Tuesday 19 june - Arzua to Arca

Woke at 530. Got ready quietly and slipped out. Walked along the street and found a cafe that was open and had internet. went in ordered a tea and after an explanation on how to use the computer with the pay method booked a room in Santiago do Compestella at a seminary. Hope they take girls. I had to do this as it seems I only booked one night in SdC and we were staying two. Anyway, with that accomplished I headed out.

Finding the trail was actually very easy. Just follow all the other  pilgrims and at a little after 7 a.m. I was on the Camino, the pilgrimage, the Way.  The weather was cloudy but not cool. On my own I kept a good pace and enjoyed the scenery of the country side. Unlike the north coast route that we had been walking on, there were a lot of other pilgrims on this route, of all ages and fitness levels.

 Even a family with the father pushing a big wheeled stroller with two small children in it. he was spanish and she was from northern Europe and traveling for 2 weeks the camino for his holidays. When we got to some of the bigger hills I slowed down and only stopped once or twice.

Sometimes pilgrims would pass me with a buen Camino and sometimes I would pass them with a 'buen Camino'. I  chatted occasionally with some of the pilgrims. one gentleman was from Newfoundland and was doing the camino for the second time with his french friend.
This section of the camino has well maintained gravel paths, with  the occasional streams that ran alongside.
When the path wound to the other side of the streams, little bridges of  wood or wide slab stepping stones were there to cross over.
Every two or three km there were markers on the side of the path annotated with the distance to Santiago de Compestella. I guess that they start a count down from about 150 km away so the pilgrims know how much farther they have to go. Lots of  flowers and butterflies, birds and forests farmers fields. Really beautiful. Took way too may photos today so will have to start going through them and deleting the bad ones. I love digital.

I walked for about 8 kms and stopped at a little cafe where there were lots of other pilgrims too. An agua, a restroom stop and then some of my omelet from last night with tomatoes for breakfast. It was about 830 so I was making good time without killing myself. the countryside was full of those little country roads and sometimes our path would take us there.

 Sometimes we had to walk along the highway but the paths were much better than the times we had walked along the hi-ways up north, wider paths and some were even paved. occasionally the camino would go through an underpass so we did not have to cross the hi-way.

There were fountains and shrines for the pilgrims to stop and admire. there were chickens along ghte road probably not for the pilgrims but that reminded me of the stories that I had read about the camino prior to starting the trip.
 I walked for about  8 kms more and stopped at another little cafe right on the hi-way. An iced tea and washroom break (nice washroom) and I was rejuvenated.  The sun had been making attempts at peeking out every now and then and I sat outside at the little tables watching other pilgrims and the occasional car and truck go by. I left my book 'Wicked' at the cafe for some other pilgrim to pick up or the owners if they read english. Good book.
I went about another 5 kms and stopped for a lunch of fruit at a well by the hi-way. Lots of pilgrims with some stopping to fill their canteens and water bottles at the well which was more of a water spigot really. the well was probably underneath.
I continued on and came to Santa Irene which is not a town but a refugio, alone, by the hi-way. A very nice refugio with crisp clean sheets and a nice back yard with tables and chairs and a clothes line. I figured that it was too early, only just noon, to stay in a place where I could not go exploring so I made a reservation for Maureen with the young lady who did not speak very much english and continued on to the town of Arca, that someone who was passing by said, was only about 2 or 3 km away.

A talking sign confirmed the existence of Arca and gave a few of us a good laugh too. It was in fact only 2 km to Arca and upon entering the town I booked a room in the first place I came too.  50 Euros for a brand new with an almost no character room with two double beds, but clean and with tickets for breakfast at the cafe next door.  after I dropped my pack in our room I headed out to explore the town.

I figured that Maureen would be at least 3 hours behind me and so I could explore the town and then head back along the trail and meet her before she got into town. I knew that she probably did not get out of Arzua until around 930 or 10 so it would take her awhile before she would be even close to town.

The church was down the road and then off to the left at the end of a long curving road. It was locked so I took a few photos around the outside and then saw a young girl in an upstairs window in the building next door. I asked her if she knew where I might get a key and she said for me to wait there. She came down and opened the church for me.
Very nice. small church but with a most unusual wall behind the altar. a huge golden scallop shell had been crafted as the backdrop to the altar. It was very pretty. the church was bright and cheerful.  I spent about 30 minutes there said a few more hail Marys for Bill and lit some electric candles.

Headed back into town passing three older folks weeding thier garden at one point I considered offering to help them weed but then how does one extricate oneself from assiting before the job is done? so I didn't offer any assistance and just kept walking to the one  main street which is the hi-way that runs right through town. As I was walking back who should I see but Maureen.

Needless to say, I was very surprised. It was 1:30....What was she doing here already? Turns out she took a cab to a coffee shop somewhere on the hi-way and walked from there. I think that it must have been the one where I left my wicked book. the timing would be about right. So we went to the hotel that I had booked and she filled me on her day. Woke up , church at 830, post office at 930  cab to coffee shop and then walked . Realized when she got to Santa Irene that I would have kept going. tried to ask the young girl if I had been there but could not get through so continued on to Arca and found me. just like that.

She wanted to see the church so she went there and I looked for the bus stop and a restaurant for dinner. I found the bus stop which consisted of a portion of the sidewalk with the words bus stop painted on it about three blocks from the hotel right across the street from the police station (which was not lokking like a police station at all). I went back to the road that led to the church and wrote in my journal on a stone step and took a nice photo of a lizard that was sunning itself on a rock.

I met an english gentleman pilgrim, Allan, who told me about his pilgrimage. He had gone all the way from St jean Pied la Port in France. We walked down to the church together and he told me that 5 pilgrims had died since he started walking. it was not something that they advertised but I guess every year there were pilgrims who died on the Camino. We met maureen at the church which was good as there was a stamp for pilgrims to stamp their credentials which I had not seen before so I stamped mine.

After taking another look around we came back around 5 and found a restaurant for dinner lazangas, veggie for me carne for Maureen. There was a Bazar gift shop across the street from the hotel and we popped in and picked up a few things. 8 braceletsand a pair of silver shell earrings (4.68 Euros) They had a pilgrim outfit and would take your photo for 1 euro so I did. goofy really.
We went back to the hotel where I had a shower and then deleted bad photos till my batteries died. plugged in my charger and went to bed around 8. slept well till around 2:30