Map and Elevation
Elevation Profile by Stage
Hotel Méndez Núñez, Lugo. Stage Distance: 19.53 miles (31.42km); Total Distance: 135.29 miles (217.67km)
The longest single day walk (31.42km, 19.53 miles) is now complete. We are 100km from Santiago in the walled city of Lugo.
Most important, we get a day off.
Anna upgraded her shoes to a new pair of trail runners. I got an additional pair of socks – toe socks – and new insoles for my boots as well. I somehow managed to strain something in my ankle on the final climb into Lugo. My heels are inexplicably numb. Having a day to recover and adjust to our new toys is most welcome and necessary.
The road to Lugo
Distance-wise, this was the longest single day of our Camino. While this stage wasn’t entirely flat, the soul-crushing climbs and descents of the past week are a thing of the past. It can be demoralizing – I passed one of the women in Team Taiwan going up a hill; she was just letting her poles drag behind her. She embodied how I was feeling.
The morning began as it usually does in Spain: dark, foggy, and with a failed attempt at breakfast. One of the places on my way out of Baleira promised to be open in the morning for meals – which, of course, it wasn’t. The place we ate the previous night might be open but I wasn’t going to trek a few extra blocks. I had a coffee before leaving our pension and I had a breakfast bar in my pack. There was the promise of food in Castroverde so I turned on my headlamp and set off.
Side note: Anna was able to find breakfast at the restaurant in Baleira and check in with some of our cohort. She and some others caught the bus to Lugo. My breakfast in Castroverde was Camino-standard tortilla, espresso and bread.
Much of the route today was calming and relaxing: winding alongside a stream beneath the protective shade of trees; flagstones marking a path hemmed in by overgrown stone walls. Since Lugo is 100km from Santiago, the Camino markers provided a constant update on my progress for the day. (The Camino markers indicate the distance to Santiago. Subtracting 100 is math my weary brain can handle.)
The highlight of the day was the Oasis Primitivo outside of Gondar. The Oasis is a privately run …well, “oasis” for pilgrims on the Primitivo. There are benches, shelter. The hosts provide water and fresh fruit. Large works of art carved from the remains of trees. They even have their own sello. It was a lovely distraction. The host took pictures of visitors each day so a rare photo of me escaped onto social media.
Arrival
I arrived in Lugo in a foul mood.
Being tired and sore is a given. Considering the distance, even more so. The Camino markers indicated that I was getting closer, but I could not see the destination. Irish John summed it up best by commenting that Lugo has a population of over 100 thousand people and we were within 2km (just over a mile) before there was any sight of it. Since I was “almost there” I put off eating my sandwich – I was nearly done for the day; I would grab lunch with Anna.
Lugo is an ancient Roman town, famous for it’s intact walls that still ring the city. The Romans are known for their public works: roads, aqueducts, walls, bridges. They also knew a thing or two about defense. Why build a fortified city on a plain when there is a perfectly good hill to use? My first sight of Lugo revealed that my route was down to the Río da Chanca river and then straight uphill to the city walls.
As I crossed the river, it began to rain.
Knowing my destination was near, I put my head down and trudged up the slick cobblestones, following the Camino markers to the city gates. The 100km marker was at the edge of the city so there was further to walk to the hotel and my Beloved. The city has some covered walkways providing shelter from the rain, but since Lugo is a popular destination, they were clogged with tourists. I crossed the street seeking cover from the rain and found the entrance to the arcade blocked by an oblivious family. The small children in this herd looked up as I loped towards them. They caught the glare in my eye and wisely parted, allowing me to pass.
Anna was happy to see me and I her. It just took a little while before I was good company to be around.
Lugo
Lugo is the only city in the world surrounded by completely intact Roman walls (the walls are also a UNESCO World Heritage site, but you probably saw that coming). Since we are staying in the Old Town, there is no way to miss them. Despite my trepidation to spend any more time on my feet, this was not a site to be missed.
A fellow pilgrim suggested the best way to traverse the walls was anti-clockwise. We agree. Once atop the fortifications, it is possible to walk uninterrupted around the entire old city – a route connecting dozens of towers and the ten gates. Either direction is fine, but the direction we chose provided clearer views of the murals painted on the buildings.
There was also an exhibit in one of the museums focusing on the Primitivo route. It was a great refresher but underscored how much we didn’t see.
The other major site in the old city is Lugo Cathedral (a.k.a. St. Mary’s Cathedral). It is a major stop on the Primitivo so I did not feel my trek into Lugo was complete until I visited. More important, it was a time to pause and reflect.
Cohort update
Despite the size of the city, we managed to run into a number of our cohort. It should not be a surprise since we are heading in the same direction and generally seeing the same things. Irish John and Swedish Patrick are taking an alternate route out of Lugo called the Green Way which connects with the Norte into Santiago. It gets its name from the use of green arrows to mark the path instead of the regular yellow. I will see if I can find the marker tomorrow.
We ran into Finnish Patrick and Nicky and had dinner with them. Finnish Patrick is heading back home tomorrow; we will be staying at the same albergue as Nicky in a couple days time. One set of Canadians is staying at the same pension as us. We saw the Minnesotans at the Cathedral and went to say goodbye to the women of Team Bulgaria who left today.
I expect our cohort to grow tomorrow. Lugo is 100km from Santiago; the minimum distance required to earn a Compostela. We built a little community. Anna knows some of them better than I – she chatted with them as they came into each town and could provide expertise on local transportation. While not best friends, we have all kept an eye out for the others.
I will miss that.
Leave a Reply