O Pedrouzo, June 24, 2026. Written at Muxia June 26th.

Dear Followers, Friends, Family, and Christine.

As relaxing as our dinner was the prior evening today was the opposite.

The heat continued and the humidity built, as did the crowds.

The pleasantness of walking in nature seemed to evaporate.

There were monuments to fallen pilgrims, most famous being to Guillermo Watt.

These “memorials“ often had a variety of small stones, religious cards, and notes left by pilgrims.

There was also a significant increase in graffiti, stickers on signs, and stole stolen kilometer plates from the Camino pylons.

The exchanges of “Buen Camino“ became less genuine, more a reflex. I was just as guilty as the others.

Christine, you have noticed over the years how I become somewhat sullen and unapproachable when I am nearing a trip departure or end. Perhaps my reaction is the same when I am preparing to leave the Camino.

Charlie has remained cheerful and upbeat throughout the day. However, even his optimism was challenged when we checked into our pension.

It was a postage stamp of a room. The twin beds barely allowed passage around the perimeter. No air conditioning and no ventilation except for the window which opened to temperatures and humidity both in the 90’s. It was a self fulfilling prophecy that we would have a restless night.

It was Spain’s feast of the Birth of St. John the Baptist. Most stores and half the restaurants were closed. The crowds of pilgrims made restaurant “service” a fiction.

We attended church in O Pedrouzo’s well-known “Shell Church“.

It was standing room only in the small church. If there was air conditioning it was soundly defeated by the crowd.

Remarkably, the Mass (entirely in Spanish) was officiated by 12 priests and one deacon. I had observed that many of the celebrants wore hiking clothes as they went to put on their vestments. Clergy walking to Camino in disguise!

In reflection, our first night on the Camino was in a 6 bunk shared room. Perhaps it is fitting that last night on the Camino was another “true pilgrim experience“.

Tomorrow we reach Santiago! I love you, miss you, and I’m counting the “sleeps“ until we are together.

Peace Everyone and Buen Camino! Pete.

PS. There were some pleasant moments:

At Arzua, June 23, 2026.

Dear Followers, Friends, Family, and Christine.

I am “really itching” to tell you about the highlight of the day, but I will put that off until the end of this post.

It has really struck us that this is the homestretch. Tomorrow is the last day that we will walk to an accommodation other than in Santiago. 20 km tomorrow and the final 20 km Thursday. 

As both celebration and condolence we looked for a restaurant that did not specialize in “the usual €15 pilgrim menu”. Not far from our pension was a small eclectic restaurant that fit the bill. The bill did not fit a pilgrim’s budget!

Four glasses of excellent Galician wine, a liter bottle of mineral water, a shrimp, appetizer (shrimp wrapped with fine cut pork rind, deep-fried and accompanied by a slightly spicy dipping sauce), wonderfully prepared Hake fish for Charlie and a juicy shoulder steak (served rare) for me… topping it all off was grandmother‘s homemade cheesecake. Worth every euro! (sorry, forgot to take pictures of the meal)

Of course today was hot, but we got an early start and beat most of the heat by the end of our 21 km hike. This was the day for bridges.

There were also periods of hiking through urban areas, which I did not find interesting enough for pictures. Accordingly, this post is thin on photographs.

We again ran into our “Malaysian friends“. This time I had the presence of mind to get a photograph of them. They really got into the swing of things and made it an event for all of us.

I think more than one of them has taken a shine to Charlie, considering him “cute“.

Now for the “pest” part. I woke up yesterday with the most annoying itching. As the day progressed the itching resolved into red splotches with small distinct centers. Consulting twith Professor Google resulted in a diagnosis of bedbugs! A few days earlier I had commented to Charlie that this is my fifth Camino and I think the whole bedbug controversy is way over blown. How wrong I was.

A trip to a pharmacy and a small tube of hydrocortisone has brought some relief. Time will do the rest.

Charlie and I machine washed and dried all of our clothes just to be on the safe side.

