Today was the big day. We marched toward Santiago with the energy we had left.
We woke up, made tea, had our usual breakfast, and set out on foot into a new day. Through small villages, up and down, left and right. No cafés open. No shops in sight. Around 10 AM, we finally found our first coffee.
Ive’s blister had become inflamed – I was worried, especially with a 28 km day ahead. But he didn’t give up. We kept going. We said goodbye to the countryside – stone walls covered in moss, small fields, old homes, and flowing Galician water everywhere.
Eucalyptus trees still lined the way, spreading their calming scent. O Pedrouzo, Lavacolla, Monte do Gozo – all passed in turn. On Monte do Gozo, we caught our first glimpse of Santiago. A monument to John Paul II used to stand here, but it was removed in 2021 for restoration.
We kept walking. The descent began. We saw the “Santiago” sign, then the full “Santiago de Compostela.” A Korean pilgrim took our photo. We were happy. Only 1900 meters left to the cathedral.
We made it. We stood before the cathedral and took photos. Then we went to pick up our Compostelas – the certificates marking the completion of our journey. With them in hand, we searched for a place to stay and found a room along the very path we had walked.
We still couldn’t believe it – no more walking tomorrow. Just time to wander Santiago and take it all in. We’ve decided not to walk to Finisterre – the bus will take us there. We’re too tired.
Our pilgrimage is over, but its effects will stay with us.
With love, Martina & Ive
P.S. A heartfelt thank-you to Sgeek Jadranka Smiljič for editing and publishing these blog posts. It was a joy working with you.
This morning surprised us in the best way. We woke up well-rested, took our gear to the albergue kitchen, made one of our last Barcaffe coffees, and had a proper breakfast to start the day right.
Despite yesterday’s forecast, there was no rain outside – hooray! We didn’t have big plans for distance today. Getting to Melide would be enough.
The nature remains beautifully Galician – stone, moss, forests, pastures, and some wonderfully fragrant eucalyptus trees. We passed charming homes and quirky bars. One had a garden decorated with sculpted boxwood figures. On another house facade, we saw a Camino arrow made from scallop shells.
We stopped for coffee in San Xulián do Camino and even walked through a tiny village called Casanova. Before reaching Melide, we treated ourselves to a beer at a bar just before the bridge into town.
We had no reservation, but luckily found a bed right away at Albergue O Cruceiro – despite the crowds. First, we put in a load of laundry. While waiting, we went for lunch at Pulpería Ezequiel, where you have to wait for a table. I watched the chef multitask – cooking, plating, and preparing deliveries all at once.
The octopus was excellent. We ordered it with potatoes, both lightly dusted with spicy red paprika. Finger-licking good.
Then it was straight to our room for a well-earned nap.
Now we’re enjoying a relaxed afternoon and evening ahead.
Today marks the beginning of week five of our long walk on the Camino. We started the morning with a nice breakfast in the well-equipped kitchen of Albergue Oasis and headed out.
The morning looked promising, but the forecast wasn’t. We crossed the second bridge out of Sarria and were immediately swept up in a stream of pilgrims. Everyone wants their Compostela – and for that, you need at least 100 km. Sarria is a popular starting point. We expected crowds, but this?
Soon we were weaving our way up and down through villages and pastures, along moss-covered stone paths between ancient oaks and chestnut trees. After a couple of hours, it started to pour. We stopped at a bar with other soaked pilgrims and had coffee – a small refuge in the storm.
It helped us continue. The trail became crowded with nervous cyclists, slipping dangerously on wet stones. They tried to share the footpath with us – not always gracefully. Luckily, the storm passed.
After the third long uphill, we decided to take a break. We stopped at a tiny bus shelter – just in time. The rain returned with thunder and lightning. We waited it out. Then, finally, we saw Portomarín in the distance.
This town once flourished in its original location – until the 1960s when the Miño River was dammed. The old village was submerged for a reservoir. The churches of San Nicolás and San Pedro were moved stone by stone and rebuilt on higher ground. Today, Portomarín overlooks the water with history and resilience.
You enter the town via steep steps and are greeted by views of the lake – now used for tourism.
I had booked an albergue yesterday, but never received confirmation. It turned into a mess. We almost didn’t get a bed. Fortunately, someone canceled and we got a room in the original place we wanted.
We shopped at the supermarket, made lunch, and now we’re peacefully napping.
It might be time to start looking at plane tickets home – and that feels surprisingly good.
Hello everyone – I still owe you yesterday’s update.
