Day 24 O Pereiro to Laza – 44km

Chris and I had dinner at 9 p.m. yesterday, which was quite late for me—though perfectly normal for Spanish locals. At a nearby table was another pilgrim, Stephanie from Germany. She soon came over to join us, and we had a lovely time together.

Because of the late night, I didn’t sleep too well, despite having my own room. I got up a bit later than usual but still left before sunrise. Stephanie mentioned she planned to get a taxi to the first town, A Gudiña (8 km), and then start walking from there. I must have stayed ahead of her because when I passed through the town, I didn’t see her.

As I left A Gudiña and entered the countryside, the sun began to break through the thick fog surrounding everything. Bit by bit, the beautiful scenery was revealed. It was truly a gorgeous day for walking.

The valleys were shrouded in low clouds, which created a breathtaking spectacle. At one point, the guidebook mentioned a huge reservoir in the valley below, but all I could see was a sea of cloud.

I reached my destination village late in the morning and switched from my Camino mapping app to Google Maps to find my accommodation. Following the map, I arrived at the supposed location but found nothing there except a house. A nearby local directed me back the way I had come. Eventually, I located the bar/accommodation, but a note on the door said they’d be back in half an hour—they’d gone to the church.

When they returned, a crowd of customers followed them into the bar. I went in too, but I was mostly ignored. I sat and waited, and about half an hour later, after serving everyone else, the lady finally spoke to me. When she checked for my reservation, she said they couldn’t find it. There was a booking for “Martin,” but it was for the next day. She explained they were ‘completo’—full.

By then, I wasn’t feeling great about the place, so I had no choice but to leave. The next town, Laza, was 16 km further on. I’d already walked 28 km, so I needed to focus and keep moving. Luckily, I’d rested for about an hour at the bar, so I felt okay setting off again. According to the map, there were two smaller hills to climb before a long downward slope to Laza.

The hills were full of beautiful colours today, mainly in the purple heather but also the purple and yellow of the spring folowers.

My main concern was that I only had 500 ml of water and no food. The first two villages I passed through seemed deserted, with no one around to ask for water. I kept pushing on, walking briskly but reminding myself not to hurry.

About an hour later, I came across a small hillside village. As I rounded a corner, I spotted a sign advertising refreshments for pilgrims. It was a self-service setup with a donation box for food and drinks. I hadn’t seen this kind of arrangement on this Camino before. My first thought was water, and I was thrilled to find a tap. I filled my container, grabbed a couple of bananas and oranges, and felt an immense sense of relief—problem solved.

I arrived in Laza around 3:30 p.m., about 2.5 hours after leaving Campobecerros. I was happy to arrive before it got too late in the day. My first priority was finding lunch before everything closed for the afternoon. Spotting an old lady on a balcony, I called up to her, asking where the bar was. Once she understood, she kindly gave me directions.

When I reached the bar, I was relieved to find they were still serving. I ordered the “menu of the day,” though there wasn’t an actual menu. After some back-and-forth, I settled on spaghetti bolognese, followed by steak and chips, and finished with cake for dessert, accompanied by a bottle of red wine. I struggled to finish the food, let alone the wine, but at least I wasn’t going hungry!

Next on the agenda was sorting out my accommodation. On the way to the albergue, I bumped into another pilgrim who mentioned I’d need to register at the civil emergency center in town. After some searching, I found the building. It appeared locked up, but the door opened when I tried it, and I heard someone calling me inside. They registered me, stamped my credentials, and collected the 10 euros for the night’s stay.

Finally, I returned to the albergue and found a bed. At long last, I could relax, knowing I had a place to rest my head. It had been quite a day, but with today’s lovely weather, it was truly a beautiful walk.