Day 9: O Cádavo Baleira to Lugo, 34.11 km, 21.15 miles

A walk to Santiago de Compostela is anything but normal, but today’s walk was pretty normal as far as the Camino goes – beautiful sunrise, lots of steps, lots of hills (normal for the Primitivo), beautiful vistas, good people, and a good ending to the day.

“The repetition in Nature may not be a recurrence; it may be a theatrical encore.” -GK Chesterton

Three quick observations about Lugo:

1. The Old Town (like most in Spain) is cool and worth seeing.
2. The Old Town is surrounded by fully intact Roman walls dating back to the 3rd century, one of a kind in the world!
3. Lugo is 100 km from Santiago, so it’s a starting point for many pilgrims.
4. Oh yeah (bonus observation), there’s a long, steep climb into the city made more difficult by the 30 kilometers that preceded it.

I am generally a law-abiding citizen; we won’t linger on the areas in which I am not. However, these pieces at the Hostel Portón (home for the night) inspire me to become an art thief! Before my next trip to Lugo, I’ll watch Oceans 11 & 13 (not 12, it was terrible) and devise a plan, kidding/not kidding. Seriously, though, this is a good place to stay – in the Old Town and no bunk beds!

These normal days are the best the Camino has to offer.