Ses Voltes

The trip to Portomarin was about 24 or 25 km. Likely, even my readers, are noticing that now whether it is 20km or 25 km, it is becoming a bit irrelevant. By the time you are more than 30 days in, and have more than 700 km behind you, it becomes all a bit of a blur...and you walk...and you walk until you reach your destination. You follow the yellow arrows, no questions asked. There is something incredibly freeing about not actually worrying about it...you just go till you are at the end.

Today, I met a farmer who was taking his cows somewhere, and I noticed that one of the cows had a terrible cut by his front right leg. I showed the farmer the cut, but he ignored me. I thought to myself, if that was Bella we would need a veterinarian, some ointment, and probably rest! The poor cow!

So today, I walked with the sole purpose of having lunch at this restaurant that a friend advised from the day before. I walked for 19 km, bypassing cafe after cafe...the whole time thinking, I am going to have a great lunch! I got to the restaurant and it was closed...probably because it is Saturday (lol). I had lots of water, and already ate my tin of tuna, and lost my apple ( long story), so I am hungry. I walk to the next cafe...and let me begin my rant.

So I am a Camino snob. The trail is crowded and the cafes are packed with people only walking the last 100 km. So I am standing in line behind a family who are ordering their burgers with mayonnaise , without mayainsse, with lettuce, without lettuce ( which is so rude by so many standards in this country) and beer! I say to my friend I have been walking with, I can't do it...I am just going to keep walking to town, it is only 4 km...and I have water...I already know that after 700 km, it will take a-lot more to kill me. But then another kilometre later is a lovely vegetarian juice bar! I had a smoothie, a beer, a slice of pizza...and after resting and eating, off I went happily to finish the last kilometres.

The really terrific thing about today though was, though there are so many people on the trail, the people who had walked already alot, we were still eating dinner at 8 pm, having drinks, and happy. I am enjoying my social life on Camino tremendously. It is hard to imagine, but it is easy...everyone belongs to no one...so we mix and mingle. A friend said today, that we are a group of "misfits"...that we don't fit in anywhere else...and I wonder if that is true? I think she makes a good point, and something definitely worth pondering tomorrow, as I climb uphill for the better part of 24 km...

Funny this is, that I don't usually now look ahead to the next day's hike, and so when it came up in conversation tonight that tomorrow might be long and hard, I was surprised...I thought the next 100 were going to be a piece of cake because this is the section all the tourists do!Read more