Another good day of walking, overcast rather than foggy like yesterday, ending with the sun breaking thru and glowing everything up.

Down and across the reservoir encircling Portomarín and almost immediately into forest on another complementario / alternative route, rising up to a high field overlooking valleys and other unknown towns in the distance.

And from there, today is a happy blur of fields and farms and pathways. Had some nice conversations with other pilgrims along the way, and two stops for coffee and a snack. Arrived early into tonight’s home, Palas de Rei, with cool capsule-style dorm beds again complete with internal shelf, plug, light and privacy curtain. Such a bonus after some of the larger industrial-scale dormitories; but they’ve all kept us warm and dry and safe, whatever minor luxuries they did or didn’t have. We helped one of our peregrinos / pilgrims celebrate his birthday today with dinner out, chocolate cake and a few small gifts. The day ended with a group gathered in the kitchen of our albergue to chat and enjoy this time together. One more “normal” albergue mañana / tomorrow – nothing about any of this is normal, of course! – and then glamping together for the final night on this Camino. Hard to escape the emotions that everyone’s feeling. So – we don’t escape or evade, and instead face them, together.

Stats for today:

• 23.1km
• 586m ascent
• 443m ascent
• 70km remaining, give or take