I got up at 7am, had a quick breakfast and left at 7.30. I saw some people starting but it suddenly dawned on me that, if most of the people walking had done the Frances they would be used to starting before 6h, as they are used to starting early so as not to find the albergues full. I met quite a few people, this is strange for me as my last few caminos have been very quiet. It was a pleasant walk. I've done this stretch before but last time it was pouring with rain. There were more ups than I remember, I suppose there were more downs too but I don't dislike them.
My last view of Santiago
I got to Negreira about 12.30. I had the idea that the last time I was there the door was open but that the hospitalera was not there all the time, so I hoped I would be able to go straight in. As I passed the supermarket I checked that it would be open later then went straight up. I got there at 12.40, the note on the door said that it opened at 13.00 but it was open and nearly full! Some of the people seemed to have been there for quite a while, and had done there shopping. I got the feeling that I would not be needing an alarm in the morning!!
The albergue is in a lovely spot and the weather was super, ideal for washing and drying outside. The showers are not to my liking as there are no doors and they are so placed that, if anyone should open the outer door just as you get out of the shower you are visible from outside. I have great memories of this shower room because last time I was there I arrived with a very wet towel, far too wet to dry on, so I tried to dry myself under the hand dryer! Fortunately there were fewer people there in October:)
The cooking facilities are less than ideal. There was equipment, just not enough space for cooking when there are lots of people. As I hadn't really had any lunch I decided to cook early and beat the crowds, from then on the rush started and there was constant use of the kitchen all evening. It was one of those occasions when it would have been sensible to have a joint meal, but it was the first day, lots of languages and not enough seating.
When I went to bed I discovered that I had chosen the wrong bedroom. There had been a spare bed in both when I arrived, I had chosen the room that was west facing and the sun had been streaming in all afternoon.
Sunday: Negreira to Olveiroa 35kms
Well I was right about not needing an alarm, there were 8 of us in the room and 4 got up at 5.30, they were not very quiet. When they left at 5.45 the American couple got up so I decided to get up at 6am. I discovered that the Spanish lad next to me had set his alarm for 6 too, so we were all up!
I was one of the last to leave, even so I was overtaken by people, mostly the same people I had seen yesterday, they must have gone to private albergues, but it was nice to see some familiar faces.
The weather forecast had said hot weather but it was wrong. It started sunny but soon became overcast, which was a great relief. The walking seemed heavy going, especially as people kept passing me, I felt like I was on a go slow, then suddenly I came to the first bar, it was at 13kms and I hadn't realised that I had walked that far, it was full of people, including many who had got up at 5.30.
After a cup of coffee and some chocolate I felt revived. I continued walking and passed a municipal albergue!
It had obviously not been use for some time. I had vaguely contemplated walking on to here, rather than staying in Negreira, I'm glad I didn't!
The next 7 km of my walk went quite quickly. I stopped for a second coffee, then the weather really changed. It was not heavy rain, just misty wet, still it was better than strong sun. I was going to stop for lunch at about 2pm but realised that this would not be very far from Olveiroa and I was fairly sure that the albergue would be full and I would have to walk on another 3 kms, so I decided to carry on and test my luck. I arrived shortly after 2 and saw people going in and out of doors. I saw a French man I had seen the previous night and asked him if it was full, the answer was no, but go into that door there, there's a bathroom. I found this information a bit confusing, so he repeated it. I was still confused, I understood the words but not the sense, anyway I did as I was told. I found a sweet little cottage with a bunk and a bed upstairs and a bunk bed downstairs, only the top bunk was vacant but I grabbed that, then I investigated. The albergue covers several old houses in a small street in a small
I went to the bar for a beer and met 3 people from Negreira, a Danish woman, a Belgian man and the French man who had pointed me to the cottage. The others recognised me and called me to join them, the French man had no idea he had seen me before, just shows how unremarkable I am, he had only pointed me to the cottage because I had addressed him in French:)
After my beer I went back to the cottage to rest my weary feet. I had no problem getting up to my bunk but quite a bit getting down so I decided to be really organised. lol I got up and realised I had forgotten my specs so I had to get down again, then the outer door, a stable door, blew open in the wind, by this time it was pouring with rain, so I got down again to lock the lower half of the door. When my 'bunk-mate' appeared I explained about locking the lower half of the door, he merely grunted.
