15/5 Sunday As Seixas to Boente 20.5km
I spent the evening chatting to Steve over the evening meal. I got him to explain Aussie Rules Football to me.

Later I chatted to Veronica. She sings with a group and was beginning to work with group members on writing their own material instead of doing covers. The group seemed quite versatile with jazz influences. I introduced her to the Cuatros Vientos song I'd picked up from Lale and Ramon.

We were woken at 3am by a thunderstorm with the associated rain pouring into our room through the open Velux! That was quickly sorted but then the electricity died and the emergency lights came on - that didn't help us get back to sleep.

In the morning it turned out that not only was there no electricity still but no running water either! No coffee again and last away as usual.

The wind was getting up and the clouds looked threatening. However, I got the first 9km to Irago and coffee without getting wet. I chatted to a nice German couple who I've met at previous coffee stops. Still don't know their names.

There seemed already to be more pilgrims about, quite a few groups travelling with day sacs. So the threatening weather materialised and the brolly was out on and off for the rest of the day.

I entered the town of Melide with trepidation as this was where the Primitivo joined the Francés. I met Rebecca, from Winchester, in a cafe where we were both hunting lunch. She's been on the Francés doing over 30km a day so another ship in the night.

The cafe was on the now joined Camino and there was a constant stream of peregrinos passing. It looks like no shortage of company from now on and little chance of solitary walking.

Walking out of Melide I joined Tanya, from Vancouver, and Stein, from Denmark. We swapped a few stories and experiences and bemoaned the inclement weather for a while before I moved a little ahead.

The largely woodland path beyond Melide was very pleasant even with ponchos every 20m. My brolly was attracting comment and interest from quite a few of those dripping in the rain.

I was soon in Boente and my Albergue, coincidentally followed by Tanya and Stein.