- Starting Point: Portomarin
- Ending Point: Eirexe
- Daily distance: 11.0 miles (17.7 km)
- Total distance: 423.32 miles (681.27 km)
A mist covers the trail as we depart Portomarin. I’m reminded of the forests in Grimm’s fairytales. A raven flies overhead and caws. It is enchanting.
Up and up we climb. As we crest the mountain, we rise above the fog we have been walking through. The sky is bright blue and from this vantage point we can see what looks like a lake of clouds below us.
We wind in and out of small hamlets throughout the day. In one such hamlet, we stop into a small chapel dedicated to Mary Magdalena and the blind caretaker stamped our pilgrim’s passport. He was quite a character. He asked us where we were from and then continued to call us “Florida” throughout our conversation. “Hey Florida, Buen Camino”, he shouted to us on the way out.
A new feature on the trail in this region is the hórreo (pronounced like Oreo). It is a structure used to store grain. It seems like every house we pass has one.
Our albergue hostess in Eirexe was a sweetheart. She received us with a huge smile, patted my arm over and over, took care of our laundry and eagerly tried to accommodate any request we had. It is times like this that I wish I could communicate more eloquently in Spanish because I wanted to tell her how touched I was by her hospitality. I felt cared for like a member of the family and I can only hope that my smile and repeated gushing of “Muchas Gracias” displayed how grateful I was.
Laura and I made our way to the restaurant next door and share a cheese plate. The region is also known for its cheeses, for good reason. They were delicious! The Cebreiro cheese was my favorite. The cheese block looks like a mushroom or chef’s hat. The cheese is mild, creamy and melts in the mouth.
With another day on the Camino completed, bellies full and laundry done, we hit the hay.
The Way to Land's End 