cafes and people

we started the day early (as mentioned the monastery kicks out its guests before 8am, even if they are tired pilgrims). and we stopped immediately on the main plaza at the nice corner cafe in sobrado. the whole shop was occupied by people with rucksacks. one gets talking to others while stamping the pilgrim’s credential - if you want to receive your official pilgrim’s certificate in santi you have to get it stamped twice per day at minimum.

i started a conversation with an hombre from the north of mexico in spanish (you can tell i’m a little proud, can you?). turns out he and his sister with their families are on the camino together. in total eight persons. just one son missing, he is currently in berlin. i mention that i have my own beloberlin stamp - he leaves the coffeeshop with his required two stamps for today. buen camino!

we enjoy our coffees and tostadas and leave as well.

back to the coffee and the cafes. there are cafes in the small towns along the way. they are something of a community center or a social club. the locals frequent the cafes, the pilgrims usually stop at every place that offers bebidas y meriendas. today’s morning flat white was delicious and cost 1,50 euro. no wonder everybody likes to go and have a coffee!

today it was a bit windy. in fact there is a storm warning for late arvo. from sobrado it was mostly downhill towards arzua until the very end where one has to climb a hill and the camino del norte joins up with the camino frances.

before we hit the final stretch, we have another stop at a cafe in boimorte. again, the hub of town, locals mixed with pilgrims. no flat white, but cafe con leche, again delicious.

we continue onwards and realise eventually that we haven’t eaten since that first stop. since we carry pan, tomate, aguacate, chorizo y queso not a problem. we stop at mile marker 43,868 (km to santi) and have a little picknick. a group of five people sit in the grass close to us and have the same idea.

we get talking, they are two parents with their adult age children from mexico. the mother gives me her credential. her brother told her about the stamp. greetings go out to mexico city, guadalajara and torreón.

the rest of the way up the hill into arzua we walk side by side. maybe we see each other again tomorrow or on jueves in santiago, right in front of the cathedral?

it has yet to start to rain, but it gives me time to download the photos and write my daily post. then early dinner and bed.