Quiet Miles and a Green Tunnel

Daily miles: 30.7 | Total miles: 14,869.35

I got up, had a hot coffee, got ready, and was out the door around 7:30am.

Rain was predicted again, but once more it stayed away. The morning was overcast—soft light, calm air, and a quiet feeling in the day. The first three miles through Lugo led me through the old town, where the morning traffic was already building. A gentle, easy start—just easing out of the city and into the day.

The roads were good for running, and I could feel I was a bit tired. I didn’t resist it. It felt like a day where effort didn’t need to be forced, just steady movement forward.

I stopped for a coffee at Café Mozart, took a short break, and then continued on. I expected rain in the last 20 miles, but again it never really arrived—just a light drizzle here and there, nothing that mattered enough to interrupt the rhythm.

As I approached the final section, the landscape changed completely. The path toward Albergue O Xistral turned into gravel, steep and more demanding, and suddenly I was pushing the buggy uphill through a deep green tunnel—trees arching overhead, thick fern underfoot, moss covering everything. The kind of environment I love most, where everything feels alive and a little timeless.

At the albergue, Jaime welcomed me in. The buggy is stored in a small house nearby, shoes are left outside, and my bed is in a dorm room with two others. Simple, practical, and familiar in its own way.

Outside, I met Ulla, Michael, René, and Marie from Germany. Conversation flowed easily, the way it often does in places like this—people passing through, but sharing a brief moment of connection.

Later, I met a very funny dog—limping, dramatic, and full of personality—who suddenly flopped down in front of me in the most exaggerated way. One of those small encounters that makes you smile without thinking too much about why.

Jaime cooked for everyone, but tonight I kept it simple with lentils and quinoa. I’ll try his cooking properly in two days.

Tomorrow I will descend to Foz—my second antipodal point. The day after, I’ll come back up here again for one more night, before heading to A Coruña in two days, where I will complete my continental Europe crossing.

I notice I tend to talk a little too much when there are nice people around.

Thanks for checking in, Andrea