We got stuck in a deluge after being dropped off from our bus tour of the coast. Rain, hail, and ankle-deep runoff in the street. Fortunately, we only got soaked.

Most peregrinos have at least a few days of rain hiking, especially in Galicia. Somehow I avoided this.

It was a calculated risk booking a 9-hour bus tour on Victoria’s fist day here, but it was a great experience. Many pilgrims tack on a week or so onto their Camino to continue to Finisterra, the “end of the world,” and Muxia, where several miracles related to the body of St. James are said to have taken place.

Both places have their own version of the zero-mile marker, in perhaps an ambitious gambit by the department of tourism to extend the Camino.

Our favorite place was at the end of the day, the Ponte de San Xoán de Furelos near Melide, about 20 km outside of Santiago.

The bridge is a 12th-century structure built on a 3rd- century Roman foundation across the Furelos river. An ancient mill also sits on the site, with millstones still intact.

On the way out, we bought a pair of umbrellas at the front desk for the bargain price of 10 E each. Chances are we will need these in the coming days.

Marianne and Stefan from Ingolstadt were lovely dinner companions. They are almost exactly our age, and he had just finished a very long 3-month Camino tent camping from Germany.

Stefan is a recently retired internal combustion engineer in Ingolstadt (Audi, of course), and Marianne is a political science professor in Dresden. They have an unconventional marriage in two houses in two cities. They have a vacation home in Florida, and travel a lot for her job. Two sons in their twenties.

Sudden friendships happened to me frequently for me the Camino, but Victoria met some people we might actually see again in the future.