I eventually got my self organised and later, when my bunk-mate re-appeared he was all smiles and apologies, sometime in the afternoon it had dawned on him that he had understood what I had said. Once he discovered that we had a common language there was no stopping him from talking. There were not many Spaniards and I think he was feeling just a little isolated, not a good feeling in your own country.
There were no blankets in our cottage but a Chinese girl upstairs said there were loads in the big dorms so I went to try my luck. I got a blanket but they are very thin weave. It was a case of using my fleece blanket, that blanket and going to bed fully dressed. The hospitalero said the heating would come on at 11pm, which it did but it was only just warm enough. Old stone houses are designed to keep out the warmth, and the cold.
Monday:
Olveiroa to Muxia 28 kms
I slept pretty well, I was just about warm enough. I got up at 6 and started early. It was a pleasant morning, it had stopped raining and dried out. The early part of the morning was steeply uphill so I was walking slowly and was quickly overtaken, first by two women, one Spanish and one Italian, they had become friends on the camino and talked non-stop, as they passed I asked them how they managed to talk and walk uphill so fast, they said it was the poles. Then some French people passed me, again with poles. I let them go and ambled on. I then pondered on why it was necessary to go so fast. I know that I am very slow on hills and I don't think that poles would help me, it is my lungs not my feet that slow me down but on the flat I enjoy wandering at my own speed, sometimes slower, sometimes faster but looking around.
The dividing point!
The walk was lovely, at least for the first 20 km, then it started to get wetter, though it was not too bad. 
A horreopede!
Early views of Muxia
The weather was kind until I arrived in Muxia. There was heavy rain then a break, so I decided to take advantage of the break and to visit the Sanctuary and see the sights that draw people here. Unfortunately the break was very short, then it poured and there was a strong wind. I got to the sanctuary but I was soaked and I really couldn't see anything. At least I had the satisfaction of knowing that I had made the effort. I went back to the albergue to dry off and change my clothes.
The Albergue was full and only 3 of us had come from Muxia, the rest were from Finisterre so I would have imagined that they would know each other but they did not communicate at all, except the few who were travelling companions. Only once did I hear two people recognise each other from some earlier moment.
Tuesday: to home
It was not a good night, quite a bit of snoring and I couldn't get comfortable. I just wanted to get up and go home! I had put my alarm on for 6 but by 5.45 people were moving so I turned it off and got up. It didn't take long for most people to be up.
It was another lovely clear morning.
Early morning views.
As I sat on the bus I reflected on how pilgrims (mostly other Europeans) must appear to Spaniards Only one woman said "Hola" to the driver, and I'm afraid it wasn't me, I would normally say; "Buenos dias" as I get onto a bus so I don't know where my manners had gone either. The driver was pretty surly with all of us and there was a sign up, in 4 languages, saying: no eating and drinking and don't take your shoes off; I wonder what kind of experiences have led to a poster like that.
I had a long wait in Ourense and time to reflect on my experience; I hope never to do another camino in June (or July or August) unless it is one of the quieter routes. I feel very sorry for people who can only walk over the summer months as this early morning rush to get to the next albergue, in order to get a bed, is a very sorrowful experience.
I have also done an interesting test of socks, this was unintentional, but having lost a pair of new socks in Caceres, and having decided to do a spur of the moment camino, I walked with 2 very different pairs of socks. One pair was definitely not to be recommended, had I been wearing them all the time I would have had major problems, I have decided that blisters and foot problems are to do with socks and not boots, now I just have to find a second pair of good socks:) Though I also need new boots before starting the Cami Catalan next spring:)
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