Even though it was a short day, it felt like the toughest.
I left just before 8am saying goodbye to Captain Pilgrim and getting a selfie with him. It was slightly misty, and the moisture in the air collected in my beard.
The path started out on soft gravel but that soon turned to tarmac. That was it for rest of the day. Hard ground to walk on.
At 3km outside a cafe I spotted Captain Pilgrim’s bike. I went in for breakfast. “You walk fast!”
From there it was a steady downhill on the roadside. The scenery wasn’t really inspiring, mostly in trees or past small farms.
At 12km my legs and feet needed a break from the pounding on the asphalt, and a cold drink at the bar in Pereiras was calling me.
The road then took me into a large industrial estate, with lorries thundering past me, making any road crossings like ‘Frogger’.
A short climb brought me into Ourense’s outskirts. The vast town nestled in the valley. On my way in more evidence of wildfires were present. The city also barely escaping the flames.
I entered the city centre, a hive of activity, people everywhere. Bit of a shock to the system having spent the last 5 days in solitude.
I found the albergue before it opened. I ordered a cold drink at the bar waiting for it to open. First and only to arrive. I was hoping there would be pilgrims, as the variant route rejoins the Sanabrés here.
I took a stroll around the city centre to scout out somewhere for food. At a bar I decided to book my stay in Santiago to find the ‘Seminario Menor’ that I usually stop at to be full. I secured a bed in another albergue, but the prices have gone crazy this year £48!
Stu's Camino 