Thoughts from my Camino Frances Journey- Day 32 (Day 7 of Part 2)
Date: June 12, 2025 Thursday
Where did I begin today?
Arzúa (Hotel Arzúa)
Where will I stay this evening?
O Pedrouzo/O Pino (Hola Camp Camino)
How far have I come?
19.51km
Not unusual to see a giant group of students on this section of the Camino
I woke up 7am and went down to breakfast at 8 where I had tomato toast and earl grey tea. I started walking with the girls at 8:30am. We encountered another huge group of high schoolers and tried to run ahead but circled back when we realized we missed getting a stamp from the nuns. Walked past pretty trees behind the group of students and eventually paused in a cute little hamlet so they could get coffee; while waiting I got a picture of a tiny chapel.
photo credit: Londa Wagner
Avocado toast with cheese for lunch
It started sprinkling at 11am and we walked to a café where another group (Prestons and Wrights) were stopped to put on ponchos. We found got another wax stamp in the woods; this one even had a tiny shell charm attached. We also started walking with Paul and talking about Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. Stopped for lunch with him, the girls, and Londa at about the half way point.
Encountered the cutest donkey
“The Condiments” became our new band name: Becca=mayo, me=ketchup, Jen=mustard, Blakely=vinegar
This super sweet dog kept following us along this wall in his yard
photo credit: Becca Fussell
After lunch we kept walking in the on-and-off rain and talking. First time wearing ponchos this trip, we got a hilarious photo of the four of us wearing them. Near the end of our walk, Becca and Blakely got hot spots so I gave them some hiker’s wool to apply. According to directions Dave posted in WhatsApp yesterday, we walked past a school, then turned off Camino to our designated meeting point in O Pedrouzo. At 3:40pm we were the first to arrive so the four of us sat outside a pub in the rain waiting for everyone else. The plan was to take a car to a beautiful hotel off the beaten track near O Pino, then it would drop us off in the same spot to continue our walk the next day. It felt weird to not be staying on the Camino and to be taking a car to the hotel, but this time it was worth it.
The villa at Hola Camp Camino
First to arrive at the end meeting point
Blakely and my room
Hola Camp Camino included a villa with a spacious communal area and several bedrooms and tree house cabins. Most of the singles stayed in the villa while couples got the tree houses. After checking in and showering, I ordered a coke and potato chips. At 6pm, Diane invited me to join her in the hot tub at their amazing tree house cabin. Since Diane is a spiritual director, she’s good with deep conversations and I ended up crying in the hot tub with her. Doug got us out at 6:24 so we had time to change before our group discussion at 7pm.
Doug & Diane’s treehouse at Hola Camp Camino
Hot tub with a view
Our group discussion was good; the theme was meaningful conversations we’ve had with people on the Camino and I mentioned Anna and Sally who I met in April. We took another taxi to a restaurant at 7:45pm where I had empanada, pork and mashed potatoes, followed by Galician cheese with quince jam. My table stared playing “odds are…” at dinner which ended in hysterical laughter. Back at the villa, I played Fishbowl with the girls, Jess and David, and the Wrights until 11:30pm. Hard to believe that tomorrow will be my last day walking. It feels very bittersweet and it hasn’t sunk in just yet.
