The one with dinosaurs, spiders, and soul-talks
📍 Location: Hospital de Bruma → Sigüeiro
🥾 Miles: 16.4
⛑️ Health: No change. All good.
🌦️ Weather: Cool, cloudy with the occasional sprinkle of rain.
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HIGHLIGHTS
🍳 7.30 am – Breakfast at Hotel Canamia has had an upgrade since my last visit. Once it was just toast or croissant with coffee, but today the spread was glorious: tortilla, cheese, ham, pastries, juice, and plenty of caffeine. A buffet breakfast really does set the tone for the day.
☀️ 8.15 am – Group photo time. The sun was shyly peeking through the clouds when a lorry pulled up beside us with “FARTO” emblazoned across the side. Cue another round of photos and uncontrollable giggles.
🥾 8.18 am – And we’re off! The trail is cloaked in mist, the kind where sunlight pushes through in silver shafts. The rhythm of walking poles tapping on tarmac, cornfields swaying, the earthy smell of the morning, it feels almost cinematic.
🦖 9.09 am – I know what’s coming, but I keep quiet. Jan, Juan, and Gaby are ahead, chatting away, admiring the statues outside a café—completely oblivious to the giant T-Rex lurking on the other side. Jan spots it first, freezes, and the expressions on their faces are priceless. Behind me, Lucy shouts, “Look at the horse’s head—oh wait… there’s a dinosaur!” Photos snapped, including John and Alison hilariously re-enacting a sculpture embrace. (See photo).
😢 10.00am-ish – I fall into step with Rianne from Holland. She opens up about her challenges, and I just listen, sometimes space is the best gift you can give. There are tears, then an unexpected hug. A beautiful Camino moment.
🚽 10.06 am – Urgent loo stop required. Less beautiful: toilet paper littering the hedgerows. Seriously, people, leave no trace! Sandwich bags exist so take your toilet paper with you! Nature deserves better than your soggy soiled tissues. Rant over.
🕷️ Moments later, Lou squeals with delight at a perfectly spun, glistening spider’s web with its proud creator sitting centre-stage. Cue more photos.
☕️ 10.16 am – Coffee and stamp battles at the first café. We’re still leapfrogging “Father Ted” and his band of 14 Brits. The Cornwall girls shuffle past, nursing hangovers from last night’s brandy, proof that the Camino is as much fiesta as it is pilgrimage.
🥪 11.19 am – Halfway café stop. I grab a bocadillo to go. Alison’s knee has had enough, and with quiet bravery, she calls it a day and orders a taxi. A wise choice.
🥾 From here, I walk solo. Every pilgrim should try this at least once, the forest trail feels alive: eucalyptus scent heavy in the air, acorns crunching underfoot, spiky chestnut husks (or “hedgehogs,” as Gaby calls them) scattered everywhere. It’s peaceful, grounding, restorative.
🥪 1.06 pm – Lunch break with Jan and Gaby perched roadside. My bocadillo tastes ten times better eaten in the quiet shade.
🛣️ The last stretch drags beside a noisy motorway, but conversation with Lou and Lucy about life’s challenges keeps us distracted.
🏨 3.20pm – Sigüeiro! I love this hostel. No bunk beds, bedding included, and little sweets and washcloths laid out on each bed. Some of us even lucked out with private rooms and a cosy shared lounge.
❤️ 5 pm – Woo-woo time. A few of us gather for Lou’s guided meditation. We ground ourselves, breathe, connect, and let the chanting music wash over us. Afterwards, we each draw two postcards with our eyes shut. One postcard representing our present, the other our future. The exercise hits deep, tears flow, bonds strengthen. A magical, unforgettable hour. Thank you Lou.
🥘 7 pm – Dinner at a local bar (with a detour for a few still chasing the elusive wax stamp). My goats cheese and fried egg salad hits the spot, finally, something green!
10pm – Lights out. Tomorrow we walk into Santiago. Thanks for reading along.
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