The one with a near-miss cyclist, a T-Rex in the woods & Annette’s river paddle (this time, no phone involved!)
Location: Hospital de Bruma to Sigüeiro
Distance: 16 miles
Weather: Overcast but warm – perfect for striding out without melting
Day five brought dinosaur surprises, English barmaids in Spanish villages, wild herbs by the trail, and a river paddle (with phones safely out of reach). It wasn’t the most scenic day in places (thanks, motorway stretch), but the camaraderie and silliness made it fly by. Our final hostel stop before Santiago delivered private rooms, pizza, and lots of laughs. One more sleep until we reach the finish line…
🌺 6:30 am – I didn’t sleep well – way too hot. The room was fine, but my dreams were not. I had a vivid one involving an Indian man giving me flowers. Interpret that how you will.
🧦 7:00 am – Brief panic as I couldn’t find my socks. Crisis averted. I headed down for breakfast: simple but effective – omelette, toast, or croissant, and a mug of that glorious Spanish coffee I’m really going to miss.
😴 8:00 am – It wasn’t just me with a rough night; the group was quieter than usual. No blisters, just zombie mode. We did our morning briefing, and off we went! The cloud slowly lifted as we found our rhythm together.
🚴♂️ 8:48 am – “WATCH OUT!” – A cyclist whizzed past, nearly taking one of us out. The Camino may be peaceful, but it’s still Galicia – and Spanish cyclists have no bells.
🦖 8:56 am – Welcome to the Dinosaur Town – an unexpectedly delightful section of the trail, with weird and wonderful sculptures that seem to multiply every year. The star attraction is a giant T-Rex (or possibly a generic terrifying dino – we’re not palaeontologists). Sadly, the café was shut.
🥪 11:00 am – Early lunch at mile 8. The place was buzzing with pilgrims and laughter. The woman behind the bar looked every bit a local señora… until she opened her mouth and revealed a full-on East Grinstead accent. Surprise! We ordered bocadillos, and in the back room, discovered a wall of Post-it notes filled with scribbles from pilgrims past. Hayley wrote a heartfelt message; I kept it short: “Let Them.”
🌿 12:42 pm – The next stretch took us through a fragrant little village, with rosemary and mint lining the trail like a rustic herb garden. The conversation turned to our favourite herbs.
🚗 1:00 pm – Oh, this bit. The motorway stretch. My least favourite part. Long, loud, and lacking any charm. Caroline, Sue, and Ali made it bearable by playing the alphabet game – name a vegetable beginning with A, then B… and so on. It kept the mood light and distracted us from the traffic whizzing by.
🧺 1:30 pm – We stopped for a picnic lunch just outside Sigüeiro. Feet came out for airing, bocadillos were consumed and stories flowed. You could feel the tiredness, but also the closeness of Santiago – it’s so near now!
🌊 2:00 pm – One last stop: a lovely little river crossing, and Annette just couldn’t resist it. This time, shoes off, paddle on – but she left her phone safely with the group, learning from the Great River Dunk of Day One. By 2:30 pm, we arrived at Camino Real Albergue – a proper pilgrim hostel, and for many, their first time staying in one.
🏠 Ali, Stephanie, and Lisa lucked out with private rooms, complete with a kitchen and lounge. The rest of us were in shared spaces, but the mood was relaxed and happy.
🍕 6:30 pm – Dinner was simple and satisfying: pizza or spaghetti Bolognese, followed by yoghurt or ice cream. We grabbed stamps for our Camino passports, shared laughs over the day’s adventures, and by 8:00 pm, we were all tucked up like proper pilgrims. Tired. Content. Ready for the final stretch.
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Tomorrow… Santiago awaits.
Buen Camino, and thanks for reading