This has been as wet a day as we have ever walked. Eight hours in a good steady rain, that is until it turned into a driving rain. This was exactly like our last day's walk into Santiago four years ago, my feet so wet that the blister prevention mefix tape just slid off my toes and floated in the drenched water-logged socks. (John Langford - think of your walk into Monte de Gozo). Thirty three kilometres soaked to the skin despite hoodies, hats, pack covers and ponchos.
The only thing that saved us (mentally if not physically) was meeting up again with Paige, a young lady from New York who had just finished the Camino Frances, and walking and talking with her all day...someone new to share Camino war stories with. We had met her late afternoon yesterday on our way into Negreira and the time flew by as we chatted and she was telling us about her Camino experiences this year. Today the conversations kept us busy and preoccupied, well the first seven hours at least and then it was getting tough for everyone. We had two beverage breaks; a much appreciated coffee and tea break in the late morning and then a limonade for lunch. We were too wet to ever sit down and order a true lunch.
Paige is on a year's sabbatical from her marketing career in New York City and this Camino is one part of her first six month travelling plan. Next week she is off to Rome, Athens, Croatia, Albania and Montenegro before finishing up in France and heading home to New York for two months before setting out again. Paige says she is not much of an outdoors person and this is her first extended walking experience but she is definitely a strong walker and certainly helped us keep the pace up.
By 3:00pm we arrived at our Pensión Rural in Olveiroa and we are now happily ensconced in our private room drying out everything including our Euros! Tomorrow we have one more 30km day into Muxia and hopefully our 'Gortex Waterproof ' boots will be dried out by then. Right now they are stuffed with newspapers and perched on the radiators in a valiant optimistic attempt to hurry up the drying out process.
Step one of the drying out process.
Olveiroa was the finale of my Camino Frances/Finisterre four years ago - where I threw in the towel, waved the white flag and conceded to the tendinitis I had walked with for over three weeks and about 650 kms of my total 858 kms. That final day, Dayton walked the remaining 33kms to Finisterre and I had to take a taxi. This year I am sure I will make it to Muxia tomorrow. I'm rolling out my feet and shins with the Yoga Tune-Up balls, stretching and rehydrating (vino tinto is a liquid so qualifies as rehydration in my plan). We can only hope that the skies are rained out because two days in a row of this misery just might challenge my 'don't whine' mission statement.
A small tapas to go with the vino tinto - unfortunately not vegetarian so it's all for Dayton
Enjoyed a lovely and lively dinner with a fellow pilgrim, Linda from Austria. Dayton had the menu del dia with a huge pasta salad, a veal stew and dessert while Linda and I enjoyed a salada mixta. So nice to have some lettuce and tomatoes to go with the four kilos of bread that come with every meal. And I love it all. This is not a place to be gluten free, vegetarian is hard enough.
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One more day to go and the weather looks to be improving. Stay strong and hopefully enjoy a dry walk to Muxia. You both have done so well. I bet Dayton did not even feel that beer go down. All the best.
ReplyDeleteJohn and Robin