PCamino Primitivo

Arzua to A Rua

September 18 2023

Our group was out on the road at our usual time of about 8:15.  Today we were on the road with hundreds of other pilgrims.  I had been doing math calculating that there would be a person every 2 meters on the trail.  This was based on everyone leaving within 2 hours of the first to the last to leave.  Turns out everyone leaves within about 60 minutes so instead of a person every 2 meters, it is more like a person every meter.  To say it was crowded would be a total understatement.  No one was pushing but it was a slow moving parade of slowly trudging people.  The crowd did thin out after the first couple of coffee shops but you were never out of sight of other pilgrims.

The sky was a dull gray with heavy clouds move of the day and the humidity was close to 100%.  So even though it was only around 18 C  every time you started up hill you were soaked in sweat.  The trail itself was mostly through wooded areas with very little on the roads (maybe 20%).  There were sections where the path wound though tiny hamlets and down back alleys.  All of this combined to make a not very phjaotogenic day.  I think the most interesting shots were of a wall where someone had made a collection of old hiking boots into planters along the wall of their home.  

Todays high light had to have been lunch.  We pulled into a little cafe along the route where we had the soup of the day.  It was the traditional Spanish White Bean soup.  It is made with Spanish Judion granja bean, which is a large white kidney shaped bean which does not lose it's skin when cooked.  The beans are stewed with tomatoes and roasted paprika.  The huge bowl was so good and served with a huge chunk of warmed bread.  What a great meal. 

Tonight Bob and I are in a resort style place which is about 20 kms out of Santiago de Compostella.  The rest of the crew are about 5 kms closer in so in the morning we will be on the road early and pick them up on the way. 

Although not a spectacular day scenery wise it was a very nice days walk.  My Garmin made it 20.8 kms with 314 meters climb.

Tomorrow we arrive in Santiago de Compostella

Terry