Heat Wave on the Camino Sanabrés: Ourense to Cea

 “Religious or not, we count our blessings.”
Rick Steves

Camino Sanabrés Stage 10 / Via de la Plata Stage 34

Today was another short stage, not because we planned it that way, but rather out of sheer necessity.  Although we were blessed with a ceiling fan in our room last night, we had a mostly sleepless night.  Around midnight, the temperature had finally dropped below 30°C outside, and with both windows open and the fan on, we lay on top of the sheets without sweating. 

However, we were in the city, and it was far from a quiet night.  Around 2:00 AM, a recycling truck pulled up outside, and for the next 45 minutes proceeded to smash crates of glass bottles into its back end.   A nearby bar stayed open until around 4:00 AM, and its patrons alternated between singing at full volume and shouting back and forth amongst themselves.  When that finally ended, a group of drunk teenagers went down the street shouting loudly and set off some kind of security alarm that began to wail for the next hour.  We were glad to be out of the baking hot sun, but sleep was far from possible. 

While the scenarios have varied from night to night, the fact is that this year we have not had much luck with our accommodations, whether they are in an albergue or a hotel.

It feels as though both the Via de la Plata and Camino Sanabrés take the approach of offering pilgrims enlightenment through suffering.

Return to the Camino

We finally headed out around 6:00 AM, following streets that were still alive with people.  Usually, when we walk out of a city in the early hours of the morning, we meet the bar crowd on their way home, but this felt more like the residents of Ourense had simply decided to live their lives in the cool of the night instead of during the unbearably hot hours of the daytime. We had read this is the 'frying pan of Galicia', and we can certainly appreciate leading a nocturnal existence to avoid melting if we lived here.  Even at these early hours, the temperature was over 20 degrees.

The streets looked romantic in the soft golden light of the street lamps, as we followed the tree-lined main road past the side street with the outdoor escalators and towards the edge of town.  Almost right away, we noticed a pair of American pilgrims keeping pace with us on the other side of the shop-lined street.  We assumed that we would see even more pilgrims on the trail today than yesterday, as many people choose to begin their Caminos at the 100 km mark, but in the end we only spotted only four others out walking out of the city.   Had the new wave of pilgrims begun in Salamanca days ago?  Or had everyone already set off and begun their day? 

Rio Minho

Only a few minutes after setting off, we came to the famous Puente Romana, which spans the Rio Minho.  We've walked across this river twice before in Porto, once when we walked from Lisbon to Santiago on the Camino Portuguese Central, and once again when we walked the Camino Portugues da Costa and Espiritual Routes.  It felt like meeting an old friend, but curiously, its banks along this stretch are bordered by hot springs.

The bridge, which may or may not actually be Roman, was quite steeply arched, and its railings were lit by two strands of white lights.  There were a few other pedestrians on it as we crossed, taking time to stop in the middle to look at the modern bridge down the river, with its huge swooping walkways that were also lit up with white lights. It was a lovely spot, a little reminiscent of the bridge in Merida that we crossed so many days ago.

As we reached the outskirts of the town, the first bars were just beginning to open, their owners rolling out the awnings and setting up the chairs and tables on the sidewalks outside.  Although it was tempting, we didn't stop for a proper café con leche as we had just had breakfast and were eager to get as many kilometres done before the temperature reached the predicted 38-40°C as quickly as possible. 

Instead, the Camino turned off the main road and began following a track into the countryside.

Hard Climb out of Ourense

Almost immediately, the path began to climb rather steeply.  The ascent continued for the first 4 km of today's hike, taking us higher and higher above the city.  As we passed large country houses with beautiful vegetable gardens, trellises covered in lush green grape vines, and small orchards outside, we occasionally paused to look behind us at the view of Ourense stretched out in the valley below and catch our breath.  It is one of the few Spanish cities on this Camino where the Cathedral doesn't dominate the skyline.

Even at 7:00 AM, it was already over 20°C and extremely humid, making the climb feel much more difficult than it likely was.  We slowly huffed and puffed our way up, stopping to drink and cool off periodically. 

We both felt this climb would be a brutal start to a Camino for anyone beginning their pilgrimage in Ourense.  It was reminiscent of the climb out of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the Camino Frances, but with uncomfortable heat and humidity thrown in.

Just as we finally reached the top of the hill, the sun poked up over the mountain beside us.  The sky was so hazy it looked like a soft yellow ball, but it turned the grasses to gold and gave the trees long shadows.  Suddenly, the mossy walls that lined the path in some sections looked much more colourful.  We were extremely grateful to have finished the bulk of the biggest climb on this stage before the worst heat of the day.

100 km to Santiago de Compostela

Shortly after summiting the hill, we came to a beautiful neighbourhood full of stone houses, as well as locating the 100.111 km marker.  The 100 km point is important on pilgrimages to Santiago because it represents the minimum distance that must be walked in order to receive a Compostela, or certificate of completion from the church.  On the Camino Frances, the number of pilgrims increases significantly at this point, so we were curious to see what would happen on the Camino Sanabrés. 

