Day 26 Xunqueira de Ambía to Ourense – 22km

Dan did come to the same albergue as me. He took a single room, and I opted for the shared dorm. As it turned out, there were only the two of us there last night, so we each had our own room. Dinner was served in the bar at 7 p.m., which was early for us. We went down promptly as soon as it opened and had a nice chat about our lives. Dan lives in Texas with his two daughters, his son-in-law, and they enjoy a family meal every Monday.

Today, we had only a short walk to Ourense, so I really tried not to get up early. I could hear the rain pouring down outside when I woke up, so I planned to leave at 7:30. Dan was ready to go at the same time, so I said goodbye and headed out. I was so pleased to find that the rain had already stopped. In fact, I experienced only a brief shower later in the morning, despite the forecast for showers all day.

As I was leaving town, I saw Reiki, a Japanese lady I’d met on the way to Laza two days ago. She recognized me, and we exchanged hellos. I made sure she was on the trail and then continued walking. When I reached the albergue and was checking in, I noticed that Reiki was just behind me in the queue.
 
  
The walk today started with some lovely trails through the countryside but later transitioned onto busier country lanes as we passed through villages and eventually into the suburbs of Ourense. It’s a beautiful city, especially the old town. I visited the cathedral and enjoyed a self-guided tour before heading to the albergue to check in.
Among the pilgrims today, I recognized a British accent, which is unusual. It turned out to be Suzanne, a retired teacher (63), who is cycling from Faro in Portugal to Santiago. She plans to continue cycling across northern Spain into France and eventually the Pyrenees. She told me she’d heard about me a few days ago. Apparently, a couple of Dutch pilgrims had mentioned I was “famous!” When we chatted, she asked, “Is your name Martin?” We had a good laugh about that.

Ourense is just over 100 km from Santiago, which is the minimum distance required to receive the certificate, or Compostella, from the cathedral office. From here on, we may see many more Spanish pilgrims walking to Santiago. This could affect the availability of accommodation, but hopefully, we’ll manage.

Comments

  1. Anonymous15 April 2025 at 16:36

    The end is in sight Martin, only 100km. Well done and I hope you haven't got many blisters? As a seasoned pilgrim you have probably mastered the blister problem?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MartinV16 April 2025 at 12:56

      On my Camino last year I didn't have any blisters but this year I did have quite a few which were caused by walking in wet shoes and socks earlier in the walk. I am blister free at the moment ☺️

      Delete
  2. Anonymous15 April 2025 at 19:24

    Yes but what are you famous for?!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MartinV16 April 2025 at 12:57

      I'm sure I must be famous for something but not sure what! I assume it was a witty comment by Ron the Dutch guy.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous15 April 2025 at 22:26

    I'm intrigued by that wonky chimney - it looks like it may have been home to some heavy storks in times past!!
    What was the highlight of your day today? MK

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MartinV16 April 2025 at 13:01

      Good thought on the Cranes, I hadn't thought of that 😂
      The highlight was coming into Ourense, as it is a lovely city, as well as the portico of the cathedral ☺️

      Delete

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