Camino Primitivo
Day 29 of our Adventure: WALK!!
CAMINO Day 20
Saturday September 30, 2017
31km / 19 miles / 8 hours
Total Ascent: 1017 ft.
Total Descent: 2034 ft.
Difficulty Rating: Terrain 3; Waymarking 2
Scenery Rating: 3
O Cadavo Baleira to Lugo
Longest walk of the entire trip…. The guidebook says that it’s “all downhill, including a very steep 300m [985-ft.] drop in less than 3km [1.8 miles]”. There was only 1 place to stop en route, and it was a seating area with vending machines. We did stop there to rub our tired feet and have a soda and the peanuts that we packed for today’s journey. This is what one mapping app looked like (a little different from our walk, but you get the gist.)
We were starving when we arrived in Lugo ~ had a wonderful meal at Restaurante Campos. There was this group of men playing instruments and singing all through the mid-day meal time. They cleared out at about 4 PM, and then the same group reappeared at 8:00 at the bars in the Plaza.
A major crossroads in ancient times, Lugo was founded by the Romans and built upon a Celtic castro, or fortified hilltop. The Roman walls (nearly 2000 years old!) completely encircle Old Lugo and are an amazing sight. They extend 2 km, are 30-45-feet high, 15 feet thick, and have 10 entry gates. Unique in Spain is the sentry path that runs around the top of the walls. It’s great for a stroll (unless you’ve just walked for 8 hours straight) and contemplating the city, the Ancares Mountains, and the Río Miño. We did walk part of the wall, took a few pictures (the one with the balcony is our room at Hotel Monumento Pazo de Orban ~ note the hiking shoes), visited the Cathedral, and then we stopped for a glass of wine in the Plaza.
The Cathedral is amazing. The Rosary was being said; we didn’t stay for very long, as we didn’t want to be disrespectful. Also, the Blessed Sacrament is perpetually exposed in the Cathedral, and there are some strict rules. Not sure about taking pictures during the Rosary, so we didn’t take many.
The hotel is located right next to the ancient wall, and people were out partying ALL NIGHT LONG. It is now 7:00 in the morning, and they are still talking very loudly outside of our bedroom window. Needless to say, we didn’t get much sleep last night. We’ll definitely come back to this beautiful city But we’ll find a quieter place to stay).
Souper Power 