Camino del Norte Day 19

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I seem to be back online today with a better internet connection and can post. Yesterday took so long to save and upload photos that, in the end, I gave up. Today we are in Mondoñedo, a bigger town than last night. Last night wasn’t even a town, just a hotel on the side of the road.

Today we had a 30km walk from San Vicente to our hometown for tonight, Mondoñedo. The walk was pretty direct, but we had some big long hills to climb. It felt like we were climbing all day without much descent happening.

A quiet road in Mondoñedo with a clear blue sky, a few trees lining the roadside, and an old building with a closed door on the right.
Walking up the street from our hotel. San Vicente is the group of houses ahead.

It had rained through the night, so the ground was wet when we ventured out, and the weather apps on our phones predicted some rain throughout the day, but thankfully none came our way, and the sun shone for most of the day.

A scenic view of a green valley with a small village at sunset, surrounded by rolling hills and greenery.
Sunrise!
A scenic view of green fields and a forest in Mondoñedo, featuring a tractor working the land and a few rural houses in the foreground.
The morning sun shining over the farmland
A scenic view of a small stream flowing through lush greenery with a rustic building nearby, bathed in warm sunlight.
Streams and cottages in the early sunlight
Scenic view from a path in Mondoñedo, featuring lush green grass, trees, and rolling hills under a clear sky.
Looking back down the valley from where we’d come
Two hikers walking along a dirt path lined with trees, surrounded by green fields and hills under a blue sky.
Alejandro and Vaughan up ahead

Alejandro and Vaughan are still with us and I would say they will continue to be until we all walk in together to Santiago. It’s good having them with us as they are good company.

Two hikers walking down a rural road surrounded by green fields and trees under a blue sky.
Some beautiful scenery today as we headed into the mountains
Exterior view of a round building with a sign reading 'Bar Acurria', surrounded by cars and greenery.

We stopped at a small town bar for a sandwich and a beer. The barman was rolling his eyes when we asked for egg, chorizo and cheese on a roll each. He’d never had the request before. I think the chorizo and egg omelette combination took him by surprise. Regardless it turned out very tasty, and the beer mugs came from the freezer, so the beer was extra cold too.

A scenic landscape view featuring rolling green hills under a partly cloudy sky, with a gravel path curving through the foreground.
More of the countryside
A dirt path winding through a forest of tall eucalyptus trees under a partly cloudy sky.

There was a bit of forest walking today, which wasn’t as nice as being out in the open and seeing all the scenery. We were thinking that will all the gum trees around, we could be walking anywhere in Australia. I must admit that the gum trees here don’t seem to grow like they do in Australia. A different shape here.

View of a street in Mondoñedo with a sign for 'San Miguel' above a sidewalk, featuring buildings and a blue sky with clouds.
A small town called Lorenzo we passed through
Four hikers walking along a dirt path, surrounded by green hills and a cloudy blue sky.
More farmland
View of a dirt path under a highway bridge surrounded by greenery and blue skies with scattered clouds.
Passing under the freeway that connects the whole of the north coast of Spain
Three hikers resting on a stone bench with scenic green hills and blue skies in the background.
Filling our water bottles at a local spring
Two hikers walking through a narrow, overgrown path flanked by old stone walls, with one carrying trekking poles.
Passing through some very old buildings
A person walking down a narrow, cobblestone street in a quaint town, surrounded by old buildings with green accents and a blue sky overhead.

As there were four of us, we were able to rent an apartment in Mondoñedo, which meant we could cook our food. After we’d checked in, Ron and I set out to look for a supermarket so we could buy the ingredients for dinner. We made a simple spaghetti bolognese washed down with some beers. It turned out okay, considering we didn’t have spices and herbs to make it tastier. After dinner, we went to Mass at the cathedral, and then it was back home for some dessert, chocolate and a couple more beers.

View of the cathedral in Mondoñedo with a statue in the foreground and a blue sky with clouds.
The Mondoñedo cathedral

That, my friends, brings me to the end of the day, where I must finish this post, it was a lovely day out walking, and even though we’d left the coast for the mountains, the scenery today did not disappoint. I’m looking forward to tomorrow to see what it brings.

For a map of today’s walk, you’ll find it below.

Thanks for reading, and Buen Camino! 🥳

4 comments on “Camino del Norte Day 19”

  1. Love all of your commentary, and more so that you are four. Really enjoying reading it. Stay happy, healthy & upbest 💖💙💜💛

  2. Love reading your story and the pics are fantastic. Missed the last two 7.30 news report. Had visitors both nights. Hopefully to catch you tomorrow night. Love to all .Christine

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