Day 29: Galicia delivers on wet and windy

Santiago de Compostela to Vilaserío, 22 miles

Early morning departure from Santiago, including a visit to the empty Plaza del Obradoiro and a gorgeous view of the moonlit Cathedral
The best breakfast of the Camino at the Cafe Tertulia, where 5 euros and 80 cents gets you two fried eggs, two slices of bacon, one pancake, two pieces of toast and a cafe con leche
Walking through neighborhoods past kids heading to school and parents dropping their toddlers off at daycare
Reaching the trailhead to the coast and leaving Santiago behind
Turning around to watch the sunrise over the city skyline behind me, seeing the Cathedral’s towers illuminated in the glow
Walking through piles of leaves and through tiny towns all morning, seeing just a few pilgrims along the way
Meeting a fellow peregrina on her gap year between high school and college, feeling so inspired by her independence and courage to hike on her own at her age
Stumbling across the beautiful town of Puente Maceira, named for the centuries-old stone bridge that crossed a river over gentle rapids
Arriving in Negreira just as the rain began, and attempting to wait out the weather over a chicken sandwich and Radler
Accepting that the rain wasn’t going anywhere and heading out for another 13km
Talking on the phone with Ma’Mai as I walked through the trees
Getting blown from one side of the path to the other as the wind picked up and the trees disappeared
Walking in two buckets of water for shoes for the final 2 hours
Arriving absolutely soaked in Vilaserío, marking the beginning of a weeklong period where I would always be at least a little bit wet