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Published: November 8th 2012
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A gentle climb started off the next morning, we walked past a field where a cow was licking a bull's head - so THAT's what a cowlick is .....We walked through lovely old forests, took a little video of the sounds in the forest and walked into Melide for lunch.
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Melide is quite a big town - pop. 8000 - with bustling traffic, kids in school uniforms, traffic lights ....we sat in the square eating our yoghurt and fruit with our boots off and an older Spanish lady came up to us, spoke in rapid Spanish then leaned to kiss us both on each cheek - made me feel a bit teary because such encounters seem to really bring home to me the realisation of being part of something ... The Camino De Santiago is so much a part of the culture and the history of the- area and it's people, and so many come from worldwide to walk The Way, and as we walk barriers of language and difference melt away in the face of a common path and a shared journey . It is such a privilege to be able to share
this with so many people, those here now and those who have passed by days/weeks/months years , even hundreds of years ago- thousands and millions of people over the years ... And I guess this is where the idea lies of the Camino being a metaphor for life and the path of life we all share, the surrender, to simply walk each day, no planning of where to stay - nothing beyond a vague idea that somewhere - up ahead- will be a place to rest, a place to eat and gather strength for the next step of the journey. We walk in trust - I felt always safe, and free. Free from having to consider other's needs and wants, looking after only my own.
Anyway.... back to Melide - as it was a larger township there was a cafe with Internet access and I managed to do a Facebook update - the first for many days ..... then we set off again- for another 14 or so km to the next planned overnight stop. At this late stage of the walk I had noticed I was tiring earlier and earlier in each day... and I was thinking -
'yep.... I think my body has just about had enough.' We stopped at the side of a farm after about 9km and decided to remove boots and rest feet in the freezing cold water running just at the side of the dirt roadway...."the Irish Guys' walked past and stopped to take pics of us and our feet - They were thrilled to see my nail polished toes with a different colour on each foot ! We saw Aussie sisters Carol and Margaret too along this stretch and passed and were passed by - like leap frog- a whole clump of French speaking schoolkids who were walking. We walked to Arzua and came across a few albergues that were already full - because of the increased pilgrim no.s in the last 100km . I cannot imagine how it must be to walk The Camino in the busy summer season June/July/Aug .......I guess then are more opportunities to TRUST that all will be well and something will turn up . We booked into an Albergue that was a multi story building, showered, did washing then watched from our 3rd floor the busy street below and recognised some of the folk we saw
- Irish guys, German Tomas - and went down and joined them for a drink. To our dismay the whole lot of kids we'd been passing came went in to our albergue - all we could hope was that we werent in the same room! . We had dinner that night with James and Angie ...... and after went back to the Albergue to discover there was a BIG football match on and the kid's team was playing . They were in the room where computer was and the noise they made was..... well......... you can imagine...... it was like BEING at a football game .
At least they werent sleeping on the same floor as us though........but there WAS a snorer in our midst and the room was horribly hot and stuffy (again leading me to wonder about how it would be in FULL hot albergues in summer as there is limited air conditioning.... and rooms full of sweaty bodies....hmmmm spring/autumn a much better time to walk I think. I didnt get to sleep until after 1 and was ready to get out of bed at about 6 . When we headed out of town the next day
we stopped for breakfast, being the first customers of the day before the baked goods weres sorted - There was a delivery waiting to be put away and Diane knocked one of the pastries off onto the floor ! No-one saw so she quickly picked it up and put it baack again - WELL within the 5 second rule :-)
42km to go......On the one hand my body was really tired and needing to take a break after walking for 34 days - av 23km a day - with only 1 rest day......and yet.... I so didn't want this to finish....
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