From Arzua to O Pedrouza
Day 27, Thursday 19 September 2013
Distance to Santiago: 42,2 km
Vandag (real-time vir diegene wat my blog volg) 19 September 2013, ons is 20,1 km vanaf Santiago.
Ons het vandag 18 km geloop vanaf Arzua tot by O Pedrouza, die voor laaste fase voor die uitpunt naamlik Santiago.
Dis met hartseer en dankbaarheid dat ek hierdie blog skryf want vir my is dit ongelooflik dat ons staat was om hierdie te kan doen. Dankbaarheid dat ons geen gesondheidsprobleme gehad het nie behalwe vir ‘n blister op die voet so nou en dan en die kere toe ons bont gebyt was deur bed bugs.
Dankbaar dat ek die geleentheid gehad het om deur die ongelooflike mooi natuur te kon loop wat mooier was as enige van die katedrale en kerke wat ons besoek het. Dankbaar vir die rus en vrede wat ek op die Camino kon ervaar.
Die pad na Santiago het skielik baie meer pelgrims op wat begin het vanaf Sarria 100 km vanaf Santiago. Die rus en vrede van die stap op die Camino het ook verander met die vermeerderde verkeer.
Ons sien uit na die laaste deel van ons staptog na Santiago waar ons by die Oficina del Peregrino gaan aansoek doen vir ons Compostela.
Daarna gaan ek die hoogste berg soek in Santiago en my rugsak daar af bliksem.
Walk, eat, sleep. Backpack. Tired, tired, tired. Suddenly I felt so tired that I did not have the energy to take out my iPhone from my pocket to take a photo. Therefore for this day I only took two photos. My love-hate relationship with my backpack reached another level. It was now without love. It felt like a deliberate effort to prevent me from enjoying the walk. But I would not send my backpack forward. I would carry it myself until the end, which was now oh so near.
We expected big crowds on this day but surprisingly there were not any. There were those who walked from St Jean to Santiago, even further to Finisterre, staying in albuergues all the way, carrying their own luggage. Then there were people who just walk the last 100 kilometres from Sarria to earn their Compostela and had their luggage transported. That there truly was no judgment as to what was best was the grace of this walk. Everyone honoured the Camino spirit and how the walk was done was a personal decision.
We walked mainly through pine and eucalyptus forest, beautiful, green, fresh. The fresh and clean smell of the pine and eucalyptus echoed in the mind. Uplifting. The day to day walking alone with plenty of quiet time to think, has brought change to my mind and soul.
We booked in at Albergue Otero for €10. It was a private new albergue, modern and clean. We did our washing and relaxed for the rest of the day with a nice cold beer, Spanish olives and snacks.
Later we walked into the town where we encountered many pilgrims in cheerful conversations in packed bars and where we had a nice three-course pilgrim meal for €10.
We walked 18 km for the day.