Getting closer

I forgot to post last night, so this is a double post. Yesterday I walked from Portomarin to Eirexe. Eirexe was a tiny stop along the way with an albergue and a restaurant across the street without much of a town. I decided to stop early to do fewer km and to stay “off stage” (aka not stopping at the primary towns dictated by the stages in the guidebooks).

Leaving Portomarin yesterday morning was my first taste of the big crowds everyone describes joining at the end. It was a constant stream of people ahead and behind with that same hurried energy from the beginning of the trail. There must be some psychological principle that makes people feel like they’re racing when they’re in a crowd.

Today I walked 14 miles from Eirexe to Melide. This was my last longest walking day - everyday after this is shorter than what I did today.

I’m glad to be getting close to Santiago and glad to be coming to a close with this experience. My body feels stronger than it did at the beginning, but emotionally I feel drained from the effort it has taken to sustain myself. I’m looking forward to being back in the comforts of home and back to the bountiful harvest of fresh vegetables available from our local farms.

Three more days before Santiago.Read more