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Wise Pilgrim APPArzúa is a pleasant town that sometimes runs short of beds — if everything is full, the Polideportivo (sports hall) is pressed into service. Between here and O Pedrouzo lie a string of tiny Galician hamlets of little note, connected by forest trails and soggy paths.
The locals in these parts enjoy informing pilgrims, without the slightest irony, that there are no cows in Galicia. Hold that thought as you slosh through mud on an otherwise sunny day.
Arzúa is famous for its cheese — the annual three-day Festa do Queixo in March has been running for over 40 years.
Famous for its cheese, Arzúa hosts an annual (and three day long) Festival of Cheese in March. They have been doing so for 40 years. Apart from this and several other secular celbrations, Arzúa celebrates Corpus Christi, as well as Nuestra Señora del Carmen, who is celebrated on the 16th of July.
Tetilla cheese — the curiously breast-shaped Galician variety you've seen in shop windows — was reportedly shaped in protest against the Archbishop of Santiago. When the Pórtico de la Gloria was being completed, the Archbishop noticed the prophet Daniel smiling. Following Daniel's gaze across the doorway, he discovered the sculptor had been generous with Queen Esther's anatomy. Daniel kept his smile, Esther got a reduction, and Galicia got protest cheese.
The camino leaves Arzúa along a footpath, NOT the road. If you arrived at the main square, walk past the church (with your back to the road) and turn right onto the side street. The terrain is pleasant, a blend of trails and paved roads through small towns and lots of forests. There are a few steep sections but none of any considerable length.