Slow Travel on the Camino 

We soon got our answer, walking on, we passed several of the standard Galician Camino markers counting down....a few decimal places at a time 100.754  km, then 100.111 km, then 99.580 km.

It was here that we came across four taxis with just over a dozen fresh and clean pilgrims climbing out of the vehicles.  As we walked past, most pilgrims simply nodded and said buen camino; however, a couple of them laughed at how sweaty we were already. 

Before we could simply continue on, one pilgrim stopped us to lecture that we were “dumb noobs” for having walked from the cathedral and hiked out of town, since the 100 km marker wasn’t at the cathedral but at the top of the hill. “All you need to do to be a pilgrim is start here,” he insisted. “So why do the climb… just take a taxi, man!”

Moments like this highlight the many different definitions of what it means to be a pilgrim. For some, it is a certificate or a distance marker; for others, it is the full journey, sweat and all. In the end, each person must find their own way, though the Camino has a way of revealing just how differently we each measure meaning along the road and what our goals for the journey are.

Regardless, this pilgrim’s question and commentary resonated with us from this point forward – it seemed to summarize the essence of the Camino itself.  The entire undertaking makes little sense and cannot be rationalized. In an age dedicated to efficiency, why choose to take the slow way?  Why walk when you can take a train?  Why sail when you can fly?  Why do the climb when you can take a taxi?  Those who undertake the pilgrimage recognize that such questions may not have answers that can be expressed or put into words.  Those that do not hike or go on pilgrimage – or those that strive to cut every corner – can likely never understand any explanation that could be given.  You walk because you want to walk, or are called to hike – it is as simple and as complex as that.   It is to live and make choices intentionally.  

Not having the words or energy to try to explain, we wished them a Buen Camino and walked on, finding a stamp and ink pad attached to a fence post soon after. 

To our delight, the next few kilometres alternated between quiet country tracks and gorgeous forested stretches where we were walking through a glowing tunnel of green trees.  Mossy stone walls lined the trail, but I was surprised to see how dry the moss was, feeling brittle and crunchy to the touch rather than soft and moist. 

Nonetheless, the delicate white Queen Anne's lace, purple fox gloves, reddish succulents, and other tiny wildflowers that adorned the stone walls were gorgeous, and the branches above our heads were filled with birdsong.

Tellemacos

Eventually, we popped out of the woods in a small industrial section, crossed a busy highway, and then, after another short forest walk, arrived in Tellemacos. 

At the edge of town, we were greeted by a bank of information plaques which explained that aspects of traditional Galician homes were on display throughout the village, including tools, hinges, traditional home layouts, horreos, and more.  It was quite interesting to learn about Galician culture, but it gave us the sense that we had entered a tourist area.

We saw on the map that there might be a bar in the village where we could get a cold Aquarius, and we saw the signs for it as we entered town.  We followed the arrows around a few corners, arriving at the main square of the village.  The streets were deserted, and after detouring for a couple more minutes without finding the bar or seeing any other signs of life, we decided to give up and try again in the next village, assuming the bar would be closed at this early hour even if we could locate it.

Bouzos Spain

We continued on and almost immediately arrived in Bouzos, the next village.  There we were greeted by a Camino-themed display that was intended to be welcoming, but to me looked downright creepy.  A row of manikins with wooden faces and real-looking hair, dressed as pilgrims, stood caged in a yard, standing guard to welcome us to the village.  A man coming down the street with his bucket looked eerily like one of the dummies, only he moved, making the hair on our arms stand up. It felt like a paranormal welcome.

As it turned out, the bar in Bouzos wasn't open either when we went past.  We didn't quite realize it yet, but today was a holiday (Day of the Canary Islands), and nothing much was open in the tiny villages we passed through. 

A highlight of Bouzos was seeing the communal horreos at the edge of town, which stood in a large circle.  These wooden, brick, or stone boxes are used to dry corn, and they are set up on stone legs that prevent rodents from climbing up into the storage area to eat the corn. Galicia is famous for these structures, but I haven't actually seen a lot of corn being grown here, which makes me wonder where they get it from.

After Bouzos, we had another beautiful stretch of forested trail.  By this point, it was getting very hot in the full sun, and we were extremely grateful for the shade.  The track was still bordered by large country houses, and where their gardens and vineyards cast some shade, it was lovely, but where we were exposed to the sun, we felt completely scorched.   It made us grateful for all those weeks of cooler temperatures we've enjoyed since beginning our walk six weeks ago in Cadiz on the Via Augusta.  

