Camino de Finisterre Day 51: A Pena - Dumbrìa

The Spanish pilgrims who invaded the peace of my dormitory last night set their alarm for six, so six it was. It was good to get on the road early again, after a few days of relatively late starts. And I had a long way to go: a Croatian girl I walked with for a while yesterday told me about an ultra-modern municipal hostel in Dumbrìa where you could use the adjacent swimming pool and gym complex, all for six euros, so I decided to aim for that. 37 kilometres!

After walking about 12 kilometres I stopped at a bar in Santa Mariña for a second breakfast of orange juice and omelette. She made it with a smiley face for me! 

Here I talked briefly with a very tanned pilgrim who had walked all the way from Paris. It took him about 70 days, the same as the group of three I met last night who had walked from Brittany.

One of the highlights of today's walk was the series of stone horreos. 

This was my first morning in Galicia without fog, and it stayed bright and sunny all day. The path climbed up to 500 metres at Monte Aro, and when we crested the hill and could see over the other side, a flat blue line was visible on the horizon - could it possibly be the Atlantic Ocean?

By the time I reached Olveiroa, where most people stop for the night, I had walked 28 km and would have been happy to stop with them. But as the Italian boy I was walking with at the time reminded me, most of them had started in Negreira in the morning, whereas I started 10 km after that, so I really ought to be able to carry on another 10 km and carry on with my policy of stopping off the classic stages. I stopped at a café to stamp my credential, refill my water bottle and refuel with a Kas al Limón, a Spanish lemonade which is very refreshing and reinvigorating on a warm day! 

After Olveiroa the route was pretty much deserted. Practically everyone had stopped there. I enjoyed the silence as I climbed another hill, topped with windmills and the associated power plant. Here, at the roundabout above the village of Hospital, I faced a decision: walk directly to Finisterre, or northwards to Muxìa first. I had been considering the direct route, which would leave me time for a day of rest in Finisterre, but then I received a message from a friend who had finished his two weeks volunteering as hospitalero in Ponferrada and was going to take a trip to Muxìa tomorrow. What a coincidence! Gronze.com describes Muxias as "un lugar perfecto para un homenaje gastronómico", and so we agreed to meet for a seafood dinner. This means two more days of walking: one to Muxìa, and one from there to Finisterre. 

Cresting the hill between Hospital and Dumbrìa, I could definitely see the ocean! 

Only 22 km away! 

At 5 pm I finally reached the municipal albergue in Dumbrìa. It is indeed a fantastic modern building, commissioned by the guy who owns the Zara stores in 2010. It does indeed cost only six euros. But as for the adjacent swimming pool and gym: by this time I was too exhausted to check out the facilities! As soon as I had showered and hand-washed my clothes, I lay down on my bunk for a nap. Then I dined on some leftover macaroni cheese which I had hoarded away at dinner last night - luckily, as there are no shops or restaurants here. 

And that brings me up to date so far!