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- Day Eleven, Part One, As Sexias to Melide
Day Eleven on the Camino Primitivo, Final Steps ~ As Sexias to Melide, 14.4 Kilometers (8.95 Miles)
Our day eleven on the Camino Primitivo was divided into two parts; the final steps on the Primitivo from As Seixas to Melide, included in this article, and part two, where it joins the Camino Francés and we walked on to Arzúa.
"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man." ~ Heraclitus
Day Eleven, Camino Primitivo Maps and Stats
The Way on this stage, from As Seixas, is relatively straightforward. These are the final steps on the Camino Primitivo to Melide and we made it here in 10.5 days, a little faster than most staging systems.
Here is the Google interactive map for this section of our day eleven on the Camino Primitivo, with services placed on the map.
Here is the elevation profile for the section from As Seixas to Melide. There is a nice hill climb of 100 meters (320 feet) as soon as you walk out of the Albergue de Peregrino de As Seixas, with a concomitant descent of about 250 meters (820 feet), followed by a cruise of 5.0 kilometers into Melide.
If you plan to stay the night in Melide, there are many, many options, as this is where the route joins the French Way. Click here to see your options. There is also a giant municipal Albergue de Peregrinos de Melide, just beyond the main square.
The Journey ~ Day Eleven, Camino Primitivo, Part One
Once again, we left the albergue before dawn. We joined a young German girl in the kitchen for breakfast. We were very careful to tiptoe downstairs after silently dressing and rolling all our items into our bag liner to repack in the kitchen, away from the slumbering pilgrims.
We dispensed café con leche and juice from the outside vending machines. While you can purchase snacks here, we had food that we had purchased in Lugo, the prior day, to eat for breakfast. The Bar Casa Goriños opens at 0700 except Wednesdays and Thursdays when it is closed, so that may be a breakfast option as well. Check the night before to see if you can count on it being open.
We navigated our way with our headlamps, westward through the remainder of the town of As Sexias with our German friend and past the bar, below. Very quickly she started to keep a very brisk pace that was beyond our desire to keep up with her. We said Buen Camino as we started the 110 meter climb out of town, towards the Casa Camiño Turismo Rural, a casa rural.
Walk Through As SeixasOne-quarter kilometer past the bar and after the paved road turns to a tractor lane, you will cross a stream. Take the first right turn after the stream and onto yet another tractor lane, that after a few meters rejoins the Casa Camiño road. However, the road remains gravel/dirt, and takes you through forest, below and fields.
The Casa Camiño RoadAbout 1.2 kilometers from As Seixas, come to a fork in the road in the forest. Stay left to continue on the Camino and the casa rural. One could stay right and on the established road to take off a few steps from this side diversion and avoid passing the Casa Camiño. If you stay on the main road, turn right, or north about another 200 meters farther along.
If the timing is right for you, stay on the Camino to the left and arrive at the Casa Camiño, below, about 300 meters later. It has a wonderfully cozy bar where you can get interesting and delicious food and beverages, because the owners are Scandinavian. The place gets rave reviews for overnight stays as well, but it is a bit pricey for most pilgrims. We have had a coffee break here and I would also recommend it, not just for the fabulous food but the hospitality of these Camino enthusiasts!
The Cozy Casa CamiñoWalking onwards, turn right in front of the Casa Camiño to continue uphill and onto another tractor lane for the next 1.1 kilometers.
The terrain opens as you climb, below, first through rocky terrain with views all around, followed by a walk through a cultivated eucalyptus forest and a bit of a reprieve from the climbing on a downhill.
As you descend a bit, you will come to a T-intersection with a paved road. Turn left and head towards the town of O Hospital das Seixas, below.
The Road Towards O Hospital das SeixasA few meters onward, turn right and into the town itself. Pass by several beautiful hórreos, one of them pictured below. There is a picnic area on your left in a forested section in O Hospital at the western edge of town if you need a rest stop when you arrive here, after a 2.9 kilometer walk from As Seixas.
After leaving O Hospital das Seixas, continue on the rural road up the hill and towards the windmills on the ridge, to finish the first and only climb of this stage. You will crest the high point of the day at this crossroad, below, only about 550 meters after the picnic area and after about 3.5 kilometers total. There are signs here describing the area and its attractions, but all of them are off-Camino.
Top of the Climb for the Day at CrossroadThe Camino continues straight onwards down the hill on the other side, along the quiet paved road, now in a forested area for the next 1/2 kilometer and towards the next town of Arnade.
