Pobra do Caramiñal

I expected today to be challenging, but it turned out to be ok. First I thought I was going to be an emotional wreck leaving Santiago, and admittedly, I did cry my way out of town. I was worried that it would be hard with hills and downhills. I was worried that after four days off, my feet would blister. I heard from some unknown source, that the trip out of Santiago was along highways for miles and horrible.

Well, gladly, none of that turned out to be true...except the crying my way out of Santiago. The hills were ok...hard, but not impossible. The downhills were not too steep. My feet did not blister in any new spot. And the trip out of Santiago was lovely. See my pictures. Within a kilometre of the Santiago Cathedral, the Way passed along cobbled streets, a park, and then immediately into countryside.

I met a few people I knew from the Camino Frances along the Way, met a new friend along the Way, and so in the end, I walked some of the Way on my own, and some of the Way in the company of friends old and new. It was not a terribly difficult walk today with only 23 km to cover, and in the sun it was definitely warm, but not terrible. No rain today, but tomorrow is promising rain...so we were all enjoying a day without any rain.

Negreira is an interesting town. In this town there is an esteemed music academy for wind instruments including the bagpipes. I wondered about the bagpipe theme as we got closer to Santiago, and in fact, when you walk in to the square, pilgrims are piped in by a bagpipe player. I always thought bagpipes were more of a Scottish influence, but apparently this town of Negreira is also renown for its academy of music, and one instrument is the bagpipes...so now it all makes sense.

Negreira has Roman beginnings as Roman ruins were uncovered in the last centuries verifying this, but in the late 10th century around 975, Negreira was pillaged and sacked several times before the early 1100's when it became an important pilgrimage centre for both pilgrims travelling to the "end of the world" and for pilgrims coming from the seaside to Santiago. Because Negreira is only 70 km from the sea, it was also an important passage to and from the sea.

Those of you who have travelled with me before know that foreign bugs and I often have a problem. I must have got bit by a spider of sorts, because I have welts on my left hand, and one on my midriff. A friend, who was just having wine with me, noticed my hand, and immediately commented on it...I didn't know she was a dermatologist! And as much as many of you might find it hard to believe, I am being a very good patient, and a concoction of Benadryl ( oral and topical), topical anti bacterial medicine, the basics of a first aid kit, the reaction may be contained, but fortunately tomorrow is Monday, and so getting into a pharmacist or doctor tomorrow will be easier.

I tell you on the Camino, if it is not your feet or your legs...it is a small cut or small insect bite that takes its toll on our already fragile immune systems. I have learned a great deal about the limits of the human body, and have tremendously more respect for how to keep it well and healthy.Read more