Sobreiro

When we got to Sobreiro, we walked through the tiny village, stopping to pet some of the many cats that were hanging out in the shade patches around the town.  We stopped to read the information plaque, and Sean dunked his hat in the fountain.  I didn't realize it at the time, but he also filled his hat with water and then proceeded to dump it down my back.  The freezing water felt good, but then it ran down my back, soaked my rear end, and ran down my legs into my boots.  It felt like I had wet my pants, which was a decidedly awkward and wrong feeling situation.  Nevertheless, it did cool me off a little.

By this point in the day, the only people on the trail were 2 American gentlemen, the German who walked down the middle of the road and 2 teens in skin-tight jeans escorting an older gentleman.  How these two teenagers could walk in jeans and hoodies with large backpacks on in this heat was beyond us.  

As we were heading out of town, we passed a small shop on the highway by the name of Casa Alen that was open.  There was a line of cars outside, and it was doing a brisk trade, likely because it was the only thing open during the holiday.  Three pilgrims were sitting on the bench outside it, and Sean went inside to get a couple of cold-ish Aquarius.  Though we paid 8 Euros for 2 large bottles of Aquarius, we were so thirsty that we paid another 8 Euros for 2 more.  After sitting in the shade and having a drink, we felt quite a bit better.  To further improve things, the next stretch of trail was shaded as well.

Forest Trek

The last few kilometres to Cea were quite beautiful as the trail meandered once again into a lush forest. We soon found ourselves climbing along a road paved with worn and uneven rock slabs, which reminded us of the Roman roads we had walked on the Camino de Madrid and the Via de la Plata. It may not have been Roman, but beneath the crowns of old oak trees, it carried the same sense of history and quiet endurance.

Around us, stands of eucalyptus released the strong, spicy scent we have come to associate with the Camino. Moss-covered stones and tree trunks added a welcome coolness, a balm against the heat of the day. We passed through a long, shaded forest tunnel where we paused to rest, letting other pilgrims walk ahead so that we could photograph the peaceful scene.

Cea Spain

We arrived in Cea just before noon, with it having taken us 1.5 hours to trek the final 3 km, it was beginning to feel as though it was too hot to keep walking.  In town, we were delighted to find an open bar and dove into its shaded interior for a cold drink.  Outside on the street, it felt too hot to breathe. We had hoped to walk another 9 km to the monastery at Oseira, but we both felt that if the trail wasn't shaded the entire way there, we would be in serious trouble.  

Cooled down and somewhat recovered, we were shocked to discover that the albergue was full.  Clearly, everyone else was quicker than us today and wanted out of the heat.  Uncertain what to do, we returned to the interior of the single open establishment in town and had 2 more cold Aquarius.   According to the TV on in the bar, the temperature in Ourense had set a record, being 38.1 degrees Celsius this morning, which they expected to go as high as 45 degrees Celsius by mid-afternoon!

Though we had only walked 20 km, we were done ....as were many of those collapsed in chairs around the room.  Like us, most people had planned to walk the 31 km to the Oseira monastery but felt unable to continue on.  As one pilgrim noted, “…if this had been your first day on Camino, it would have shattered you.  The walk from Ourense was the hardest of any of the 100 km markers I have ever seen”.

Around the room, everyone looked drained and shattered from the heat. 

Heat Wave

Those who had already checked in to the albergue in Cea were all at the bar saying it was s lovely place, with a wonderful Hospitaleira, but it was absolutely boiling hot inside.  Apparently, a number of pilgrims felt that it was cold out and that there was a draft, and as a result, had demanded that the building be sealed.  The albergue had quickly changed from hot to sweltering, and many pilgrims were seeking refuge in the shade, holding onto cold drinks.  It has always amazed us that in places with 20, 50, or even 100 pilgrims in them that 1 or 2 individuals are allowed to determine whether the windows are kept open or closed, and dictate when the lights are to be turned on and off.  

Regardless, we were now very grateful that the albergue was full when we arrived, so we reserved space at the only other accommodations in town – paying a small fortune of 150 euros for a room. Finishing our Aquarius, we walked the block to enter our accommodation, which we were grateful to discover had Air Conditioning.  Checked in, we retreated inside to have a cold shower and hand wash our clothes, which dried in minutes on the balcony.   

A couple of hours later, we set off to find some groceries which were limited in availability.  As a result, we made a Quinoa meal that we had purchased and carried since Seville as a backup food.

Camino Logistics

Tonight, it seems that everyone is trying to figure out what to do next.  The albergue in 20 km in Castro Dozon is permanently closed, the next town beyond it does have rooms above a bar, but the guidebook advocates taking a taxi into Lalin.  Contacting several places, we were quickly messaged back that they are full for the next couple of days.  

Beyond Laxe and Lalin is a town with the possibility of an albergue, but it is 39 km from our current accommodations, which is simply too far in the extreme heat.  Tomorrow it is projected to be 36 degrees in the morning.  As such, it does not seem like a day or conditions that we want to trek such a long stage.  

With no clear answers tonight, we will have to continue on tomorrow and hope for the best - after all, "even the snail made it to the ark".

See you on the Way!