How bittersweet. The second to last day of the Camino. I have a lot of mixed emotions today. Yes, I’m anxious to finish the Camino so I can take care of my feet. But, I also wish I had extra time to walk. This has been such an amazing experience. From the wonderful people I’ve met, the conversations I’ve had, the food, the views, the emotions. All of it wonderful. Today’s breakfast was amazing: EGGS!! How I’ve missed eating eggs for breakfast! As I left Casa Lucas, the sun was just coming up. Such a beautiful sight to start the day. On the trail, the day started out very foggy, which gave the landscape an eerie look. I loved it.
My feet are still bothering me, more so today. So, I walked at a slower pace. Anyone who knows me, knows that I don’t do slow. I like to say that I have two speeds: fast and warp. Well, I now have a third speed: slow. And it felt good to walk slowly. Besides, my feet just couldn’t tolerate speed. The slower walking really allowed me to notice things around me. Galicia is so beautiful. From the rolling hills, the farms, the tiny towns. All of it so scenic and pastoral.
Camino friends
I saw Jess and her mom again today. Jess and I spent quite a bit of time talking about life. I had a such a wonderful time chatting with her. We decided to keep in touch after the Camino. As we approached our first stop of the day, Jess stopped to wait for her mom and I kept going. An hour later, my feet were in a lot of pain. I needed to stop, change socks, and eat something. A full belly always makes it better! I stopped in Boavista and ordered a bocadillo (sandwich) and a coffee. The sandwich was huge. I mean, even for me, with my very healthy appetite, I could not finish. I asked the waitress to wrap half so I’d have a snack. As I was about to leave, Jess and her mom walked in. They were getting their passport stamped. Ah, yes, I’d forgotten to do that. But, where was my passport? I set my backpack down and started to unpack each compartment.
As I searched for my passport, I struck up a conversation with Michael, an American sitting at the next table. We started to chat and I asked about his Camino experience. It turns out that he wasn’t walking the Camino. He was a photographer who’d set up his studio at the cafe. He was photographing pilgrims to raise funds for his upcoming book. We started to chat and he told me how he’s moved to Galicia after living in Iceland for a few years. He hated the winters, so he and his family moved to Galicia. He has walked the Camino and he’s writing a book about it, hence the fundraising (https://www.wiseportrait.com/). He also has a Camino app which gives pilgrims the most uptodate information on all things Camino. I wish I had thought to get my portrait taken. But, I was preoccupied with finding my passport, which I eventually found in an obvious place.
I also spent a good part of the day walking with Gregorio and José. We had met earlier in the week and we kept crossing paths. I really liked chatting with these two very interesting guys. Gregorio is Spanish, José is South American. We had such great chats about life, politics (yes, politics! And we did it in a very respectful way), history. I learned about Spanish history too. They asked for a selfie and for the blog name. Very sweet guys.
Those blisters…
Speaking with all these new friends almost made me forget my nasty blisters, which in spite of being well protected, still made their presence felt with every single step I took. My feet were a patchwork of bandages. Not a pretty sight!
I arrived in Pedrouzo mid-afternoon. Once I checked in, I made a beeline for the pharmacy. But, it was closed. Damn siesta! So, I headed towards a restaurant to wait out the siesta closure. Since I didn’t have a lunch on the trail, I was starving and the hotel did not have a restaurant. I found a little restaurant and grabbed a delicious, huge bowl of soup filled with lentils, veggies and meat. I also had a bottle of great Galician beer, which has become my favourite way to end the day’s walk. It hit the spot after a long, tiring day.
Even more friends
Early in the day, as I started on the trail, there were 3 Italian pilgrims. One of them had his phone precariously perched on his pocket. I tapped him and said “your phone could fall out.” He thanked me and we all kept going. So, imagine my surprise when I ran across these 3 pilgrims were at dinner! After I rested for a few hours, I thought it would be a good idea to go and grab a small bite to eat since my heart soup would not hold me until breakfast. So, I headed back towards the main street. I eventually found a neat little restaurant that had a communal table. This looked like fun, so I ventured in. There was a group of Italians and Americans sitting at one end and I asked if I could join them. Sure, they said! And then I recognized the 3 Italians from earlier in the day! I thought that was pretty funny. I met a couple of lovely ladies: Kandy from Texas and Alessandra from Italy. Kandy told me that she’d be in Montreal in November, so next week, I’m meeting up with her and playing tour guide! This makes me very happy! It was so neat to meet all these new friends. It made my soul happy.
So, tomorrow I will walk my last 20 kms. So many emotions right now: happiness to have made it this far; sadness because I wish I could continue, in spite of my blistered feet, anxious to actually make it to Santiago; gratitude for all the beautiful experiences of the last few days and the opportunity to have taken this journey.
