Day 41 - Palas de Rei to Melide - 16km

20, 23, 10. “Huh”, you say “what are these numbers about Julie?” Those are the number of Kilometres I am doing over the next three days to reach Santiago. Unbelievable, in 3 days this will be done. I am so looking forward to it being done and if you ask any of the crowd I walk with that started in Saint Jean, they feel the same.

The funny thing is, as much as I want it to be done, it is more because I am ready for it to be done, not because I am sick of it and want it to be over. About a day or two before Sarria, I realized I have a sort of peace about me. I really think there is a better word for it, but I can’t think of it at this moment. I feel lighter, easy going, not so worried are a few other words to describe it. In fact, the feeling is so deep that the Sarria crowd does not bother me. I enjoy seeing all the different people and know that they have their own reasons for doing the camino. I have just chalked this up to a different part of the camino. Just like the Pyrenees, the Meseta, the big cities and the 100k people.

Last night I went to dinner with Rachel. Very sweet 19 year old girl from the US but is going to school in Sweden right now. We had some good chats and she struggles with what she wants to do with life (Something we all struggle with at some point).

Everyone has their own reason for doing the camino, even if they don’t know it. There are a lot of people who are here because it is a very cool hiking trip. I have no resentment there, it is true, it is a very cool hiking trip and doing 100km in 5 days is no easy task and most people cannot do that, so it is great they are challenging themselves. I explained to a few people, including Rachel, that yes, I am doing the camino this time in memory and honour of Jörg but when we did the camino the first time in 2009, it was really because it was a cool hiking trip across Spain. I had read some camino books, and understood the spiritual side and there was hope that something would change (and of course it did, my dear Jörg moved to Canada), but it wasn’t the initial driving force to do the walk.

Ok, enough about my thoughts and feelings, on to tell you about my day. I had a TERRIBLE sleep in the albergue. The albergue was nice, and no major snorers or people disturbing us, but the heat was unbearable. The people sleeping next to the windows had closed them and the room was an oven. I was on a top bunk so the heat was rising and there was nothing I could do to cool down. I actually have a fan, but it is too loud to use in the middle of the night. At one point I went down to the basement lounge to cool off. At about 6am, with hardly any sleep, I decided it was time for a hotel room. And I wanted a real hotel room, not a pension, not a Casa Rural, but an actual hotel. I found a 3 star hotel (extreme luxury in camino terms) that had a sale, and the room was going for 55 Euros. I snapped that one up. I am sitting in the room right now, writing this at a desk with the air conditioning on and looking out to the park across the street through my floor to ceiling windows. (I will attach photos of course!)

I walked alone for about 5km and then ran into Peggy (from New Hampshire) so we walked the rest of the way together into town (16km in total). She was going another 5km, so we had ice cream and then parted, but I am sure we will run into each other again.

After showering, I met up with Matt for a drink which was nice and we had a good chat. It is sooooo very hot still so it was time for me to get back to my air conditioning while I have it.

They have a buffet dinner here at the hotel at 7:30, and I first thought I would treat myself (I don’t even know how much it is), but I am so enjoying just relaxing in the room, that I think I might just survive on my nuts and treats in my bag. We will see. I probably should have something, but they also offer a breakfast, so maybe I skip dinner and just have a great breakfast. Oh, how tough these decisions are.

Before I go, I thought I should give you an update on my bed bug problem. I have not had any new bites. I have a feeling I just got bit that one night, but they didn’t hitch a ride with me. I am still keeping everything separate in my bag, and have decided when I get to Santiago, I will wash everything again, and empty my backpack and leave it in the sun for a couple hours in a black garbage bag (that is the famous trick to killing them and their eggs.)

Ok, going to go put my feet up and watch a little TV.

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