When the views open up after the forest, there are windmills on the ridge above you to the left and you can actually see the city of Melide in the distance ahead! The roadway for the next kilometer is rather open and exposed. We missed the rain, for which I was grateful because we would surely have gotten soaked through here!
At this intersection, below, you see the sign to the town, which the Camino avoids by continuing straight onward.
Walking Toward ArnadeAfter walking past the turn off for Arnade, about 240 meters later, the way turns left onto this lane, below, towards the town of Vilouriz. This is a lovely, tree-lined lane that you will follow for about 1.1 kilometers before arriving into Vilouriz after about 5.8 kilometers on the road.
Lane Towards VilourizThe way through Vilouriz is easy to follow and is well waymarked, below, as you continue along the dirt lane, which becomes paved. A few steps after meeting the pavement, in the center of town, the Camino makes a right turn onto a narrow path for only 100 meters more.
Walking Through Vilouriz, Day Eleven on the Camino PrimitivoComing next to a T-intersection with another wider paved road, turn to the right. Follow this street for less than 100 meters, when you see the town church on the hill ahead, but the Camino turns to the left for another unpaved lane to leave town.
The countryside along the next 1.5 kilometers is gorgeous after Vilouriz. It was through here, with only about 8.0 kilometers left to go to Melide, that I voice journaled regarding my realization that indeed we were on the final steps of the Primitivo. With this realization, I tried to settle in and enjoy our last steps.
We talked about the challenges and the wild ride of this Original Way. The song, "We May Never Pass This Way Again," by Seals and Crofts kept running through my head!
Follow the unpaved lane from Vilouriz for less than 100 meters, when you turn left onto another lane. Stay on this lane another 1/3 kilometer, and stay to the right at the next Y-intersection to continue on yet another unpaved lane, below.
Country Lanes Toward Vilamor de ArribaFollow this lane for almost 1/2 kilometer when you arrive at a creek. Turn right to cross it. You will now be climbing up another hill. Follow this next lane, climbing for the next 300 meters, and arrive at a T-intersection with a paved road in the next town of Vilamor de Arriba. Turn to the right and follow the road into town, below.
Entering Vilamor de ArribaA few meters later, pass the town cross, with a fountain and benches if you need a rest. After the cross, turn left to walk around to the front of the town church, the Iglesia de Santo Estevo de Toques, after 7.6 kilometers for the day, below. The church looks like so many of the churches along the way.
Iglesia de Santo Estevo de ToquesFrom the church, continue climbing up the hill and past a covered pavilion with more benches if you need to rest with protection from the rain.
At the top of the hill, come to a T-intersection and turn left, for a 400-meter down-hill stroll to the next town of Vilamor de Abaixo. Here you will find your first bar since As Seixas, the quaint Bar Casa Modesto after 8.0 kilometers into this stage. There is also a fountain across from the bar and an old washing well by the bar.
It was about 08:30 when we arrived here after being on the road for about two hours. We knew we were about six kilometers from Melide. We knew we could do the 6k in a bit over an hour. We made it our goal to get to Melide before we took a break. I felt I had enough energy to get there. Fortunately it was all downhill ahead. Melide was a big town and we would be there before 10:00.
Only a few meters past the bar, the Camino turns to the left, at this intersection, below.
Left Turn Toward Irago de Arriba600 meters later there is another bar in Irago de Arriba after 8.75 kilometers. We carried on. We were on a roll. (However, we have stopped here once and it is a friendly and happy place!)
The walk for the next four kilometers after Irago de Arriba remains on the same paved road, below, passing town signs, one after another, of A Ponte de Pedra, Curutelo, Compostela, Zaramil, O Campiño and to O Mascaño. Even though you walk past all these signs, there is not much out here but open roads through trees, fields and plains.
The Paved Road Near CuruteloWhen you finally reach the town of O Mascaño, shown below, on the outskirts of Melide, after 12.8 kilometers from As Seixas, the road is now called the DP-4604 and the sidewalks of “civilization” begin. This road takes you into the center of Melide, after only 1.5 kilometers more. When you see the sidewalks you know that the center of Melide is very, very close.
O Mascaño, Suburb of MelideThe walk on the sidewalk from here was brutal on my already tired feet after no rest for almost 14 kilometers and lots of pavement. My shoulders ached too and I longed for a break. I had only juice, coffee and a few bites of bread that morning at the albergue, because I was worried about my unsettled gut that I had developed on day ten. I did eat some blackberries that we found along the way, so that helped too.
