Bill Arney

Warmer and more crowded.  Started the day in the shade of the river valley, around 4ºC, but walked up the other side of the valley, into the sun and started shedding layers. Not a peaceful walk like yesterday’s. Many people, many groups including,  imagine this, a school group. You don’t have to ask where the Camino is; you just follow the line of backpacks. Azura and Pedrouzo, the main towns on this stage, are pilgrim oriented, lots of albergues and conchas on every business, no matter what’s for sale.  The municipal albergue packs a lot of pilgrims in a small space, but there’s a nice kitchen, almost enough plugs to recharge all the gadgets, and it’s still 6€.

Just out of Ribadisio you encounter a garbage can with “free philosophy” written on it and then a line of posters, in Spanish and English, containing some of the great quotes from philosophers (Ronald Reagan even gets an entry) and spiritual leaders.  And there’s a promise of more free philosophy at km 33. At km 33, more sayings, a food cart (food for the belly, not, directly,  the mind), a large gathering of pilgrims and Bruno, the “seeker”/philosopher behind it all.   I asked where he studied philosophy.  “Here, in this life, in conversation.” Good start.  And it just got better. Talk with him. He’ll drag you into philosophy and, if you read all the way to the end of the  sayings on his wall, into the Bible (as studied by Bruno, not as preached by any church). Just another creative quirk on El Camino. And the cake was good too.