Day 34 - Palais de Rei to Arzua - 18.1 miles

My early am view on the Primitivo

Weather changes in Galicia

This was a different kind of walk this morning as I left my inn. I was on the edge of the Camino Primitivo (the old Camino that the king took from his home in Oviedo to Santiago.) It meets up with the Camino Frances in Melide and continues on to Santiago. Both are the same distance to Melide. Some people from my hotel were walking the full Primitivo and said it is more challenging (much more continual steep mountain climbing and then steep descents over and over, and it's more remote - fewer places to stay and/or eat and drink) BUT it also doesn't have that many people - I was essentially alone until I entered Melide and saw busloads of people meeting me on the trail at that point. If I was being extremely strict, I would have taxied back to Palais de Rei downtown and continued on from yesterday. But both were 12 miles and the beauty and quiet on this Camino were so soothing. The crowds have taken a lot of that away these last few days and you work harder to find your peaceful place in the throngs.

Puppies, puppies, puppies!! Today was also absolutely about puppies!! In the first small village I walked through, I saw this adorable puppy poking his head out of some bushes. He was scared to death and shaking as I slowly, soothingly approached him. Most dogs here are terrified of us and run away when we try to approach. Anyway, he did let me start to pet his head as I told him he was a handsome boy in Spanish. Then I scratched his chest and tummy and that was it - I had made a friend. He looked at me with lidded eyes and licked my hand. I wish I could have carried him with me in my pack, but the airlines would have had a hard time with that later!😉. He looked like a Golden Retreiver mix. I wasn't sure if he was someone's puppy or a stray as there are so many free-range dogs here. Further down the road, I found a Spanish man tossing cubes of bread to what appeared to be his brother. Then in the next town, someone had a fenced kennel full of brown puppies in their front yard!! I want one!!!

In Melide I got my coffee for my required stamp, and his stamp was broken. There was a shop further down that had a stamp outside, so I used that. But I did notice that lots of

locations have posted tables with stamps all along the way - no purchase required. There are obviously lots of people "just walking" at this point b/c I saw older grandmas in dresses walking, people with jeans on, regular shoes, carrying their purses, etc. I heard a group of ladies singing a Camino song in Spanish today. I didn't know there was a Camino song!!!

So along my walk, I saw the photo below: Pension Rustica is WAY rustica - as in go sleep in a muddy field rustica! Just thought it was funny.

Medieval town of Labreiro

After I arrived in Arzua and got settled at my hotel, I immediately went down for my late

lunch. It was almost 2pm, and I was starving. It has been raining late this afternoon, so I went to a laundromat to dry my clothes tonight. Tomorrow is the BIG day!!! I walk into Santiago, and I get to see Robert after 40 days. Off to bed!