As I wrote, we were waiting for dinner. It was served in a building next to the albergue, designed like a traditional palloza – the oval-shaped Celtic houses with deep thatched roofs. Of course, we all arrived soaked – it had been pouring. The table was semicircular, and the atmosphere was lovely. Dinner: vegetable soup, beef with rice, and lemon pie for dessert. A sip of vino tinto was just what we needed. We fell asleep right after – completely exhausted.
This morning we left the albergue at 6:30, running on a banana and coffee from the machine. The headlamp came in handy.
And then it began – the Galicia I love. Birds singing, cowbells chiming, wind and water whispering, and stone in all forms: as fences, roof tiles, facades, or bridges across streams.
Ancient chestnut trees line the path. They were once vital for survival – boiled, roasted, ground into flour, or used to make a milk substitute. Now they’re mostly replaced by potatoes and corn. In Ramil, an old chestnut still stands tall, but many are sadly fading.
We passed birch trees and peaceful meadows with grazing cattle. In the villages, roosters crowed, hens clucked, and even a goose chimed in.
We moved toward the end of today’s stage. I noticed the blueberry bushes are blooming heavily – it’ll be a good season.
Despite the beauty, our legs were really sore today. We both agreed – no more 28 km days if we can help it. Tomorrow, the Camino gets busier. From Sarria onwards, you need at least 100 km to get your Compostela, which makes this a popular starting point. So, from now on, we’ll be stamping our Credencial twice a day.
More than 660 km are behind us now. That’s no small thing.
How to describe last night… it was a hard one. We couldn’t fall asleep and only dozed off after midnight. But that meant we were up early. By 6:00 we were packing, making coffee (still a few Black & Easy sachets left), eating bananas and small bites, and stepping out onto the trail.
Today we faced the last big climb before Santiago – the ascent to O Cebreiro. We also said goodbye to Castilla y León and entered the autonomous region of Galicia.
The climb runs beside, above and below the A Coruña highway – lots of asphalt. We passed several small villages. In Las Herrerías we had a coffee, then began the serious uphill to La Faba. Soon after, the Galicia border marker greeted us.
Then came O Cebreiro – a protected village full of history and symbolism. It’s one of the oldest pilgrim refuges. The village is known for its pallozas, Celtic-style round houses with deep, sloping thatched roofs, once shared by animals and people. Today, they serve mostly as museums.
This is also where priest Elias Valiña served – the pioneer of the modern Camino and the famous yellow arrow.
After a short rest, we hiked further to San Roque Pass (with its pilgrim monument) and up to Alto de Poio with its guesthouse and shelter.
We still had one last stretch to Fonfría – where, for the first time, we had a reservation. But as only Galicia can do, just before entering the village, a heavy downpour welcomed us.
Now we’re showered, resting, and waiting for dinner – hoping for a peaceful night.
Za zagotavljanje najboljših izkušenj uporabljamo piškotke, ki služijo shranjevanju in/ali dostopu do podatkov o napravi. Soglasje za te tehnologije nam bo omogočilo obdelavo podatkov, kot so vedenje pri brskanju ali edinstveni ID-ji, na tem spletnem mestu. Neprivolitev ali preklic privolitve lahko negativno vpliva na nekatere zmožnosti in funkcije.
Funkcionalni
Always active
Tehnična hramba ali dostop sta nujno potrebna za zakonit namen omogočanja uporabe določene storitve, ki jo naročnik ali uporabnik izrecno zahteva, ali izključno za namen prenosa sporočila prek elektronskega komunikacijskega omrežja.
Nastavitve
Tehnično shranjevanje ali dostop je potreben za zakonit namen shranjevanja nastavitev, ki jih naročnik ali uporabnik ni zahteval.
Statistika
Tehnično shranjevanje ali dostop, ki se uporablja izključno v statistične namene.Tehnično shranjevanje ali dostop, ki se uporablja izključno za anonimne statistične namene. Brez sodnega poziva, prostovoljnega izpolnjevanja obveznosti s strani vašega ponudnika internetnih storitev ali dodatnih zapisov tretje osebe informacij, shranjenih ali pridobljenih samo za ta namen, običajno ni mogoče uporabiti za vašo identifikacijo.
Trženje
Tehnično shranjevanje ali dostop je potreben za ustvarjanje uporabniških profilov za pošiljanje oglaševanja ali za sledenje uporabniku na spletnem mestu ali na več spletnih mestih za podobne trženjske namene.
