Wise Pilgrim has apps for all the Caminos, with maps that track your location, list accommodations, and give basic descriptions of the towns you pass through. The app for the Portuguese route was so reliable that I never pulled out my guide book. My English Camino app, however, refused to zoom out, allowing only 400 m of view in any direction. Day one I ended up off trail for about 30 minutes. Since then, I had to rely on physical trail markers for guidance. Since Ferrol, the markings were plentiful and easy to follow.
Slave
Slave is from Bulgaria. He also stayed at the Mino albergue last night. Slave is the first pilgrim I have met that walks faster than me.
Marc
Marc is from Barcelona, Spain. This was his second Camino. He walked the Portuguese Coastal Camino last year. He spent the past two nights at the same albergues as me. I planned to slow my pace as I was in no rush, so this would be the last time I saw him.
Cynthia
Cynthia is from Virginia, USA, on her first Camino with friends from home. She is a recently retired forensic interviewer of abused children, enjoying the peace and quiet on the Camino. We walked through a eucalyptus forest shortly after a rain as we talked, and she found it a huge contrast to her work life.
I walked an easy 29.1 km this day to the Albergue de Peregrinos de Preseda, a small space with 16 beds. There were only five of us at the albergue until 6pm when a group of 8 Italians hobbled in. They were in their 50’s and all related somehow, but it wasn’t all sunshine and roses. Two other Italian women at the albergue informed us over dinner that the animated talking was aimed at whoever in their group thought this was a good idea. Come 10 pm, normal lights out in an albergue, the place was still buzzing. I handed out a couple pairs of earplugs to my new friends. On the upside, the Preseda albergue was only 7 euros per night.