12/5 Thursday Vilar de Cas to Lugo
15km

Well, for once I wasn't the last to leave today. I hadn't slept well so was awake when the early risers started moving around. Packed, had a quick breakfast and out on the trail soon after 8am.

A short alternative route was suggested at the Albergue- it added 500m but was pretty so why not. The detour through forest passes the Iglesia de Soutomerille and continues gently down to Gondar where I caught up with Heike.

The route onward to Lugo is not particularly interesting but we did have a guy exercising his trotting horse racing up and down in the road beside us.

Arriving in Lugo there is a big sign confirming that there is now only 100km to Santiago - an essential Camino photo stop. Then we passed inside the city wall and stopped for a coffee adjacent to a grassy plaza before hunting down our accommodation.

Heike had done well, finding a three-bedroom apartment, very central, for her, Wendy and I. We had a balcony with a view and use of the washing machine. Wendy headed out to meet Patrick for a drink and fixed up for us all to meet up for an evening meal.

Lugo requires a route decision. It is possible to cut across and rejoin the Norte which them means much less distance on the busy Francés. However, it proved to be that there was no accommodation at all for almost 30km so I decided to stick with the more straightforward Primitivo.

It ended up with eight of us eating together and we negotiated a great deal - €10 each for various starters and a huge mixed paella dish at Toni Pórtela restaurant.