Stage 1 – Ferrol to Pontedeume, 27.9 kms

In case you were wondering, I slept like a rock, not stirring until my alarm went off at 7:00 am. I walked out of the Hostal Zahara at 7:30 am, bound for the Ferrol Tourism Office (officially called Oficina Municipal de Turismo y de Atención al Peregrino @ Paseo da Mariña, s/n 15401 Ferrol). This is the starting point for the Camino Inglés and the place where I needed to pick up my pilgrim credencial. In a perfect world, I would have gotten the credencial in advance. But I didn’t, and the Tourism Office didn’t open until 8:00 am, so I strolled the 1.5 km from Hostal Zahara to the Tourism Office, thankful to be walking in Spain again! I arrived at 7:55 am and waited with two other pilgrims that had the same plan as me. At 8:00 am, two ladies opened the office and set us all on our way, properly credentialed.

In a perfect world, there would be a nearby coffee shop playing Bob Marley music this fine Thursday morning. Two good omens early in the pilgrimage, there was a bar (coffee shop) two doors down from the Tourism Office and directly on the Camino de Santiago path through town. When I went in, the jukebox was playing my favorite Bob Marley song. A near perfect start to a long walk – good coffee, a croissant, and good music!

In a perfect world, a walk on the Camino de Santiago would have great weather – moderate temperatures and big, blue skies. There was rain in the forecast for the next four days, but I was hoping the Spanish forecasters would be as unreliable as their US counterparts (fingers crossed). I finished my coffee and croissant and ordered a coffee to go. Then I waited for my second favorite Bob Marley song to finish as I looked out the window towards the waterfront and the blue skies.

At the end of “No Woman No Cry”, I strapped on my backpack and set forth…into the rain. I ducked under an awning with a few other pilgrims to put on my rain jacket and pack cover. And then I set forth. Still, it was a beautiful walk up the Ria de Ferrol and crossing and then walking down the other side until the path veers towards the east and Pontedeume. Half of this journey is along the waterways and level. Once the trail veers south and east towards Pontedeume, there are a lot of ups and downs (huffing and puffing) through the Galician woods.

By the time I made it to my albergue in Pontedeume, I had walked 35.8 kilometers (22.25 miles). It was an ambitious walk for Day 1, especially in the rain. If I had it to do over again, I would sleep in and walk from Ferrol to Neda (halfway), a more reasonable distance. Pontedeume was good, though – the longest day behind me, a good place to lay my head, and my brother joined me from Santiago!