Day 35: Sobrado to Arzúa

October 16, 2022. Closing in on the prize.

In order to get the ”Campostela” certification, one must have the Camino passport stamped twice a day during the final 100 km, not just once. That gets a little tricky if you eat and sleep in the same place and don’t stop much, but don’t worry, we’ve got it covered.

We arose on another misty moist day with low dark clouds overhead. After getting our usual breakfast at the Via Sacra bar/cafe outside of the Dos Monxes monastery, we headed out to get a prompt start. Once again, the forecast was for rain, and we needed to make the best of the dry hours. We started out on the local highway and soon were diverted into nice wooded side roads with moderate hills and descents. Being Sunday, all was quiet.

After about two hours and making a good 9.5 km, it started to mist and we cam to a bus stop. It was very convenient to stop for an orange and granola bar and to get rain gear out and poised. Today it would never rain more than a mist or light rain level, and then, no more than 20 minutes.

The Camino became rather routine: little back roads trying to find a quieter route than the highway into Arzúa, but never deviation much, and sometimes coming back to dump us on the highway for a short while before veering off again. The towns were rather plain and dull in appearance. There were few people out.

We kept up a good pace and came to a church that was having mass. But we would have interrupted mass rather abruptly if we had gone in , so we took our second brea outside.

Now with only 8 km to go, and not great place to stop, we just turned on the gas and kept going into the town of Arzua. We found our hotel quickly and were delighted with the menu of the day right at the hotel restaurant. As it was continuing to be misty and windy, we were glad to call it a day and stay indoors. We have only two sub-20 km days to go. Total remaining distance to Santiago: 39 km.