My ‘John the Scot’ would have been proud of me. I’m up by 4 AM and rearing to go at 5 AM sharp. When I descend the stairs, I find that the lovely Spanish family are all packed and ready too! We head out and it’s pitch-black outside. Never has a purchase felt so good as my new headlamp does now. Outside it’s eerily devoid of other people, even as we pass O Pedrouzo, and we walk for quite some time before daylight breaks and we begin to see anything at all. The darkness doesn’t bother me, but the teenagers Paula and Maria keep close, especially when a dog jumps up and start barking at us, seemingly coming from nowhere. Luckily there is a sturdy fence between us. We walk all the way past the airport before we come to the first café that’s open, Porta de Santiago. I am grateful to have a much-needed breakfast here, having walked non stop for 13 km, which is halfway to Santiago de Compostela. Here I meet some …