Day 33: Palas de Rei a Ribadiso

I wake up leisurely in my private room with Kevin, at around 7am - yesterday we ate some snacks in the hostel and had a long conversation for dinner.

Yesterday evening, everywhere was very loud with lots of pilgrims all connecting vocally in every restaurant and bar throughout the small town. I found it all overwhelming (Doesn’t take much it would seem!), so I was grateful for something lower key.

Kevin mentions that he thought it was a nice touch that I turned my phone off for dinner, and he wanted to mention that he felt I would be a special friend in his life. I felt honoured.

We leave in the morning after a sugary breakfast of yoghurt and pastries and make our way out around 8am. The day starts off with promise, even if the way is extremely busy. Kevin is experiencing some severe foot pain, and I am feeling tired still. Lacking in the energy of the earlier days, thoughts of the experience being over begin to flicker in my mind like a small flame. Showers, cups of tea with Chris, exhibitions in London, walks in England…start to flood my mind. Perhaps there is a feeling of my life rushing back to the surface, after many weeks of being at the back of my mind. I feel perhaps some longing for that, but a desire to also bring some changes back with me. I am unsure how I will feel in a few days, but I can only feel what I feel, and accept it.

The skies begin to cloud over, we keep walking. However after stopping for some coffee the sky threatens even more. We decide to get rain packs and rain jackets on. Timely, as once we start again the heavens open. A biblical deluge of rain, which soaks me through completely in about five minutes. We make it about ten minutes before we huddle under a roof to get out more rain gear. I try on (for the first time) my rain poncho, which I have carried since SJPDP, and I tell Kevin I will keep going.

We walk together further, he is surprised that I didn’t give up! We are smiling, or at least I am, as I feel that I hadn’t really experienced any rain to this point so - how lucky am I?!

I walk 10km in the pouring rain to Melide, which is where I plan to stop for lunch. I am completely soaked, feet are drenched and the rain doesn’t stop. I get lured in to a famous Pulpo restaurant and I order for a family of 6, which of course I can’t eat! Best tasting octopus but I later tell Chris that I will be a vegetarian when I return for at least 3 months to offset all of the meat and fish I have consumed on this walk.

I tell Kevin that I need to walk alone, he reserves at the same albergue as me, so I need some time to myself. He says he admires that in me, and I leave happy that I have set a boundary!

The last 10km are sunshine, which I am beyond ecstatic about. I listen to albums from my childhood, walking through familiar smells and singing along. I probably look insane, but I feel great on this last bit of the walk today.

I arrive at the albergue in a small town, most pilgrims will go further today, so the room is quiet. I manage to do some laundry and make dinner plans with Kevin.

I start to plan my final real walking day tomorrow, it hasn’t really sunk in yet. I will go on to Finisterre, but the French Camino will end on Friday. I will have walked 780km.

Over and out from me today, I love you all.Read more