Camino Day 22, Tues 18/6/02:
Arca ("O Pino")

 48 km today
768 total
Nearly there

Woken at 6 AM by the Spanish family "whispering" - this was after getting to sleep at 3 by the time I finally became immune to their snoring! Resolved to get so far ahead of them that they'd wouldn't keep me awake again. I got underway, after dressing my blisters, at 7:20. It was quite overcast: ideal walking conditions for me.


More hórreos
near Casanova (50K)
Entering province of A Coruña
Leaving province of Lugo (77K)
Church of Santa María
Leboreiro (55K)
Baaaa Humbug
arriving in Melide (35K)

Made great time, arriving in Melide at 9:30, 15km in just over two hours. A very nice little town; there were many pulperías (places that serve squid or octopus), but it was a little early and I resolved to try this dish later in the day. Instead, I had a coffee and a sticky bun. I bumped into some people I'd met earlier on the camino: Alice and the guy from High Wycombe. On the way out of Melide, I passed the snoring family whose combined efforts shook the refugio last night. I bade them a jolly "¡Buenos días!" and walked on...

I had lunch in Arzua at 12:30. It seems the closer you get to Santiago, the easier it is to be ripped off - a pretty dire Spaghetti Bolognese in a bar cost over twelve euro. They even charged me separately for the three pieces of stale bread. I can't remember the name of the bar, but it was on the same street as the refugio. I should immediately point out that this kind of thing was the exception, rather than the rule. At any rate, suitably replenished, I headed off again just as the sun was burning off the last of the morning's cloud cover.


Rollo y fuente....
Boente (47K)
Fuente
Mmmm... agua! (100K)
Guillermo Watt's memorial
Salceda (96K)
Forest walk
near Arca (114K)
The way was shady and the walking was easy, however. Some lovely leafy lanes and a brisk pace meant I made good time. After Salceda, I passed the memorial to Guillermo Watt, a 69-year-old pilgrim who died at this spot on 25 August 1993, one day short of Santiago. The memorial consists of a plaque and a bronze sculpture of pair of hiking boots set in a niche. And to dust you shall return...
I reached Arca "O Pino" (I have some confusion about the name) at 4pm. A long straggly town running alongside the main road. There was no hospitallier around at the refugio, so I eventually just took a bunk, had a shower, and examined my feet - to find that one of my left toes has cut into another one. Those boots have got to go! Still, only 18km left... I limped off to see the sights. It didn't take long: the place is a bit of a kip, with a huge construction job going on on one side, and tha main road on the other side. Ah well. I toyed with the idea of eating in one of the local bars, but after witnessing a stand-up shouting match between the landlady and a thuggish-looking local, I decided to go 'al fresco' by buying some agua, pan y paté in a shop and dining back at the refugio.

Thought about tomorrow's arrival in Santiago; I was surprised not to be much more "upbeat" about it, but I think tiredness had a lot to do with that...

And so to bed. Snorers or no, I slept the sleep of the dead after another nearly-50 km day. If it wasn't for the German plonker whose mobile phone woke us all at 2 AM and again at 5 AM, I'd have nothing to complain about :-)

But tomorrow - Santiago! ¡Ultreia!


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