Day 39, Ponte Campana to Ribadiso

I started off rather gingerly this morning, unsure how far I’d manage to walk and wondering if I’d need to stop after about 10km and get a taxi to our destination which was about 22km away. I was happy for Fiona and Anna to go ahead because I didn’t want to feel any pressure to keep up. Bizarrely I actually overtook them at one stage and we all stopped outside the town of Melide at a nice little cafe serving vegetarian food.
Anna spilt off from us in Melide because she had things to do there (you have to grab the chance to stock up on anything you need in these small towns). Fiona and I set off together but before long I was trailing behind.
It was a lovely morning, cool and cloudy first thing but still very pleasant when the sun came out around 9.30. The countryside was also pretty and the walking not too demanding - fairly hilly at times but nothing brutal.
This is our third from last day and I’m annoyed with myself that I am not really savouring it - I’m approaching it like an endurance test. I’m constantly in two minds about the right thing to do. Should I power on (which I’m sure I can do with a bit of help from ibuprofen) despite my ankle or should I stop and protect it to avoid doing longer term damage. I will be so angry with myself if I end up with a long term injury but I just don’t want to give up on the challenge when it’s so close to being complete.
This afternoon I was very tired when I reached our accommodation. We’ve got a pool which nobody apart from Fiona and I used and I think swimming helped my ankle a bit. I also dipped my leg in the river in the hope the cold water would be beneficial.
So, hoping for a good night’s sleep, an early start in the morning and a sunnier disposition for our penultimate walk tomorrow.Read more