It is raining master pilgrim..

.. and it will keep on raining until the rain has stopped! To mis-quote Gandalf.

A wet day with little let-up, never really heavy thankfully but wet enough (and the weather forecast suggests the next three days will be much the same).

I did however find a bar doing pancakes for breakfast so the day was not ccompletely bad!

We're on the part of the Camino which has a lot of little valleys for rivers and streams thus the day followed one of the camino rules of what goes up must come down before going up and down once more!

Today was a walk of about 15km taking us to Arzua thus we are only about 40km away from Santiago or two day's walk which is a strange feeling - the first five days were such a rush to get to Triacastella in time to meet mum and dad that everything since then seems to have been slow so that it almost felt like we would never get to Santiago and yet soon we will be there. As always this makes me both happy and sad as I both want to get there and don't.

Tonight we're in a private albergue on the edge of arzua la fuente and have a room with only three beds in so, apart from dad's enthusiastic snoring, it should be a quiet night!

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Route Napoleon closures: November-March

For anyone thinking of setting off on the Camino anytime soon just a reminder that the Navarrese Govenmnet closes the Route Napoleon over the Pyrenees from November 1st - March 31st each year (and longer if need be). Roncenvalles in the snow The official notification for this (from last year) is below.

The Camino Primitivo

The Camino Primitivo (or the Original Way) is reportedly the very first Camino Way to Santiago in the 9 th century when most of Spain was under the control of the Moors and it runs from near the city of Ovideo in Asturias as it starts in Villavicosa (which also lies on the Camino Norte so many people follow this Way from Basque city of San Sebastian (Donosti in Basque) or in from the French border at Irun ( this route then hugs the Bay of Biscay passing through Guernica, Bilbao, Santander, Llanes before going under the Picos de Europa and then heads along the coast to Ovideo) before branching off onto the Primitivo which goes across the mountains and through the city of Lugo before joining the Frances at Melide. The route is 320km long. Image taken from https://viaalpina2013.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/camino-del-norte-camino-primitivo/

Pilgrim Prayer - Columba

Columba was an Irish monk (who founded several monasteries in Ireland) who sailed with 12 others to the island of Iona just off the west coast of Scotland. The Abbey he funded became one of the powerhouses of Mediaeval Christendom. He lived from 7th December 521 until 9th June 597. Alone with none but thee, my God, I journey on my way. What need I fear, when thou art near O king of night and day? More safe am I within thy hand Than if a host did round me stand. Be thou a bright flame before me, Be thou a guiding star above me, Be thou a smooth path below me, Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me, Today, tonight and forever.

On the Camino

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