Leboreiro to Arca (Rua)

Day 45  Leboreiro to Arzua (21kms)

Rain continues throughout the night and we wake to a damp morning with some wind, leaving Casa Rural at 8.50am in full rain gear.  While the rain is not constant, squalls blow through regularly and the wet trees add to the degree-of-drip factor.

The trail from Leboreiro to the outskirts of Melide is sheltered forest path with increasing numbers of eucalypts, including some plantations.  Approaching Melide, the path passes through an industrial suburb for about 2kms, and then skirts the main town area.  We stop at a bar dispensing sellos for our Credentiales and then find a park bench under cover in a small plaza for a rest and drink break.  Just as we are getting ready to move on, a group of at least 40 people pass by…actually a bus load, confirmed when we see their bus several times…obviously day walkers (we realise it’s Saturday!) many with no packs and inadequate rain gear…which is not important when the bus is waiting on the next road!

We have made good progress this morning, covering the first 7kms in an hour and a half, continuing on forested country lanes, skirting villages, enjoying some breaks from the rain, and trying to work our way through the masses so that when we come to the next bar, where we plan to have a coffee break, we will have a mug’s chance of getting a seat and being served!

John goes on ahead as we approach Boente, with about two-thirds of our total distance covered…it is approaching midday and we can see ‘The Bus’ in the distance…and by the time Elaine gets there, he has found a nice little bar and has ordered the coffee!  The bar has a huge cap collection hanging from the ceiling and the wall behind the bar.  The owner has great pleasure in pointing out a couple of ‘donations’ from Australia!  We add some chocolate and a banana to our 2 cups of coffee each and emerge fresh and ready for the last 9kms to Arzua. 

A couple of ugly climbs dampen our enthusiasm somewhat, and we comment that this section would have been tough for our Australian friends yesterday, coming towards the end of a long day and in the terrible weather.  Once again we appreciate Callum’s local knowledge! 

John crushes some bluegum leaves and we enjoy a nostalgic few minutes inhaling…yes, inhaling!... the magic aroma.  We walk briefly with a man from Czech Republic…from Bruno, where they make the rifles…and then into the village of Ribadiso, just 3kms short of our destination for today.

The rain has moved away temporarily, and as we walk along the senda towards Arzua, the sun comes out!  We find our accommodation, Casa Teadora, change out of our thermal gear which is a bit damp from condensation and spread it to dry, and then head for a café for a ‘sandwich caliente’ (sandwich hot, ie toasted!) and a coffee.  It’s 2.30pm and we are in for the night!

John mends his boot again…determined to make them last to Santiago…and we continue to dry our gear completely.  We shop for a nail brush which comes with a free block of chocolate (yeah…right!) so we need to boil the billy to justify opening the block of chocolate!  The diary is updated and the blog report and photos organised, so just after 6pm we go to the ‘Salon Social’ aka ‘The Bar,’ to connect to WiFi and post the blog.

Dinner follows seamlessly – yummy veggie soup and chicken/veal with real potatoes instead of chips…why no one thought of this earlier beggars belief!  

Day 46  Arzua to Rua (18kms)

Casa Teadora does not serve breakfast on Sunday so we have a voucher for Café Valquez along the street which opens at 7.00am.  We set our alarm for the usual 7.00am and arrive at the café at about 2 mins past 8, just in time to see on the television news that Daylight Saving ended at 3.00am so the time is now 2 mins past 7!!  Enjoy our orange juice, toast and coffee and set out at daybreak as usual, guided by the lights along deserted streets and in light rain.

There are seven villages along today’s route, which is mostly along corriedoiras, quiet country roads and the odd senda, through the familiar oak and chestnut forests and with ever increasing stands of eucalypts, reminiscent of parts of the Otways, particularly in the wet!  Fortunately we are sheltered somewhat from the wind but are lashed regularly by rain squalls. 

At about the 7 km mark we decide to get our Credentiale stamped…2 stamps per day are required to qualify for the Compostela Certificate on reaching Santiago…in a nice little bar which just happens to serve nice coffee…and has facilities! 

Back out into the rain, just in time for a wind change, the heaviest rain of the day, and a pretty rugged 20 minutes until it abates somewhat.  We are meeting more walkers now, not as many as other days, probably because of the time change and the day walkers not starting until 9.00am real time!  The terrain is undulating with water running freely down the track so we need to watch our footing carefully, especially around the farms where the cows have been brought in for morning milking…very gluggy!  We detour off the Camino to get another stamp…nothing to do with coffee or a dry place to be temporarily, of course…and rejoin the trail by walking along the road for 350m, which is not such a great idea because we are sprayed by passing cars! 

Within a kilometre of our destination, the sun comes out! And just as quickly, disappears again!  We also meet the civil engineers from our stay in Leboreiro…they come with us to our overnight accommodation, Casa Rural O’Acivro, in Rua so we can exchange email addresses…after they have gone, we realise we don’t actually know their names!

It’s 10 to 1, real time, when we arrive.  After checking in to our roomy, cabin-type unit, we go through the usual drill…change damp clothing for dry, hang up dripping rainwear, put damp clothing on heaters and boots underneath, then trot off for a lunch of bocadillos (baguettes) with jamon y queso (ham & cheese) washed down with beer, sangria and coffee while watching the passing parade of peregrinos in the rain.

Photo downloads, snoozing, and diary/blogging takes up the rest of the afternoon…the rain continues for most of the time.  We have a hot drink via the billy. Dinner is a menu in the bar restaurant, joined by a group of about a dozen peregrinos who are only walking for the few days it will take to qualify for the Compostela.