Day 13 Caldas De Reis 20km

Another noisy night in the albergue, but once everyone went to bed, it got quiet quickly, and I slept well.

My companion had been in pain all day with a very sore foot. So, I got some support tape for it, but we weren't sure of the correct way to apply it. Just then, we noticed an elderly Italian man in our dormitory applying the same tape to his granddaughter's legs. The mother noticed us watching and asked if we needed help, which we absolutely did.

He then carefully examined my companion's legs and feet and told her that her instep was collapsing. He then preceded to put the KT tape on her feet and legs in a particular way. It turned out that he had been a physiotherapist. We were very grateful for his help, which was for us, another camino miracle expressed in the kindness of strangers. He is the elderly gentleman in the photo below...not me, the other elderly gentleman.

One of the great lessons I learned on the camino is that we are not as strong as we think we are. No one can make it through life without the help and care of others. Our challenge is not only to accept that but to become the person providing the help and care.

We decided that walking 20km today was out of the question. So, we agreed to get a taxi to take us halfway, and we would walk the rest. We started off well, but by 5km, she was struggling. It was only her grit and determination that kept her going. When we arrived at the albergue in Caldas, I don't think she could have taken another step.

The albergue was ok, the showers were good, I know you were wondering. There was a restaurant a few doors away and we had a fabulous dinner, then back to the albergue. Our walking for today was over.

What will we do about walking to Padrón tomorrow? Well, as Lord Taranaga said, "Tomorrow is tomorrow."Read more