Winter Walk - Sellos on New Year's day

[Corned Beef]

Planning, but not booking yet, a short late December walk which would involve walking on New Year's day. I will assume absolutely nothing will be open apart from churches. Anyone walked then?

 

[Flog]

Whatever about places being open or not on New Year's Day, you might encounter the Guardia Civil out patrolling.. they might dig out their stamp for you.

 

[roving_rufus]

I got lucky and found an open bar in the afternoon on my walk on New Years Day further back on the CF. It's probably more luck that you come across a bar that has decided to open that day - but a few definitely do.
I was in Leon that night with a huge Christmas market going on so a number of bars were open in the evening- and even a small grocery shop too. With lots of families enjoying the festive season.

 

[naplesdon]

Was never a problem for me living in France and Portugal. Religious holidays like Christmas is a completely different issue.

 

[Corned Beef]

Well I completed my walk from Lugo, found the Sellos I needed. The 5 day walk starting on 28th December could be summarised each day as - "Nice weather. No one about. Everything closed". Not exactly riveting dialogue for a "Live from the Camino". However thought I would put down some hints/tips for future winter walkers on the Primitivo / Frances.

Day - 0

Flew into A Coruna airport and was one of the first off the plane and through passport control. Only 2 staff for 200 passengers so if you are at the back, it will take some time. Outside the airport a few yards from the taxi rank is the bus stop. Take the A4 bus (€1.55) to the Estación (Autobus). The A4 doesn't go into the bus station but the driver will let you know if you ask where to get off. As the bus station is in the centre right beside the El Corte Inglés department store you might ask for that stop instead.

I was heading for the ADIF train station which is a short walk over the pedestrian footbridge that crosses the main road. Once across you will see the Art Deco/Brutalist 'old' rail station in A Coruna. The rail station is being redeveloped and there is a temporary station about 500 yards away. Just follow the signs on the lamposts. It's a large grey building which you can see from the old station.

At the rail station, there will be queues as you have to have your bags go through the scanner. Make sure you are in the correct queue. It's a busy station. There is a cafe there that does a tasty Russian salad.

The main square, Praza de María Pita, was almost empty but it did have a stunning display of cyclamen plants looking like a Xmas tree from a distance.

 

[Corned Beef]

Day 1 - Lugo to Friol (15 miles)

Had arrived late into Lugo and walked up from the rail station to the Hotel Mendez Nuñez in the centre. The hotel has a rooftop restaurant but as it doesn't get light until almost 9:00 there wasn't much of a view. Spanish cities do have wonderful Xmas lights and Xmas markets but the market was closed before I got to the centre.

Next morning as I left, there were 3 Spanish peregrinas leaving just as I was preparing to leave. Caught sight of them again as I crossed the Roman bridge but they disappeared into the Xunta's sport centre on the riverside for 2nd breakfast and presumably a sello.

I didn't stop but continued on which was a mistake as there was nothing open until at 11 miles, the Taberna San Román in Guntin which @JamesPaulG mentioned in his walk. They had coffee and food but no sello. Perhaps @JamesPaulG can confirm if this is correct. There were two group of Spanish pilgrims in the Taberna. One left before me and stopped off at the Municipal Albergue a few hundred yards further on.

I continued to the Hotel Rural O Cruce in O Burgo. It's a remodelled farm building quite modern inside. The cafe bar there was very busy as they were catering for a family meal for 40. When they booked me in, the owner recommended their heated swimming pool as it was 27 deg. It would have been very pleasant to use it had I packed my stuff but not something you'd have on your packing list for a winter walk.

 

[Corned Beef]

Day 2 - Friol to Melide (17 miles)

Your deep into the quiet Galician countryside here. As this was a Sunday it was even more so. And despite being a Sunday, the farmers and their wives (singular not polygamy) were out in the fields clearing patches or driving their cattle from one field to another. They were all making use of the autumnal weather to get their work done.

There are shops or cafes on this section but none were open until Bar Casa Modesto in Toques. Third day but only third sello. The three peregrinas I had seen in Lugo appeared in the bar. They had also stayed at the Hotel Rural and seemed to be the only pilgrims on the route apart from myself.

Bars for locals appear to be more likely to be open in the villages but the hours will be restricted. Any bar that relied on pilgrims will be closed. Also don't rely on the information on Googlemaps as it was invariably wrong about places being open. Also stock up in Lugo for 2 days as there will be no food shops until Melide.

 

[Corned Beef]

Day 3 - Melide to Arzua (11 miles)

Shortest day so far and no one about apart from the farmers. Nothing until the O Retiro cafe outside Arzua. Your starting to see a few more pilgrims as you leave the Primitivo and onto the Frances. Arzua also has more places open - shops, cafes, Albergues - it is more of a working town. As it is Xmas, the town had their Xmas display in the main square.

 

[Kirkie]

Day 3 - Melide to Arzua (11 miles)

Shortest day so far and no one about apart from the farmers. Nothing until the O Retiro cafe outside Arzua. Your starting to see a few more pilgrims as you leave the Primitivo and onto the Frances. Arzua also has more places open - shops, cafes, Albergues - it is more of a working town. As it is Xmas, the town had their Xmas display in the main square.

Watch out for the arrival de los Reyes! I have it on good authority that the said gentlemen were due to arrive early in some western provinces due to inclement weather. They kindly sent letters to all the children in the autonomies affected...thanks for posting, lovely to get fresh reports as temperatures drop across the waters from the Iberian Peninsula!

 

[Corned Beef]

Day 4 - Arzua to O Pedrouzo (13 miles)

New Years Eve. It's been a few years since I was on the Frances. More pilgrims about but still in small numbers. I was surprised at the acreage (literally) of space given over to pilgrim cafes all of it closed. Picked up supplies before I left Arzua and again at O Pedrouzo as I was cooking tonight. There were a few bars open in O Pedrouzo but the town was silent.

Picked up a sello at Restaurante Mesón A Esquipa in A Salceda. It's at the side of the N-547 so doesn't depend on passing pilgrims. Googlemaps says it's closed, so again not to be relied on.

Day 5 - O Pedrouzo to Santiago (14 miles)

New Years Day. As I left at first light, there were a few happy young Spaniards coming back from their parties. Must have had fun as they were all smiling and chatting. Great way to start 2025 and the weather for the final day was looking very good again. Can't believe of all the days on caminos in Spain, I've only had one day of rain. Must be very lucky.

The route into Santiago followed the familiar tracks around the airport and up to Monte do Gozo. Lots more pilgrims appearing, some American and Australian. Everyone in good spirits.

Some enterprising musician had set themselves up under a road bridge. You could hear him from a distance in the up-till-now silent air. In return for a donation, you can have a penultimate sello.

Entered Praza Obradoiro to the sound of Auld Lang Syne on the Galician pipes. My son learned to play the Highland pipes and spent many hours listening to the band while waiting for him. This was a good piper. There is a saying that a true gentleman (or gentlewoman) is someone that knows how to play Highland pipes - but never does.

 

[Bradypus]

New Years Eve. It's been a few years since I was on the Frances. More pilgrims about but still in small numbers.

My last walk on that final 100km was in January 2023. I saw fewer pilgrims after Sarria than I had been seeing from SJPDP onwards as the very small number of us were spread more widely over the available albergues.