Another 9am start from the hotel in Melide. We strolled up the hill into the town, pausing for a photo opportunity of the cross with Jesus sitting down. I’m wondering how that can be possible but I guess it shows the humanity of Jesus, even if realistically he would have been unlikely to die on the cross sitting down.
I’d seen images of pilgrims walking though modern looking cities looking out of place with all the gear for a hike but I never thought I would be one of them. Slightly more prepared for the prospect of rain today and a yellow weather warning of wind - they have those in Spain too. We soon got back into more rural walking and once we were no longer following Martin who was keen to make sure we found our way back to the yellow arrows we all jostled for position like runners at the start of a marathon. I am surprised by my own level of fitness and once again I was striding out in front setting a pace that Cara the Collie would be very happy to match. I paused at a church to gain another stamp - the man told me my lovely wax stamp from the previous day was fake, and had been done by the Romanian Mafia. As I left the church I wondered whether I considered it fake - it was a stamp in my passport and I like it and as long as the Pilgrim Passport office in Santiago don’t consider my passport invalid if I have it then does it matter? I think it is special! I thought that everyone had walked past me whilst I was in the church so set off at an increased pace to catch the people from my group who were in front of me (I had assumed they were the stragglers). Oh how wrong was! They were at the front so I slowed a little to chat but when we reached an incline my head went down and my pace went up.

There was another point where the path was signed in two directions, it does make me smile but I always chose to take the main route rather than the complementary one. This time I was rewarded by a lovely set of stones across a river - not quite stepping stops but good balance was definitely a bonus.

The first cafe was not the prescribed stop but it had a much needed loo and I had a quick coffee as some of the others caught up. Off again and the next stop - the one Martin had recommended had a lovely covered area and it started to rain with a vengeance. I ended up having another coffee and broke out the lovely red rain cover for my rucksack!

Downhill from the cafe - I am beginning to dread those sections and without my walking poles my knees would hurt a whole lot more. Through another pretty village with a lovely church, another stamp and some pretty old houses. I wonder how often I can continue to proclaim “its so pretty” but so much of this route really is.

The next hill was probably one of the steepest, through some forest. The cyclists had flown down behind me yelled Buen Caaaaammmiiiiiinnnnoooooo on the way past and then I saw them pushing their bikes up the hill! Even I had to pause on the way up, frustratingly 20metres from the top. The cyclists had propped their bikes against one of the two optional signs so I had to ask them to move it so that I could choose which way to go. By this time it was raining in earnest. A lot of the route was on roads which started to make my feet feel like they were being hammered.

Having walked so far on the second day that I had missed our lunch stop I was starting to worry that I had missed this one too - Mandy caught up with me and she was quite convinced we hadn’t this time so we kept going. Unfortunately what goes up must come down so although we climbed up another incline we then came to an incredibly steep downhill stretch. Going at my own pace and envying the fact that the downhill stretches were not affecting her knees we came to another village. Martin had told us the lunch stop was over a small bridge so we got out the picture that he had helpfully sent us via WhatsApp and checked. Pizza for lunch.

I have a blister on my little toe which is quite bearable except when I set off again after a stop. Wraenna and Carmel had just ordered their lunch as I left, and it just started to rain again - I’m not happy with any of the weather forecasting apps because we have had way more rain today than any of them had suggested. It is hard to enjoy the scenery when every time you look up you get rain on your glasses.

Fortunately into Arzua is up kind of zigzag so more calorie burn which I probably needed after my pizza. The pavement into town has little metal shells set into it to point the way. Our hotel is about 1km beyond the town and since it is raining I wont be going anywhere for the rest of the day. That is other than the bath, the bar and my bed.

Tomorrow is going to be the biggest day of all as Mandy, Johanna and myself are planning to walk 29km finishing at Lavacolla but more about that later.