A Nice Day for a Walk

Tuesday, November 17 – Day 65

The bed was very hard, but I still slept ok. I went down for breakfast and was on my way just before 8. It was still dark. I wanted to get an “early” start because of the very long day ahead.

I really was feeling better today than I did yesterday. I think it really made a difference that I had a real dinner. The Koreans have a proverb, “before we climb the mountain, let’s eat first.” It’s always a good idea to eat dinner the night before walking the camino.

There was a misty, spitty rain, and I was pretty happy with that. I was hoping it would stay like that all day, but unfortunately it turned into one of the worst days for rain that I’ve had. The worst was back in France. This was the worst in Spain. It didn’t rain super hard, but it was constant, and windy, so I ended up pretty soaked at the end of the day.

After going about 13k I ran into Aldo and friends at a bar. I was reminded, several times, of why I like walking by myself. I think it would be fine in a group of people where I really liked everyone, but when you randomly meet groups of people on the camino, chances are there’s going to be someone you don’t love. Constantly being given unsolicited advice about how I should be doing things is a bit of a turn off. I have been doing this for 65 days, without you, and somehow I’ve miraculously managed to survive. I don’t know how, I know, it baffles me, too.

So that put me into a bit of a foul mood, along with the weather, and the 34k, and the street walking.

I wasn’t in a mood to walk with the group, so I did my best to stay ahead. I enjoy having dinner with a bunch of people, but I would enjoy it much less if I spent all day walking with them as well.

I spent most of the afternoon questioning my choice of “vacation” after the camino. I had always wanted to go to the coast after Santiago, but Santiago really was the “end” of the camino for me, and once I got there, I really was done. I’m not sure that I’m enjoying the walking part of going to the coast.

I passed many, many signs for a taxi, mostly the same company advertising over and over. It didn’t take long to memorize the number, and I had decided to actually get a taxi. Why should I walk every step when it doesn’t really matter anymore? There’s nothing that says I have to keep walking the whole way.

I decided that at the next bar I came to I would get a taxi. Unfortunately, I never came to a bar! Then I passed a sign that said I was only 3k from the place I wanted to go, so there was no reason to get a taxi at that point.

I arrived at about 3:30, very wet and with very sore feet. Nat had recommended this place for dinner, and I asked if they had rooms, too. Turns out it was one of the two places I had circled as options for the town.

I think the bed is going to be amazing. It’s hard to tell right now, but I think it’s going to be very nice.

Dinner is anytime, and even though it’s just 5 pm, I think I might eat, then just stay in bed for the rest of the night. I don’t know if the group will come here for dinner tonight or not.

Two days left, and they’re not in a row. I can do this.

Dinner was “pasta salad” which turned out to be mostly like every other pasta starter, but with tuna in the sauce, Galician stew, and fruit salad.  Nat had recommended the Galician stew.  It was so much food and so much meat, I had a hard time finishing.