Day 51

Arzúa to Brea - 14.5 kms
31 May 2019

Today was another day of undulating country lanes shaded by trees which made the walk pleasant in spite of the heat - it got up to 33° today.  We didn't see many pilgrims on the path but when we stopped at cafes there was always a steady stream walking by. At one of our cafe stops we talked to an Australian couple and two German girls all very excited about walking into Santiago tomorrow, they were surprised when we told them that we're not going to be at Santiago until Sunday. They were walking on for another 8 to 10 kilometres today. We set off even earlier today to avoid being out during the hottest part of the day.
It seems incredible that our walk is so close to ending. It has been wonderful. Each day has been like unwrapping a surprise parcel, never knowing what to expect. There is something very special about forever walking on and never having to retrace our steps, forever walking westward with the morning sun casting long shadows in front of us.
The albergue dinner is going to be a poor affair tonight. The kitchen is a shambles of dirty dishes piled everywhere and packets of raw chicken pieces which have been sitting out for hours in the afternoon heat. We have decided we will eat from our own supplies.

Early morning on the way out of Arzúa. 

The farmer was yelling 'Vamos, vamos' (we go, we go) at his cows...

...but 0968 was very curious. She wanted to lick my phone.

The first of our cafe stops was at A Calzada

Pappy has a lot of work to do on his house to get it comfortable but look at his glorious rose.

Laundry time where we're staying in Brea.

Santiago is just up the road a bit...

Day 50

Melide to Arzúa - 14.5 kms
30 May 2019

At day 50 we can well and truly call ourselves slow strollers. So many people complete this route in five weeks or so but we're happy with our pace. We've been able to see and enjoy everything.
Knowing that today was going to be quite hot we were up and away early and got to Arzùa before the full heat of the day. Much of our walk was through trees once again, and again, eucalyptus featured quite a bit. It was pleasant to walk on their fallen leaves and smell their fragrance.
We have noticed over the last few days that the district we are walking through now appears to be more affluent. The houses are tidier and some quite a bit bigger and the land seems more groomed. Gone are the working farmyards that we had been walking through. Arzúa is a busy town with a population of over 6000.
Pilgrim-wise today was very quiet, we didn't see very many at all but it could be busier tomorrow as the Camino del Norte joins the Camino Francés here at Arzúa.

On the outskirts of Melide

In the village of Boente

We had our first stop here -  we sat and chatted with a woman from Germany.

Another cabbage tree in full flower.

Pappy has lots of hay in his house. He should be quite comfortable here in spite of no windows and gaps in his walls.

There were several large plantings of maize - once again, it seems late in the growing season to be so newly planted.

The bridge in to Ribadiso de Baixo

...where we our second stop at a lovely cafe then we had 3 kilometre walk up to Arzúa.

In Arzúa we walked past a barber shop so Jeff decided to have a beard trim.

We're staying in a fabulous but inexpensive apartment tonight which has a wonderful backyard. It was so good to sit in the dappled light.

Our washing drying on the line in the garden

We had a very relaxing afternoon enjoying a few nibbles while reading our e-books. Later we bought a few things for dinner and ate them out here too.

Day 49

Ponterroxan to Melide - 15 kms
29 May 2019

We laughed when we looked out of our window this morning. Our accommodation was opposite the Camino path and there, walking along, one behind the other, was a trail of pilgrim ants. This was the first time we had seen a non-stop line of pilgrims. For most of our walk we have stayed at places in the middle of the stages in John Brierley's guide book as so many people walk his exact stages; by staying between them we miss the morning exodus, however because our stay last night was so near the end stage of Palas de Rei we were starting out with quite a crowd. We joined the trail of pilgrims and soon found our own pace and didn't have so many around us and enjoyed our walk. We got to Melide where we're staying tonight well before mid day. We can expect the number of pilgrims to increase yet again as those walking Camino Primitivo join in here at Melide.
Just as we arrived at our pension where we're staying a woman from Florida started talking to us. She had been walking the Camino Primitivo and has severe muscle or ligament pain in both legs and has had to end her Camino here in Melide, so close to Santiago. She called a taxi and left with tears in her eyes.

Quite a bit of our walk was again through trees.

This is the second freedom camper we have seen. We understand that freedom camping is frowned on in Spain.

Walking through Carballal

Many of the small churches are surrounded by graves.

A lone eucalyptus tree. We passed many groves of eucalyptus trees of various stages of growth including newly planted blocks. They are grown for paper pulp.

Many places had this rose. It makes such a glorious display. 

At Lobreiro

One of the medieval bridges we walked over today between Lobreiro and Desicabo.

A photo to show how many pilgrims we had ahead of us at times - not many really but we usually have the path completely to ourselves.

Just before entering Melide was this bridge - Puente Velha - at Furelos.

View of roof tops from Puente Velha

Inside the church at Furelos

Walking into Melide:

Pappy's front door doesn't look too good does it and as you can see in the next photo his roof isn't very good either ...but Pappy does like to have a good project to work on.

We sat in the centre of Melide for a while and watched the line of pilgrim ants walk past - they are just visible behind the wall

Our washing out drying on the pension's back balcony 

and the view out from the balcony.