Fog and mist in Galicia as we’re joined on this Camino by many fresh faces.

Beautiful, mystic and misty all day today with only a few patches of blue sky and otherwise all was fog. An undulating landscape bringing us thru very tiny towns – smaller even than those on the Meseta, and more like farming harmlets.

A new vibe on today’s Camino. For the first time, at points the trail felt crowded. Others reported long queues at cafes. It was fairly clear who was fresh off the boat / train / bus with their shiny clean clothes that had not been carried around Spain in a backpack for a month! That said, the change in atmosphere means the end is also approaching.

This has been an incredible experience so far and I’m even more excited to see how the Final Four Days pan out. Right now I’m inclined to rename this blog “Missives from a tired pilgrim” but I’m too tired to do so. Perhaps walking every single day for nearly a month has something to do with it?

Rather than end on a tired or grumpy or cynical note, here’s a better one. The early hours of today’s Camino, once onto a complementario / official alternative path just ouside the city, were really special. A short sharp climb, then deeply enfoggened farmyard trails and quiet country lanes. Half-seen hedgerows and copses appearing and receding into the misty midground. My hair, and now-thick beard, both soon drenched with cool fogwater. Near-total silence at times across the morning save for the odd crunch of feet on gravel. Not a single other pilgrim ahead or behind for nearly an hour; lonelier than I’d like but a good balance against the crowding that came later in the day.

With the day being fairly short again, free time remained. Exploring, unpacking and finding food all done, many pilgrims ended up sitting in a loose and changing configuration in the central plaza, some getting icecream and others planning out the days ahead. After hours of this time in pleasant gentle conversation – waving to smiling faces of other passing pilgrims recognised from yesterday or last week or three weeks ago – accommodation for the ultimate three nights on Camino are signed, sealed and sorted. People spin away towards dinner, to Mass, or home to rest. The group has dispersed and the day draws to a close.

And with that already-pleasing memory, time for sleep and perhaps dreams, though just as we can choose our Camino path but not the weather, some things remain outside our control.

Stats for today:

• 20.7km
• 521m ascent
• 584m descent
• 4 weeks ago today since most of us started out in Saint Jean Pied-de-Port