Christine, please give all the grandkids and my daughter a big hug. I look forward to seeing them in Paris. I hope to share dinner or even just a cup of coffee with “Mr. B”. I am especially thinking of him and his coming “journey”. Love, Me.

Peace, Everyone and Buen Camino. Pete.

At O Coto (near Melide), June 22, 2026.

Dear Followers, Friends, Family, and Christine.

Christine, I wish I could say something other than that it is hot as hell, but it is… Hot as Hell!

A delightful group of older women from Malaysia were enjoying a rest and cool drinks in the course of their walk. We engaged in a conversation and I commented how I understand that this weather is not normal in Spain. One of the women responded with a bright smile, “There’s a lot that’s not normal in your country too!“ We all had a good laugh.

Charlie and I have avoided the news except for the unavoidable headlines that appear on our cell phones. I think the peace of the Camino demands it.

Typically the days start cool with temperatures in low to mid 60s, but with humidity approaching 100%. By noon the sun has cut through the haze, temperatures have soared to approximately 20 degrees above seasonal norms. Humidity drops accordingly.

With today’s hike concluded we have only three more before we walk into Santiago. Each of these coming stages are a little over 20 km long. Rain, which we have thus far entirely avoided, appears in the forecast on the 24th and 25th. Fingers crossed that our luck continues.

The plan is that on the 25th we will walk to the Cathedral and after getting a final stamp in our credentials we will proceed to the bus depot and catch transportation to Finisterra. We have arranged one night lodging in Finisterra, transportation to Muxia, a night in Muxia, and then again transportation back to Santiago. We should arrive there the second time around 1 o’clock the afternoon of the 27th. We will check into the hotel and then anxiously await your arrival!

We again shared an albergue and dinner with our young friend, Madi. She has moved on ahead of us today. It is hoped that she will join us and meet you the evening of the 27th in Santiago. 

I hope you enjoy today’s pictures. I’m so happy that our daughter and her three children have arrived safely to join you and her daughter on the Amalfi coast. Love, Me.

Peace Everyone and Buen Camino. Pete.

At Eirexe, June 21, 2026.

Dear Followers, Friends, Family, and Christine.

Christine… HAPPY FATHERS DAY to me, and thank you for the gift of children!! It is also the longest day of the year.

Another brutally hot day. I fear for Europe and perhaps for the Midwestern United States this summer.

We have had very limited Wi-Fi and cell signals, so I am going to limit my comments to captions on the photographs:

Love you, Christine

Peace Everyone. Buen Camino. Pete.

At Barbadelo, June 19, 2026.

Dear Followers, Friends, Family, and Christine.

Christine… HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!! #49.

We will have to do a better job of advanced planning so that these milestones are spent together. Next year, 1/2 century, for sure!

For Charlie and me we are closing in on the homestretch. We don’t hit the 100 km to Santiago today, but on June 20 it will happen. We have covered nearly 400 km to date.

Today began with lower temperatures and 100% humidity.

When the sun came out the temperatures soared, the humidity plummeted, and I was soaking wet first from condensation and later from sweat.

Nearly 20 km with our packs and paradise awaited us in the form of the best albergue so far on this Camino: Barbadelo.

Better still was Madi joining us for dinner. The three of us spent over two hours in nonstop conversation.

Whatever generational divide “should” have existed evaporated in the first five minutes.

Tomorrow is 20km to Portomarín. In the course of that stage we will pass the 100 km countdown mark to Santiago. In order to qualify for the Compostela (certificate) it necessary for the pilgrim to cover the last 100 km as a continuous journey.

Charlie and I spent an hour pre-booking accommodations to Santiago, and coastal villages of Finisterra, and Muxia. We anticipate that the number of pilgrims on the trail will increase dramatically after Sarria.

Christine, wishes for safe travel to Naples for you and our granddaughter. Love, and thank you for a magical 49 years!

Peace Everyone and Buen Camino. Pete.