Santiago - Negreira, 23 kms

A Change Is As Good As A Rest

We disappeared with our new tent to test it out for a few days this past week. It was wonderful to be in the forest along the coast camping and away from the daily reminders of what has come to be our new social norms during this odd time. We always feel a certain sense of well being when we head off into nature to camp and hike, but this time it just felt better. It was sort of like waking up from a bad dream. A very tangible change, and we embraced it. We brought all our supplies and stayed completely away from the local towns. We believe that we acted very responsibly only purchasing fuel on the way home where it is considerably less expensive. The oil companies are ripping us off again as usual. However, now that we have a new Prius we only fill up about every 6 weeks and with the pandemic this was our first fuel purchase in over 3 months. Stick that in your ear big oil companies!! Clearly we haven't been driving a whole lot.

While we were away we walked, lots. One of the day hikes we enjoyed was a hike up the Englishman River along the Top Bridge Trail. A favourite hike because there are so many variants available. Social distancing was easy because there were only a few others out on the trails mid-week and for the most part everyone was being super considerate.

With all the massive storms this past 4 months the river must have been incredibly high and violent to throw logs like these up about 12 metres above present river levels. Having a hydrology background in my distantly receding past I have a sense of the velocities required to move trees like this. There was other impressive evidence that I recorded such as mass areas where tree roots were laid bare by the fast moving waters. The soil stripped away. I marvelled at how so many massive trees had been left standing that by rights should have fallen.

Crossing the river on a bouncing suspension bridge is now a fun experience, there being a time in my past where I was very reluctant to walk out onto bridges like this where you can see through the floor. Even Annemarie who hates them more than I do was smiling.

There was evidence that the flooding reached close to the lower bridge footings.

The grind holes here are pretty unusual compared to others I've seen. Interesting patterns.

Small rapids that look pretty calm now.

But look at these many trees, washed out by the force of the passing waters. We saw this all along the river. River banks were roped off in many places due to undercutting which I assume will be repaired this summer. Must have been quite the show!

The trails were a joy to walk after all the many kilometres of road walking this spring. It was probably only a 16 kms hike, but we enjoyed every step. There were bear signs, but we didn't see any. We met another couple who saw one bear and we were warned by another local. Generally at this time of year the black bears aren't real aggressive unless there are cubs involved.

Wild daisies everywhere there was a small clearing.



Just wonderful walking!

Even the owls were enjoying the beauty and warmth of the day.

We walked back to the coast where we found a favourite watering hole.

Sitting outside in the warm sun and well away from other folks we participated in one of the better post walking rituals!


Out on the virtual camino we are headed for the coast. The photos are mostly from 2014 when I walked out to Finisterre alone after walking up the Via de la Plata from Seville. It took me two long days to reach the coast plus a couple of hours more to arrive at Finisterre. I was a bit overwhelmed by the number of pilgrims walking out from Santiago as I'd seen so few people the prior 5 weeks. I didn't feel a connection with the Camino Frances folks, and I thought back to the prior fall when we ourselves had met so many great people. On reflection I probably wasn't in the mood to start new camino connections at that late point so I hoofed it and stayed pretty much to myself.

Today we walk to Negreira where I know Ken stayed in 2013 though he was coming down with a bad cold at this point. In October 2013 it was cold and very wet and we'd headed south to Madrid as the others in our virtual Camino group walked on, albeit several days apart. In 2014 it was mid June and just the way I like it...sunny and hot!

Heading out of town a bit late after a late breakfast with Deider, Giselle and Philip, a few of my Plata friends, and I took this photo walking down the stairs as one leaves from the Praza (now the same stairs to go to the new official Pilgrim Welcome Centre).

Views back towards the cathedral.



I took this from the blog post after that first day out of Santiago.

This morning after my first restful night in a while, I felt that it was indeed time to be off again...on my own. Except, when I finally found myself late on the trail there were all these other people walking, also with packs on their backs. Who could these be? Of course it's the merging of the remnants from the various Caminos. I passed at least 30 folks in the first hour and there were others sitting in the various bars along the way. As I'm not in the habit of stopping at the bars...there were none to stop at for most of my journey...I simply walked on. Having reached Negreira I found...too many people, so a quick stop in the grocery store for some chocolate...I needed the calories...and I walked on. 


Ponte Sarela.

Probably Ventosa.

Then the village of Aguapesada.

This was the medieval bridge at Ponte Maceira.





Funny thing is I have no photos of Negreira. Though my blog says I stopped for some chocolate there, I think I actually stopped for a late lunch 23 kms into the 36 km stage (I stopped at Vilaserio). I have these photos from a well branded Michelin rated restaurant in a large village that I have vivid memories of walking into on that very hot June day. I also know there were no other places like this to stop before the coast. My map book even says to make sure to stock up on supplies in Negreira as there are few facilities available until Cée on the coast. In my tired state at the end of a long hot stage I must have made the error.

I was definitely thinking of Peter and Dave when I stopped here for an excellent lunch and I said as much in my blog post that day.

I had a huge bowl of ensalada mixta, and I ate every damned morsel! The very best ensalada mixta I've ever had with white asparagus no less.

What a brilliant resting place!

Ken's memories from his stop here.

What to be grateful for today:

- It didn’t rain all day, the sun came out a few times, in fact, the sun is out right now, the temperature was not so warm that I couldn’t keep the rain coat on even when it wasn’t raining--in other words, the weather was okay.

- I have a bed, although the hospitalera isn’t here and I haven’t paid or gotten a stamp.

- I did the 23 km, even though my feet are now sore because so much of the path was on asphalt.

- I had a nap, sort of, which was okay, and there are pots here, so I could go get some frozen peas, which I’m having a craving for.

I had a hot chocolate when I started writing which, as always, was too sweet and dehydrating. Perhaps an Aquarius is in order before I walk into town to either find a beer or a bocadillo or some vegetables. Or a salad.

The clocks go back tonight which will give us more light in the morning for walking, but which will make getting up tomorrow harder. There seems to be a shortage of toilet paper here--I don’t understand why that would be, but I don’t want to miss out tomorrow.

Buen Camino!