• Tuesday 21 October, 2014

• Presedo to 3km after Buscas (Casa Rural Anton Veiras)

I thought last night’s albergue was terrific (other than having no restaurants nearby) but all night I was woken by the high-pitched sound of mosquitoes buzzing around my head. I was trying to be quiet and not wake anyone in the room as I constantly swatted furiously at them. I was happy to get up when someone’s alarm went off at 7:30am but there’s really no point leaving until 8:30am as before this it is still completely dark. Even when I left at 8:30am it was hard to see the markers and my footing along a forest track.

I often see lots of black slugs but this was the first time to see an orange one

Yesterday I had called Bar Julia (ph: 981 630 242) to see if it would be open today when I passed, 6km after leaving Presedo. I’m not sure who I spoke to but they said they would be open, and this meant that I didn’t need to also buy breakfast back in Betanzos yesterday.

It was a nice easy walk to begin with and before I knew it I was standing outside Bar Julia. The door was closed but after trying to open it, I heard movement inside and then a key turning and next I was inside the bar ordering a tea and toasted sandwich for breakfast. This was the energy I was going to need to get me up the next big hill!

A horreo grain store house

Make-shift arrows

Arrows carved into the trees

Not an edible mushroom!

I think I’ve mentioned it’s hot again here in northern Galicia. Today the high was forecast to be 26 degrees, a week ago the highs were 14 degrees and rain! It’s also very humid and as soon as the sun comes up, it feels like a midsummer’s day. I had filled up my 1.5l water bottle at the albergue before leaving but was conscious of the fact that there were limited bars along this stretch and it would be 11km before the next albergue at Hospital de Bruma.

The forest tracks provided relief from the sun but it was still very humid and I stopped often to drink my water. When I walked into Hospital de Bruma I had just a few drops left in my bottle and was expecting to be able to fill it up in the albergue… Except that I was there too early for the albergue to be open. There was a tap opposite the albergue but I was too worried to chance it not knowing if the water would be safe to drink or not (after getting sick last week on the Primitivo, I’m still trying to be careful until I feel 100% again). I had passed an old man sitting outside his house as I walked into the small hamlet, so I walked back to his house, rang the doorbell and asked for some “agua por favour.” He was very kind and took me across the garden to the hose and filled up my bottle with delicious, cold water.

The kind man who filled up my water bottle

When I walked back past the albergue, a man had just arrived to open it (earlier than the 1pm opening time on the door). I explained I was walking further but he gave me a stamp and let me look inside the albergue that was once a former pilgrim hospital and an important junction between the two Ingles routes from A Coruna and Ferrol. It would be a very peaceful place to stay. Like last night there is no food options in the village so you can either walk 2km each way to Meson do Vento or a bar will deliver food to the albergue.

Hospital de Bruma Albergue

Hospital de Bruma Albergue

Hospital de Bruma Albergue

Hospital de Bruma Albergue

With a full bottle of water, I headed on along a long stretch of road, passing a statue of Santiago, dinosaurs and other weird things… It wasn’t the midday sun getting to me, I promise! 😉 I had a further 11km to my destination and the road was nice and easy with a few small detours along forest paths, but no obvious inclines. I stopped when I came to the next open bar in Buscas, (Bar Novo) and had an ice cream and took off my shoes briefly.

A statue of Santiago

Another horreo granary

Yes, that is a dinosaur!

Mushrooms along the track

Mushrooms along the track

Then it was just 3km more until I was standing outside Casa Rural Anton Veiras. The house is a beautiful stone building on a large property and my room is very comfortable. It’s not albergue or pilgrim “cheap” but it’s not expensive either by “normal” standards, €40 for bed and breakfast. It’s nice and quiet and I still have some of the afternoon left to relax in the sun after washing and hanging up my clothes to dry. I’ll have dinner here as there’s nothing nearby.

Santiago tomorrow… I think I’m about 30km away…

Casa Rural Anton Veiras

Casa Rural Anton Veiras

Casa Rural Anton Veiras

Day 3, Presedo to Casa Rural Anton Veiras (3km after Buscas)

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