We had been watching the weather closely as we knew a system was coming with severe rain and wind. Most likely the first signs of Hurricane Kirk that came through a few days later. At any rate, we woke up to torrential rain.

There was talk amongst us of just calling it and hopping on the train. Our spirits were low and Coreena’s toe was a going concern. We thought about cutting out the toe in her shoe but in the end her and I swapped shoes for the day and that seemed to give her some relief. The toe box of my Altra’s is big enough that no pressure was on the foot.

Day 5 – So off we went from Caldas de Reis to Padrón (18km), a shorter day thankfully however we had 96% humidity and A LOT of rain.

Leaving Caldas there was a steady stream of people all trying various ways to maintain a level of dryness. We saw ponchos, fancy rain gear, plastic bags, umbrellas, umbrella hats, etc. But nothing can withstand the rain after hours of walking. Not a poncho or Arc’teryx, Patagonia, whatever. Everyone and everything was soaked through within a hour or so.

Despite the weather, it was a beautiful walk. The scenery was stunning and I can only imagine how pretty it would be on a warm spring day. There are still lots of flowers in bloom and many people had gardens bursting with produce.

We didn’t stop for a break and pushed through to Padron. None of us could face having to put our wet jackets back on or sitting in wet clothes. We arrived to ferocious wind and rain to a town that looked quite industrial and a little Eastern Bloc. Unfortunately, we couldn’t check in to our Airbnb yet so we found a little cafe and had a giant plate of pasta with tea. The chill had set in by now and we were eager to get changed.

We eventually found our place and decided to eat in that night and made a feast with chicken, vegetables, salad and wine all for under €15. I can’t get over how cheap food is here. Or the wine for that matter.

Over dinner we decided to call it and take the train for the last 26km. Coreena couldn’t walk with her black toe and the forecast was awful. So we stayed up late and had too much wine. It was lovely.

The next morning we woke up to a fairly mild day. It wasn’t rainy nor was the wind blowing. While nursing a slight headache I decided to walk. I just needed to finish the damn thing. So Jen and Coreena stayed behind to get the train and I went off on my own. I left about 10:30am turned on some music and started following the Camino.

Day 6 – Padron to Santiago de Compostela (26km)

It was pretty quiet when I first set out, I left pretty late and most people are on the trail by 8am. I saw a few folks though and passed with a nod and a smile. I was making really good progress and before I knew it I was 13km in.

I ended up meeting a fellow traveller named Karston from Germany with about 8km left and we fell into step together and chatted the rest of the way. This was his 2nd Camino and he agreed that the 1st Camino provides lessons on what to do differently next time. Also, what is realistic for distance each day, how many rest days to take, etc. I found that 18-20km is my sweet spot. I can walk that everyday without feeling too uncomfortable.

This day though was 26km and because I am stubborn, I walked straight through, no breaks, no food and hardly any water. What a dummy. The last 4km was rough and the hilliest part. I kept waiting to see the cathedral in the distance but it seemed to take forever. Finally, I could see the old town, throngs of people and we rounded the corner to arrive in the massive square of the Cathedral. It took me 4.5 hours.

This city sees as many as 5000 people arriving everyday in the summer from various routes. On this day there were about 2000 and I saw flags from all over the world. It is a site to see, people of all ages and abilities all culminating with this common goal. Pretty inspiring.

The girls had a lovely 25 minute train ride and met a couple from the UK who were on the Camino but due to a foot injury also had to call it. We met in the square to celebrate and then I hobbled to our hotel. I needed to regroup and dry off.

We celebrated that night with an amazing dinner at Meson 42. A very unassuming restaurant with the best seafood paella I’ve ever had. Afterwards the girls went out for a drink and I went home to bed. My legs were done and I was exhausted.

Monday morning we were up, collected our boxes from the post office and set off for the airport to fly to sunny Malaga, Spain for 5 days of R&R.

So would I do another Camino? Yes, absolutely. I would do it differently though. I would give myself more time to take a rest day to explore spots I liked, I would only carry a day pack, I would use a different water bottle, and I would stop more instead of marching through on a mission. I’m sure better weather would encourage more breaks.

Jen and Coreena on the other hand are one and done. They are not interested in tackling another route. Perhaps they will change their mind once the sting of this one eases.

Overall, it was a great way to celebrate us entering our 50th year and we are already thinking about our 60th.