Camino Primitivo: from Lugo

20 May 2022 Thom Camino Primitivo, Pilgrim Reports

On the road again! The city walk out of Lugo was surprisingly short. We left the old city by the Santiago gate near the cathedral, and after a short walk we’re crossing the old Roman bridge over the river.

We walked along the river for a bit, passing through the old village, now neighborhood, of San Lazaro. This was famous once for its lepers’ hospital. And then suddenly we were walking again on blacktop through forest and field. It was only at this point that we could no longer see the spires of the cathedral on the hill behind us.

For a long while, we walked a smooth flat gravel path next to the highway. Easy walking in the cool morning air. Spain is enduring a heat wave right now, and we wanted to to get as many kilometers under our belt before the morning mist burned off as we possibly could.

Eventually, we left the highway and with it its gravel path. Instead we were walking on the asphalt of a country road through meadows and fields dotted with stands of trees, with forest stretching off in the distance.

A brief break at an unmanned pilgrim shelter with vending machines and, most importantly, a restroom. There never seem to be enough bathrooms on the Camino!

The number of pilgrims we have seen has increased dramatically. Where on former days we would see no more than 10 or 12 pilgrims by midday, there were parts of today where I could see that many pilgrims on the road just ahead of me. I expect the number to go up exponentially again once we pass Melide in a couple of days, when the Camino Primitivo meets up with the much more traveled Camino Francés.

Although most of our day was road walking, there were some lovely bits along dirt paths through the countryside.

While Francine and Callie spent a moment changing out their socks, I stopped at the little rural church of San Miguel de Bacurín. To my great surprise, the door was open. The parish priest was there, along with someone doing restoration survey work. They allowed me a moment to pray. A lovely, lovely 13th century Romanesque church.

I felt in there a great sense of peace. It was a good reminder after the glory of Lugo Cathedral that there can also be great beauty in small, quiet spaces.

The sun finally burned through about noon, and the temperature rose precipitously. Fortunately, we happened upon the Taberba San Roman near to a replica mile marker from the reign of Caligula. Beer ensued.

Note on the mile marker: the original is preserved in the diocesan museum in Astorga. This replica is set up in its place.

Sun beat down this afternoon. There was not a single cloud in the sky. Fortunately, the Camino ducked in and out of shady woodlands, which was a great relief from the heat.

Some of those were groves of eucalyptus. These trees are not native to Spain, but they have proliferated through the north after being brought back from Australia centuries ago. In these particular stands of trees there is little of the native underbrush and no birds except the occasional angry crow, and they are eerily silent. The trees themselves provide a little shade and look as though they are a sickly blight upon the land.

A long hot slog at the end. We arrived about 3:30 at our albergue at the edge of a village in the middle of nowhere and sort of collapsed.

Wi-Fi here out in the country is super dodgy, so only a few photos this time, and no video.

Edited to add: video!