July 17:  Sobrado dos Monxes to Arzua  45,721 steps

The day promised to be hot and steamy, so we decided to leave our little haven in the wilderness early in the morning just before sunrise to beat the heat.  The route took us through little hamlets of three or four homes each as it twisted and turned through the countryside.  The hills weren't too high and the valleys too low this time, so the going was generally easy.  There wasn't a cloud in the sky so the cover from the eucalyptus trees served as a perfect umbrella as we trotted along.

We are getting closer to Santiago now, so we are seeing more and more pilgrims that have jumped on the trail within the last 100 kilometers to walk into the city.  To qualify for an official certificate from the church that states that you are a true pilgrim of St James you have to prove that you have at least walked the last 100 kilometers.  Some only walk that and call it a venture complete.  We, of course, added an additional 800 kilometers to our walk just to make sure that the church will recognize us!!!!

Today we walked part way with a young girl from Germany.  A Spanish couple was behind us and we have seen them now for several days.  As we entered into Arzua, there were pilgrims of all shapes, sizes and ages lingering around the town square.

Arzua is the joining point of the Camino del Notre, the one we have been following and the Camino del Frances.  The latter one crosses Spain through the middle running parallel to ours only due south.  We expect to see many more pilgrims from now on.  The days of walking totally alone are over for now.

Morning View	Eucalyptus Trees
Om Pa Band at Arzua Town Fiesta	Frankie and Mary waiting for the Fiesta Train!