May 6, 2025, Gonzar

Today Garrett and Ryan will meet me on the Camino to walk the rest of the way to Santiago. I have lodging reservations for us in Gonzar at the Hosteria de Gonzar. Their train does not arrive at Sarria until almost 2:00, then they need to take a taxi to Morgade where I stayed last night to start walking. Morgade is just outside the 100km mark to Santiago for a regulation Camino into Santiago.

The weather was beautiful today, but the air was crisp. Water was running down the Camino in many areas.

Today I did not see near the amount of people as yesterday, but it was just due to my timing and starting point. I saw Gabbi who was walking with her mom a week back. Her mom has hurt herself so she is taking a day off and waiting for flatter terrain. Later on at lunch Gabbi told me that she had encountered even more people than yesterday, it was good to see a familiar face.

I saw much of the same as yesterday, I went into one cute shop selling nicknacks and snacks. Their logo was a Camino tortoise, I think it is my spirt animal at times.

I came across this old refuge plaza for pilgrims to light a fire to warm up.

The walk included 3 options in the route. I used the first one down to Portomarin, the second was out of Portomarin through a steep climb and thought the trees, I used it. The final one was into Gonzar which I skipped because I could already see my lodging for the night.

When I arrived I had lunch with Gabbi and her mother and Mathew, a man from Rhodes Island that I haven’t seen since Easter Sunday in Carrión de Los Condes with Malcolm. After walking into Gonzar proper and seeing nothing, I sat outside with Les and Alec who had met 10 years ago while walking the Camino, I had mentioned them from the hotel in yesterday’s past, but I didn’t know their names until today.