After checking in, bed choosing, shower, wash clothes as usual.
Lunch at a bar with cerveza.
I am looking back on what happened to me until now today.

I passed the group of a preast of Buddhism (from Saitama Prefecture, Rinzai sect) and his young followers before Sahagun.
When I was at rest on the way for a while, I noticed they walked near me and stopped.
The preast began playing the flute before the young people and a man from Fukuoka Prefecture. The pilgrims coming behind listen to the play. According to a man from Fukuoka, the preast has played this way here and there, so he walks slowly.

Entered the town after 10:00 and found a statue of a pilgrim just at the entrance.

Passed through the downtown and the exit was Arch of San Benito. Around there are many tourists and sightseeing buses. Must be a scenic spot here.

Then walking for a while, found the albergue written at the beginning.

Went to the dining room at 19:00. At the reception desk I gave my name with nationality and received wine.
Everybody is busy working to prepare the dishes for gorgeous dinner. I help them peel cucumbers and cut onions for salad.

I sit next to Mr. Tada from Hiroshima. He says "Let's talk in Japanese after a long interval."
When the dinner came to the end, Louis, a host, appears and leads us (amigos) to sing a song of the lyrics on the wall.
From now, I enjoy the most wonderful night during this Camino.

Louis, a host

He says "There are people here from 16 countries. France, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Austria, Australia, Holland, Russia, Korea, Japan, China, Spain, UK, US, Canada and Romania. Let's sing each song of your countries in turn."

Two of us from Japan decided to sing "Sukiyaki Song." Though I forgot the latter part, the vigor of the atmosphere helped me.
"Fallen Leaves" by French people, "Ariran" by Korean people, ... ..., mostly with everybody's hand-clapping in time.
Felt warm friendship until the end.

About to take the wrong road, a man on a truck advised me to follow another road leading to the straight way. Good help!
Passing Ranero, arrived at Mansilla de la Mulas, where bought something for lunch at a grocery store. Bread with ham and cheese, apple, ... totally 1.9 euro. Inexpensive.
After that, entered a bar for toilet and bought bread with ham and cheese. 4.2 euro.

Got to the today's destination Villarente at 14:00 and looked for an albergue. 10 euro.
Wash clothes in the courtyard. Worried by balls of dust (aspen).

Dinner at 19:00. The table is for 12 people. All of them except me are French. The next table is for Danish people.

Today's unhappiness.
After visiting the cathedral in Leon, on the way of Camino, bought a picture card of 0.4 euro at a cigar store.
Wrote a message, put a stamp and looked for a post box. At last I found it. But alas, the stamp is lost, coming off the card. So, I couldn't post it.

Today's happiness.
At the exit of the town Leon after a bridge, dropped in at a cafe for toilet and ordered zumo and tortilla (3.8 euro).
Sat at the table outside, and then to the toilet, leaving the cap and the rucksack there.
Luckily they were at the cafe entrance. If not, how would I have continued the pilgrimage afterward?
The lady owner advised me "Do not leave anything behind when you leave."

Long way in the too hot weather. Finally at Villadangos del Paramo, entered an albergue after giving up another of 30 euro. Unexpectedly several Japanese people are here. They are with ladies from Italy and Argentina. Most of them are said to cook their dinner themselves
Shower, washing clothes and warm canned beer (no cold beer).
My dinner is a bottle of water, pasta, chicken and potato flake (7 euro). Ordered a glass of wine as an extra.

I failed in choosing the bed tonight. It was not a bunk bed, but very near the toilet. Strong smell all night.

The bridge of Rio Orbigo is wonderful, under which is a racetrack. Some events seem to have been held in the old days.

After passing over a hill, entered Astorga around noon.
Bought a stamp at a cigar store and posted the card. Hope the stamp does not come off and the card will safely reach Fumiko-san.

Bought water and an apple at the cost of 0.5 euro. How cheap. Bit into the apple in the park.

Today's albergue is in Rechivaldo.
As soon as arrived, drank a little too much of cerveza too fast. It was a failure. Immediately into bed without writing a diary, and woke up over 17:00.

Dinner at a table for 12 people. 2 Danish in front of me, and a silent woman next to me. (I found she talks very well next morning. She called the cat she was holding "neko". She knows Japanese

From the start, a straight long way of white.
It was cloudy and a little cold before dawn, but now the sun is shining through the clouds.
Turning onto a side road at El Ganso, bought con leche and 3 pieces of cake for light breakfast, when saw the woman called the cat a "neko".

A gentle slope realizes me that I am walking up to Puerta Irago. But since the circumstance is a plateau, I am not aware of the vertical drop of 600 meters.

Passing Foncebadon where cyclists were loitering lively, Puerta Irago appeared and it disappointed me.
The following picture shows a bleak and desolate landscape, however, it is just by the side of a national road. Moreover, cleaning staffs are in the middle of collecting trash into bags.
A man who took my picture lamented saying "The tradition is disappearing."

Not stopping to stay at Acebo over another hill because it was 13:00 yet and the place did not stand out, I walked a little further to Riego de Ambros and immediately found an albergue.
2 cans of beer led me to sound sleep. The same way almost everyday.
Dinner at a nearby restaurant. Menu and salad were OK, but the plate with ring-fried squid was different from what I ordered. It is my fault because of my poor reading of the menu.
Few customers. I wonder if most pilgrims are cooking for themselves.

Breakfast at 9:00 at a bar. French omlet.

I am now at Ponferada. 209 km to Santiago de Compostela.
The Castillo de los Templarios (the castle wall) looks powerful, which also requests a long walk around.

The road through the town and in the suburbs made me uneasy with very few signs. If I had not happened to see a lady pilgrim walking behind me, I would have been much more uneasy.

