Less than 10 miles left on our inaugural El Camino walk, and every day brings something new. That’s how it should be. Today, it was wind during our 9.5-mile walk. And getting (sorta) lost. And our first Portugese pilgrims. Our penultimate walking day, in photos and captions below.
Before leaving last night’s sumptuous lodgings (compared to others), we asked the taxi driver to take a photo with our hostess Veronica. Maria, on right, is an El Camino veteran and arranged all the lodging for us.We’ve been using taxis occasionally to take us to where we left the path, in order to manage the daily distance and arrive at Santiago early. Here, Gin is tying her shoes while the taxi waits.The markers show distance (in kilometers) to Santiago. I’ve been watching the numbers go down since we started. Getting close now!We were so happy to head into the woods again, even though the day was gray and damp.I wore my down vest and was glad to have it. Temps were in the 50s but felt colder – especially when the predicted wind gusts materialized.We found ourselves, again, in lovely green tunnels. Ginny’s at the far end.We walked together long enough for her to take a few photos of me…… but I soon fell behind and dropped my pack for a break. (I’m trying to take hourly breaks in order to baby a troublesome toe.) I bought that shell at the San Martino Monastery on our first day of walking. It’s the symbol of Rl Camino pilgrims. I hope it makes it back to the U.S. and remains a continuous reminder of resilience.I passed one rustic pilgrim stop……and then this newer one, which came with an English-language explanation…… for those square stone “tubs.” Meant to wash clothes, not people. For those really hardy pilgrims who sleep outside. I hear there are still a few left.I stopped again to refill my water bottle, and took a selfie because I can’t believe how curly my hair became in my 60s! It was straight all my life. I guess today’s humidity contributed.I treasure this water bottle because it works great, and also is a memento of a great bike-and-boat trip in Holland.After the lovely forests, it was a bit discouraging to enter a long industrial stretch.And then we were in a park, with meandering paths and few signs.We saw a few of these on the ground, and then they also disappeared. We communicated with each other through Whatsapp until we reunited..… in the midst of a construction area and just outside of……a police station! Where Maria asked for directions and Ginny got her credentials stamped. By a cop. 😄We found our way to tonight’s lodging…… and waited while a Portuguese couple registered in front of us.After dropping our bags in our rooms, we continued walking to add more distance, through downtown Siguero…… and back into a woodsy area.Then into farmland again.See? Cows.And gorgeous horses. We passed another roadside “pilgrims’ market.” This one specified cost – one euro for any item.Trucking on, we encountered some serious wind and threatening clouds.At times, we had to duck our heads and lean to make headway.I’m continually amazed at the mix of old and new houses. The new ones often use bold colors.I whistled for this beautiful pup and he came right up to say hello!When a cold drizzle began to accompany the wind, we decided to stop in this bus shelter and call the taxi.Yeah, we were ready to stop for the day! Tomorrow is the last walking day. Tomorrow, we enter Santiago. Tomorrow, we see the cathedral. Tomorrow, we greet Saint James. (Santiago means “Saint James,” whose bones allegedly rest in the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela.) I’m a little sad that it’s about to end, but know the reflections will continue.This guy…a monk?…outside our albergue kind of looks how I feel. (Kidding.)A note about crosswalks in Spain. Don’t stop. Don’t wait for the cars to stop. Just go. Purposefully. Cars here stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. No lights to wait for, no auto-voice saying “Walk.” Just a well-known and well-respected rule. If you hesitate or try to wave a car through, you’re likely to get a scold, as I did on Day 1. Like visitors anywhere, you need to learn the local customs — and endure locals’ irritation until you do. Same deal everywhere, right? 😄
For Many Moons 
Thanks for the mini-adventure. These photos are spectacular!
Love the hair!
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