O Pedrouzo

Today I walked 13.5 miles from Arzua to O Pedrouzo. It was my last long day of walking. That alone feels celebratory knowing I’ve done all the big pushes and now it’s just two short days to Santiago.

Today was another busier day with more crowds on the trail. I met some Irish people who said they were part of a tour group of 90 people. The trail feels different with all the chatty groups of newcomers, but I sped up or slowed down my walking pace throughout the day to find moments of quiet.

A lot of people walk from here to Santiago since it’s about 20km. I decided to break up the final stretch and stay in Lavacolla tomorrow, about halfway to Santiago. Lavacolla is the town where pilgrims used to wash themselves off in the stream to prepare to arrive in Santiago. It feels like a fitting place to rest and reflect. It also means I can leave early on Tuesday for the final 10km and hopefully arrive in Santiago with fewer crowds.

When I decided to change my itinerary earlier in the trip, I wanted to imagine myself arriving in Santiago feeling proud and celebratory. I didn’t want to arrive in Santiago feeling exhausted and relieved to be done. I think breaking the final stage into two shorter days will help it feel more celebratory and less of a rush to the end.Read more