Stage 36: Arzúa-O Pedrouzo

19.3 km/11.9 miles, 60° all day, about 6.5 hours
I slept in late till 8:40, knew I was exhausted from yesterday so didn't set the alarm. So I had a record late start of 10:00. One advantage was I had the trail to myself for long stretches. I was all suited up due to the 100% chance of rain prediction but it only came in fits and starts around noon. Stopped for coffee, then for lunch around 2:00 during a brief downpour, then on into O Pedrouzo in sunshine again.
Tomorrow I'll be walking into Santiago, the goal and endpoint of this pilgrimage for me. A newbie just starting off in Sarria asked me a couple days ago "so why did you decide to do the Camino?" and all I could say was "I'm still working that out". What I've managed to come up with so far is (and all of them equally important):
As a personal challenge and adventure
A 500 mile act of contrition
As a prayer for forgiveness and in gratitude
A way to gain clarity about my life- past, present and future
I'm going to try to get up and started early tomorrow in hopes of making it to the noon pilgrim's mass in the cathedral. Also have to claim a box at the post office and a suitcase at Express Bourricot, check into my hotel, get cleaned up and rearrange my stuff to take a bus to Porto on Sunday. And just like that, it will be over, the daily forward momentum of walking to Santiago. What will life be like, post-pilgrimage? I guess I will find out.Read more