Day 27 Orense to Arenteiro – 32km

Just a few days left

I had managed to avoid some heavy rain over the past couple of days, but today, I wasn’t quite so lucky. I left the albergue, shutting the door behind me with a loud click. Making my way through the largely deserted streets of the city, I crossed an original Roman bridge that was quite impressive. It arched steeply, unlike modern bridges, and made me appreciate its ancient design. It took me quite a while to reach the suburbs, where the path began to ascend steeply—first winding through streets lined with houses perched on the hillside, and then, about 30 minutes later, into the countryside.

At first, there were only a few brief showers, but soon, the rain came steadily, lasting for about two hours. The paths transformed into streams, and at times, it was hard to decide where to walk. 

In truth, it didn’t matter much—my shoes and socks were soaked through anyway. The temperature had dropped as well, and I found myself starting to feel cold despite walking hard and wearing a hat. Eventually, the rain eased off, and I crossed a small stone bridge. It was only on a little footpath, but I could tell that it had been heavily used at some point—cart wheels had worn grooves into the stones of the roadway on either side.

Initially, my plan was to stop in the small town of Cea. However, yesterday, a Canadian named John Pierre had told me about a new albergue located in a village 8 km further on. Taking his advice, I passed through Cea and found the new municipal albergue in the village of Arenteiro. I arrived at around 11 in the morning and was greeted by a sign on the door indicating it would open at 1 p.m. To my surprise and delight, when I tried the door to the lounge and dining room, I discovered it was unlocked—and heated inside! I made myself at home, had some lunch, and used the time to plan my itinerary for the next few days. It’s Wednesday today, and I plan to arrive in Santiago on Saturday morning. Given the wet weather here, I’ve decided to catch the bus to Muxía on the coast and stay there for a few days before returning to Santiago and heading home.

At 1 p.m., the manageress, Nuria, arrived. She was surprised to see me so early, but she was very friendly. She logged me in and showed me around the building, which is lovely—newly built by the local government for pilgrims. It made me realize how much they invest in supporting pilgrims along the Camino. Charging just 10 euros a night, they must see the benefits in the wider community.

The new Albergue at Arenteiro

For the past week, I’ve been concerned about the state of my walking shoes. This is their second Camino, so they’ve covered a lot of kilometers and have worn through the heels in places. A fellow pilgrim named Matt, whom I met about a week ago, told me about how he found some strips of rubber on the trail and used them to patch his shoes. He suggested I keep an eye out for some as well. Although I was skeptical at first, a couple of days later, I found some! Yesterday, I bought some glue and cut out patches to stick on. I wasn’t entirely convinced it would work, but by the end of today’s walk, the patches were holding strong. I think my trusty shoes will make it through to the end of this journey and all the way home.