Arrived in Cacabelos planned for today's stay a little after 12:00. Too early, so walked further for 8 km until Villafranca.
The albergue here at the entrance of the town is inconvenient with nothing around.

Breakfast at a bar on the way at 8:30. Con leche and a donut.
Arrived at O Cebreiro after a gentle slope.
The landscape along the river was beautiful. The murmur of the stream was really refreshing.
Met a Japanese couple on the way. They started their pilgrimage on May 19. "You are fast!", they said.

Arrived at an albergue and found no front staff. The people first come have already got their beds and are taking a shower. After a while a female staff appeared.

It has become cold. So cold that I took a down jacket from the rucksack. As I heard, there is really a big difference of temperatures in this area Galicia.

-----
It rained on the way at last around O Cebreiro a little over noon. When crossed a pass, it began sprinkling. I wore a raincoat, but took it off after a while because the rain stopped and the sun through the clouds.
In conclusion, it did not rain a lot until a xunta albergue. But it began raining again when about to hang out the wash to dry. I used a dryer. 1.5 euro.

Dinner at a private house. There were other pilgrims there.

It is not a heavy rain but with wind.
Breakfast at a bar a little past 8:00. Con lecho and tortilla. In there a couple with a child in a baby carriage. They are pilgrims, too, walking on a road full of stones with a carriage.

Came to a fork at Triacastela. Took the left turn in the rain since had decided to stay in Samos. Really refreshing to walk in the woods listening to the sound of stream.
Passed a lady from New Zealand, and met her again in the albergue. Also at the cathedral and in a cafe, and even on the bunk bed. She was upper. She was so talkative.

Got to the albergue at 12:30. Washed clothes using a dryer of 3 euro.
Beer at a cafe and took a nap. Bedbugs hit me.

Lunch at a restaurant near the cathedral. Salad, fish and home-made delicious yogurt.
This cathedral is one of the oldest and largest in Spain according to the map.

Overslept for the first time. Woke up once at 4:00 by the bell of the cathedral, but the next was 5:55. Ate an apple and bread. Started at 6:35.

At Sarria, entered a bar. Coffee and a croissant.
Pilgrims increase because they can get the credential even from here. They are in light clothes and casual walk.
On the other hand, I have to wear and take off a raincoat again and again.
While taking a rest, a young lady asked me "Konnichiwa. Are you a Japanese?"
She, from Akita, started on May 13 and is walking slowly to Fisterra. "Start at 8:00 every morning, eat breakfast more than enough and walk until afternoon. I am heading for Portomarin today, so another 8 km from now." Then I parted her.

From the hill a town can be seen beyond the lake. Going down the slope, crossing the bridge, and now the entrance to the town.

Go up the street, then many signboards.
Followed a cyclist and found an albergue managing a bar. 10 euro.
Strange, I am the first to take a shower. When writing a diary drinking beer, it began raining heavily. Lucky, I am here! Gave up washing clothes.

Dinner at the bar downstairs from 19:00. Soup is unexpectedly delicious, and fish is just so so. Enjoyed the meal by myself with a pot of vino.

Troubled by bedbugs at night.

Started at 6:30 in the rain. Cross the bridge to the other side, and see many pilgrims following the front walkers. Several families, too. Toilet at 9:00.

Planned to stay at Palas de Rei tonight, but now it's 12:00 noon. So, walked further for 1 hour and resulted to stay at a xunta at Casanova.

I noticed not to have a coin at a dryer. A young German of the next turn advised to do it with him at a time. Happy!

Dinner at the same bar of lunch. Though that young man with a Polish man suggested me to join them, I declined. They were drinking fanta instead of wine.

At around 17:00, when I was disappointed to find the pension was full, the master asked me if I was willing to stay in a private house. No opposition.
He called up someone and told me he would come to meet me.
After a while a local gentleman came by Audi and took me to his house for 10-minute ride.
The room was so nice and gorgeous. I am saved! The room seems to be his son's.

After 20:00 the landlord began to cook dinner. It was hot and delicious. Wine was home-made.
I tried to talk to him but seemingly not understandable.
Went to bed on the 2nd floor after 22:00.

- - - - -
Now back on the way here.

Met a lady from Akita Prefecture.
She talks a lot: She wants to go as far as possible today to be in time for the Mass at the Cathedral tomorrow. Story of a newly-wed Japanese couple. The terribly bad weather on Pirenee Mountains. So many pilgrims on the way invited her to walk with them. The octopus at Medile tasted well. Some man was hiding in a field. She learned in Japan how to slide her feet well down the slope. She is going to Muxia then. (The same way with me.)

At the junction Amenel Tunnel, most of pilgrims were taking a rest at a bar, but I didn't.
After passing the Santiago Airport on the left, I got to the corner of a hill at Monte do Gozo. I climbed the hill to see the monument. I used to visit this place before. It was raining at that time, too.

To my regret, even the steeple of the Cathedral is invisible here now.

In the town, it took time to get to the Cathedral. Finally, some pilgrims cried and began running.
Yes, after the underpass, I arrived at the Obradoiro Square of the Cathedral at 11:50. Whether it is because I almost got lost at an alley a little while ago or not, I was moved less than I had expected, sorry to say.
First thing I have to do is a picture of evidence.

Then I enter the Cathedral and go to the pilgrimage office. After 1-hour waiting, I got a stamp, a certificate and the distance certificate of 3 euro.

Now, where can I stay for tonight and tomorrow?
Finally, I could find the albergue at the cost of 30 euro for 2 nights. 13:30.

Going back to the Cathedral, I bought picture cards. Entered a bar along the bar street, and ordered hamburger and espresso. 10.5 euro.

At a supermarket, bought wine, bread, peanuts.
Shower and washing clothes. I wonder if the clothes will dry, but 2 days will hopefully solve it well.
It rained all night.