ripe. I even saw Marc giving it a taste. 

   
   
On the way to our first accommodation option, we walked over a 17th century bridge. 

   
    
   
By the time we reached the village, we were all a little tired, but no one wanted to stop yet, so after a brief stop, we moved on. 

   
    
    
   
As we reached the outskirts of Vilalba,  where we could have stayed in the first albergue on the route, we decided to have a nice lunch instead and move on into Vilaba to a more modern albergue.

   
 
As you can see on the Camino sign that we have less than 123 km left to reach Santiago. 

  
After over 23 km and 80+ floors of climbing, kudos to Sakkar and Marc for a great day of hiking. Looks like they must not be tired yet, as they have just asked me if I wanted to go see the Parador in town.

Today was going to be Galacia’s opportunity to humble us through its climb. It was the hardest climb in Galicia and our last major climb as we near Santiago. 

Marc and Sakkar wanted to skip this stage due to its notoriety in the books. This stage was mostly climbing with no downhill until the end. 

Pat and I left at 7:40 in the morning so we would have enough light. 

   
 
The day was nothing like yesterday’s glamorous sunrise. It was an overcast day with a cool breeze. While it was not glamorous, it was serene and beautiful. The essence of the day cannot be captured by a camera and must be described for the senses to feel its beauty. 

We began the climb immediately through a country road devoid of traffic.  The cool morning breeze through green trees and and the chirping birds made us feel like we were in a magical world. 

   
    
    
 
The absence of sun and the cool weather made the climb a lot easier for us. At about 2.8 km we met the artist who has a little place away from everything and offers pilgrims the opportunity to stay at her place and provides food on a donation basis.  If we had come across this at the end of the day, yesterday, as we entered town, this would have been a perfect experience to enjoy local culture and hospitality.  But at 8:30 in the morning, we continued on after a brief chat. 

   
   
After a brief snack at around 9, we continued on. The climb was not as hard as it was described. The birds had stopped chirping and the forest was deafeningly quite. All one could feel was a cool breeze and hear ones own breathing and the rustling of leaves. It was a meditative and mesmerizing time. 

   
    
    
   
At about 10 km we stepped off the country road onto a country path and immediately felt as if we had entered a land that time had forgotten. Abandoned bridges and houses were overgrown with vines and bushes. We felt as we had entered into a time warp. 

   
    
    
 
In another  1.5 km we were at the top of the ridge and back in the hustle and bustle of civilization. After 11.5 km we were done with most of the climbing for the day.  

    
We began our gradual descent into Abadin, another 5 km away, our destination for the day.  We stopped for a picnic lunch around 12:30 where we met Andrew, a British chap who joined us for lunch and a lively chat. 

  
As we entered town, we heard from Sakkar. She had just secured our pension for the night and was waving to us from the window, welcoming us to Abadin.