As we walked onward, we passed the sign for a suburb, O Forte Novo, below.
Entering the O Forte Novo SuburbJust as you enter town, you pass the private Albergue Alfonso II (+34 608 60 48 50), after 13.9 kilometers. If you wish to take a break from the albergues, there are many more places to stay in Melide. Click here to see those that meet the needs of your journey. You may want to make a reservation here, since this major town hosts many pilgrims from both the Primitivo and the French Way.
We stumbled onto an open café bar on the DP-4604, the first one we came to as we entered town, just after 09:30. We had the Tortilla Francés which was a wonderful omelet with ham and cheese (no potato like most tortilla), bread and café con leche. We took a full one hour break here to rest and air our tired feet. We knew we had plenty of time to reach Arzúa, our goal for the day.
I believe that I also felt reluctant to move onward to the Camino Francés. Our Camino Primitivo was definitely coming to an end ~ a chapter never to be visited exactly the same again.
After our large, second breakfast, the Way takes you into the main part of town, and to an intersection shown below. The Way turns left here. When you reach this intersection you will immediately see the waymark, as you look left, stating 52.672 kilometers left to go to Santiago. You head toward it and immediately go right onto the Rúa Calvo Sotelo and toward the center of town.
Intersection Toward the Praza do ConventoAs you turn the corner, the Igrexa de San Pedro de Melide appears ahead, below.
Igrexa de San Pedro de MelidePass by the church and enter the Praza do Convento, after 14.4 kilometers, the end of this stage, below. You can also see the flags flying at the town hall and there is an ethnological museum beside it as well.
We hung out here for a short while, as we contemplated our very last steps on day eleven of our Camino Primitivo. I was indeed reluctant to move on!
From this plaza, the Camino Primitivo is just a few more steps southward along the Rúa Camiño de Oviedo, see photo below, which one block later becomes the Rúa Nueva, and one more block later where it joins the Rúa Principal and the Camino Francés.
Onward Camino from the Praza do ConventoAdiós, for now, Camino Primitivo!
Accommodation in Melide
If you are planning to stay the night in Melide there are so many albergues as the French Way participates in the need for beds. If you turn at the first right after the plaza above and onto the Rúa San Antonio, you will encounter the giant municipal Albergue de Peregrinos de Melide several blocks later. This is truly an albergue street as you will walk by two additional private albergues on the way to the municipal, the Albergue San Antón and Pensión San Antón right next to it, and the Albergue O Apalpador. There is also another pensión along the way, the Chiquitín Melide (+34 981 81 53 33).
There are more albergues clustered close to the main roundabout in town and steps off the French Way, the Albergue O Cruceiro, the Albergue O Candil (right along the route), the Albergue and Pensión Pereiro, the Albergue Arraigos and the Albergue Montoto, (+34 646 941 887).
There are also several economical pensiónes in the center of town, the Pensión Esquina, the Pensión Berenguela (+34 981 50 54 17), the Pensión Orois, the Pensión Praza das Coles and the Pensión A Codeseira, (where we have stayed, is close to everything and is clean and comfortable). This is by no means an exhaustive list, but you can click here to see more choices that you can book ahead. Booking ahead may be prudent in this town where the Caminos merge, unless you choose to walk on farther to a less frequented town.
Reflections on Day Eleven, Camino Primitivo, Final Steps
As our time on the Camino Primitivo had now come to an official end, there was joy in my heart as well as sorrow. I knew that as the quote above states, that we would never again have this experience in the same way again.
It had been a wild and wonderful Camino, for us, more rugged than we expected, and more difficult than we expected.
It felt good to know that we did the Camino Primitivo. It felt good to know that we still had the faith in ourselves to do it and still had the ability to do something like this. It was a very nice feeling and a nice thing to reflect upon.
Difficulty, a sore body, hunger and loneliness were all recurrent themes on our Primitivo. This was in stark contrast to the experiences of euphoria, deep connection to the earth, to animals and the communitas experienced with fellow pilgrims of the present as well as the past. Almost each and every day brought these varying emotions.
It was not to be an experience easily forgotten. The history here is palpable, the emotions universal. I hope that this special flavor of this Original Way will never change.
But alas, one never enters the same river twice! As the Camino Primitivo will never be the same again, for sure, we will never be the same again!
Salutation
May your own day eleven on the Camino Primitivo be filled with your own special experiences in your own special moments. May we walk together, in Faith, knowing that while the "river" may never be the same, our Spirits will unite forever on this special, Original Way!
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