Day 22 Asrurianos to Requejo to de Sanabria – 27km

Another dry and fresh morning greeted me as I stepped outside and shut the door behind me, hearing the latch lock click into place. It’s always a moment of pause when that happens: Have I got everything? What did I forget? Well, there’s no going back now, so I might as well start the new day. I’m pleased to say I haven’t lost anything yet on this Camino, but since I have to move every day, I’m constantly checking to make sure I’ve got everything.

Once again, I took to the quiet main road, the N-525, and made my way to the historic town of Puebla de Sanabria. It’s a lovely place, with its historic fortifications dating back to the 12th century, built to guard against attacks from Portugal. Although the fortifications were left in ruins for centuries, they were restored in the 20th century and now stand proudly again.
On the outskirts of the town, I left the road and took a track that led down to the river. At first, it seemed like a big mistake as it wound along low-lying ground that was quite waterlogged. I had to use a combination of a fallen tree, stepping stones, and a small makeshift bridge to get across without wetting my socks. Somehow, I managed! As soon as the track joined the road again, I decided to stick to the road until I reached higher ground.
When I did venture off-road again, the path was much kinder. It meandered through peaceful woods and small hamlets before finally leading me to Requejo and my Albergue for the night.

I had lunch at a small restaurant just outside of town. When I arrived, I thought it was closed but decided to try the door, just in case. To my surprise, it opened, and I found the owner inside, serving his only customer. He showed me to a table and handed me a menu. The menu of the day usually comes with a drink, so I asked for a "vino tinto". Alongside my delicious Galician soup, he brought out an earthenware jug full of red wine. Needless to say, I didn’t finish it all!

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