Camino de Santiago - Day 5

Quiroga to Porba do Brollon - 14.3 miles

I set off quite early to avoid the worst of the heat (25C). It was not the most exciting of walks but the first 2 hours of road walking were great for meditation while the other 2 hours of 'creepy' forest walking was great for my overactive imagination. I can tell you, the mind can go to interesting places when you are walking alone through a quiet forest with only the birds as company and fallen trees as the main attraction. I arrived at my first destination pretty early: an adorable little village with the loveliest rest stop and cutest dog ever who was very adamant about wanting to eat my lunch. After a serious conversation, we agreed on an 80/20 split that made both of us ridiculously happy. I have to say, the wells and water stops have always been the highlight of all my stops for two reasons: fresh water and the history of the well. Some were built purely for pilgrims and some were a communal washing area that is still being used by some of the locals. As I was well ahead of schedule I took several long rest breaks and simply enjoyed the moment and the view. I did encounter another Peregrino (pilgrim) heading the other way and some lovely locals who were more than happy to chat with a lonely walker. It was a hot day but the lighting was perfect for my pictures and my Factor 50 sun cream did a brilliant job stopping me from going up in flames. My accommodation for the night was as Spanish as it gets and the local restaurant offered some amazing meals that I simply couldn't say no to. A really great day all in all.