OUR WAY

 29th May 2025

Day 31 - Santiago de Compostela to Piaxe

Cathedral towers silhouetted on horizon

My alarm was set for 4:55am, Gaby’s for 5:55am, though we’d planned to leave before 5:30. Still in single rooms, I texted her when I woke up - no reply. Fortunately, we were in rooms next door, so I banged on the wall until I got a response.

We walked out of the albergue as the cathedral bell struck 6:30 and crossed the plaza in front of it as it struck 6:45. Ten minutes later, we left the city streets behind, descending slightly and crossing a small river - then we seemed to be in countryside, though in torchlight it was hard to be sure. As the sun rose, we saw the cathedral towers silhouetted behind us.

A Ponte Vella bridge

A mixture of small villages and rural stretches brought us to Negreira about 4 hours later, where we found a large supermarket - probably the busiest we’ve seen the whole trip. It was also one of the few actual supermarkets along the Camino. After consulting the map, we realised we’d need to stock up for the next 36 hours, with no real options between here and Finisterre, 60 km away. We ate an early lunch in a nearby park to avoid carrying it.

Progress in the afternoon was steady but slow as temperatures rose to 29°C, with no wind to help. At one point, Gaby sent me off to a trailside tap to fetch water to revive her. A few kilometres later, we reached our albergue. The door was already open, so no ritual loitering on the doorstep today.

After the usual check-in routine, we sat in the adjoining bar for cold drinks. The afternoon passed quietly, researching post-Camino beach options.

Dinner in the shade at the albergue

I finally got to use the pot I’ve been carrying for the last 800 km - despite the albergue advertising a kitchen, it had no pots or pans. Possibly a cost-saving strategy, possibly a way to push pilgrims towards the evening menu, or maybe just fed up with the mess.

We settled in for an early night, with a slightly cooler day forecast tomorrow. I didn’t bother asking Gaby if she’d set her alarm - she’s in the bunk above me. I’ll just prod her in the morning.