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Another cold and sleepless night with a bounty full of snoring to go with it!
One thing I am really learning from the Camino is we have to experience the bad or less desirable to truly appreciate the small things: a good nights sleep, a strangers smile, a clear blue sky or the sweetness of a freshly picked apple!
Today I got up a little early and sat in the mess drinking warm tea and cradling the heater! Amazingly all the Municipal Albergues in Galicia have magnificent kitchens with no utensils - thus I have resorted to using a trusty green pea tin as my my makeshift kettle!
This morning was bitterly cold but there was an energy in the air knowing we are only 40km away from Santiago.
We noticed a lot of new walkers today (people who just walk few days) along with many tour groups. I am guessing we passed a 100+ people today - many more then usual.
There is a definite change in atmosphere on the Camino and I am not sure it is for the better! However at the Albergues my experiences get better and better with people and their excitement at getting closer to their goal.
Unfortunately I ran out of food this morning (I have only been buying food at supermarkets) and was unable to find any shops! As our morning break approached magically an apple tree appeared just off to the left of the trek and there on the ground waiting for me were 3 delicious green apples. We stopped at a cafe 10minutes further on and I did my best to convince the lady working there to sell my a loaf of bread , but unfortunately she wouldn't have it. Luckily Darcy came to the rescue with a few slices of bread that accompanied his tortilla patatas. Another time when the Camino has provided for me when I needed it most.
Walking on we ran into a lovely Canadian lady named Lotus I had met the night before. A real free spirit that is walking the Camino for her second time - the first time topless. Anyways she could see both Darcy and I were in pain so she gave us some "Arnika" a homeopathic remedy (she is a naturopath) that seemed to magically ease my shin pain :)
So tommorrow I will hopefully arrive in Santiago - I say hope because one thing this walk has taught me is to not count your chickens before they hatch. Every day changes, new challenges/complications arise and it is only in that moment (the present moment) that you are capable of forging your path.
So the aim will be to leave early tommorow morning about 7am as we have 20km to the Cathedral where we will attend a 12 o'clock mass! Leaving at 7am will give us 5 hours of which I expect we will take 4 hours and this giving us an extra hour up our sleeves. After mass I will head to Pilgrims office and receive my credentials. From here I am at a crossroads and will either stay a few days in Santiago (unlikely as Albergues are very expensive), catch a bus down to Ourense where I will stay with my friend Inma for a few days or "Keep Walking" head towards Portugal and basically walk the Portugues Camino backwards from Santiago to Porto (around 240km) and on the way stop in to visit Inma and another friend Vanessa in Vigo.
I feel I could keep walking doing small days 20-25km a day but am a bit over living in Albergues and having cold sleepless nights followed by being ejected every morning at 7:30am. I also feel my body needs rest and a change of pace.
It's a tough decision and like I said one that will have to be made in the moment when it arrives.
Either way I am excited, nervous and sad to be almost at my final destination.
Tonight we are staying in a small Municipal Albergue In a town called Pedrouzo. Amazingly the Albergue has a stocked kitchen, blankets and warm showers. To go with that I walked in and found some milk in the fridge and some leftover cheesy pasta that did me well for lunch and I was able to make myself a mint tea with milk and two sugars. Eating pasta, bread, cheese, chocolate, sugar and drinking milk has been a big change for me and my diet - believing all these things previously were going to make me stack on the weight. Luckily on the Camino you can just about justify and rationalize eating any food at all as you are burning so many calories a day and need to consume 2-3x your normal caloric rate. However when all is said and done everything in moderation is a good guide to follow.
The Camino has allowed me to eat the foods I enjoy and showed me that provided I am active I can indulge in all kinds of food.
Tonight though I can cook so my aim is to buy some good Veges and make a big vegetable stirfry to go with a can of sardines - my go2 protein on the Camino.
Today is also my 10 year highschool reunion which I am very sad not to be attending; highschool was some of the best years of my life and the people I shared it with are still some of my best friends!
20kms to go.…….…
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