Day 47: Lugo, Spain


Date:Saturday, July 13, 2019
Start:Albergue Porta Santa, O Cadavo
Stop:Hostel Cross, Lugo
Distance (Day**Total):31   **   1307 km
Elev Gain/Loss (Day**Total):424/-672   **   37533 meters
Moving Time (hh:mm):6:32
Day High Temp:26 C
  

Last night, Jan and I agreed to start tomorrow at 6:00 am, which meant getting up at 5:30. I don’t use an alarm (sound or vibrate) on the camino and can get up at any time I plan on. I got up first and headed downstairs and Jan followed soon after. We got dressed and packed. Jan had some bread and I got some pastry and coffee from the vending machine. We planned on getting a real breakfast somewhere on the road. There were several small villages a short distance from O Cadavo. And if that failed, 9 km from our start was Castroverde. A sizable town, bound to have something on the camino.

Nothing in the small villages. And nothing open in Castroverde at 8 am on a Saturday. We ran into a couple of other pilgrims who were also looking for breakfast. They wandered off the camino while Jan and I kept going.

Outside Castroverde, Jan had to stop for a break because his foot was hurting. It had started hurting several weeks earlier on the Camino del Norte. He was taking painkillers and putting stuff on it but it was progressively getting worse. I decided to keep going and told him that I would meet him in Lugo.

I came across this cat sitting smack dab in the middle of the road, looking straight ahead. It only turned around to look when I stopped to take a picture. It meowed and moved to the side of the road when I approached. As soon as I passed, he moved back to his original position. And looking straight ahead. Like a dog awaiting his master.

I’m feeling real good and do not stop all day. Never even took my pack of until I reached Lugo. Even though it is a Saturday, I didn’t make a reservation. Lugo is a big city with a lot of options and I can always stay in a hotel if there is no room at any of the albergues. I head to my first choice albergue. It’s in the middle of the old city. It’s packed with tourists. The hospitalero asks if I have a reservation. Initially, she tells me she is full but then checks the computer and I get the last bed. The albergue is modern and clean. There are bunk beds, actually bunk pods, in multiple rooms on two floors. The top floor has the kitchen and dining area. While it is very crowded, it is not actually full. When I go to bed, there are four empty beds. This is an ongoing problem, people making reservations and not showing up.

Lugo’s city center is surrounded by a Roman wall, which is surprisingly still intact. You can walk on top of the wall. I start to walk all the way around but have to stop when it starts pouring rain. At which point, I join all the tourists and a few pilgrims in one of the outdoor (but covered) cafes. I see a few pilgrims I have met along the way and meet a few new ones. But I never do see Jan. I hope he is ok. Before turning in, I make reservations for tomorrow. My options are limited and the one albergue I want to stay at is very popular.

Lugo Cathedral

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