It was another gorgeous day, although there was a chill in the air when we left our albergue in O Porriño. It was also the busiest day we’ve experienced on any of our Caminos. Many people are walking just the last 100 km so that they can receive a Compostela in Santiago. According to our Wise Pilgrim app, we covered about 18 km today, from O Porriño to Cesantes, which is just past Redondela. Dave’s smart watch says it was closer to 22 km.

We had only just reached the outskirts of O Porriño when we were in for another surprise. The same two Guardia Civil who gave us a stamp for our Credentials yesterday, were giving them out again.

We really don’t mind the hustle and bustle of this Camino. Even though we didn’t speak with many of the people we saw today, their faces are familiar. People wave as they pass by or when we stop for lunch. Then, we wave back when we pass by. It’s like a game of leapfrog!

When we stopped for coffee and cake in Rúa (Mos) around 10:30 AM, I finally asked Google to tell me what the temperature was. It had warmed up to 13°C by then!

While Dave chatted with a pilgrim from Denmark in the packed café, I slipped across the road to warm up on a sunny bench. I spoke with a woman who was part of a tour group doing the Camino from Porto. She was curious about our journey, but just as we were getting into the details, her bus arrived—and Dave had finished his coffee—so off we went!

That’s when the climbing began—130 meters, to be exact—and what did we find at the top? The bus and all the people from the bottom of the hill! They were let off the bus to walk on the flatter terrain and then down the other side. 

We came to a meaningful monument honouring women. The inscription seemed to translate to: “As society continues to walk/work for equality, we will end violence, especially violence against women.” It was a powerful reminder of the connection between equality and peace.

Now, for the best part—last night, we stayed in a dormitory, but tonight we have a private twin-bedded room with breakfast included. Can you hear the collective sigh of relief? To make things even better, we asked the hospitalera here at O Refugio de la Jerezana to call ahead to tomorrow’s hostel to see if we could switch our reservation from two beds in a dormitory to a private room. Mission accomplished! The extra 20 euros are totally worth it, we think.