Sunday, June 2, 2024
I wake at 5:00 am, and am walking by 6:00 am. I want an early start to the day, knowing the trail will be busy. And they are. I move quickly past long lines of people, as I am in top gear within an hour. I continue like this all day, walking from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm when I enter Monte do Gozo, a suburb of Santiago where I will stay the night at a massive 500-person albergue. Fast. Solo. An endorphin high. I am sore as hell. I message both Sander and Peter, as I hope their Camino final days are awesome also. I find the albergue, check in, shower, clean clothing, and shove them into a dryer. I find the “cerveceria”, a large open bar and restaurant where I spend a few hours writing and “pinting”. Today was awesome, even though it was the busiest I have experienced on the Camino. At the same time, the day was fucking difficult! Lots of review and reflection are made into the notebook. Settling into several pints and written tracts calms my nerves. Sleep arrives early.
Today’s distance walked: 51.8 km | Total distance walked: 911.23 km
“Voz de Galicia.” — Local newspaper
Saturday, June 1, 2024
It is a new day and a new month. The morning is dark when I rise from bed to pack and eat breakfast. The headlamp is used for a few kilometres to help light the way. A 7:40 am break is enjoyed for coffee. Walking today is made through beautiful landscapes of trees, fields, and inclines. Before long I meet Sander, Fay, and Chloe, and we decide to walk together to a common destination for the day. Sander makes a reservation for me where they are staying, which is awesome as their rental has a pool! I meet some new friends Sander has made, and the conversation is interesting. They have been stopping each hour when pints are available, and our next stop produces tasty beverages for everyone. We walk to Melide, where we take up residence for the night. All the domestics are performed before I walk to a cafe/bar a few doors down to work for a few hours. When I finish up, the group has occupied the pool, and wine bottles appear everywhere. A “pulpo” dinner is next enjoyed, followed by hopping between several bars for beverages and kicks. Several hours later, settling into bed, sleep arrives quickly.
Today’s distance walked: 51.1 km | Total distance walked: 911.23 km
“In this village there are two bars.” — Advert seen on trail upon entering town
Friday, May 31, 2024
Waking early at 3:00 I snooze until 6:00 am. I prepare for the upcoming day in the darkness and silence of the donativo. I begin walking with another satisfying and quick pace. By 9:00 am I have walked 11 kilometres. And then, I ran into Edy, a man I had met in line at Roncesvalles on the second day of this walk! He was standing on the trail, resting after having completed a climb. When he sees me, he needs a second to understand what he is looking at. His eyes widen, his jaw drops, and a massive smile appears. The same happens with me! I haven’t seen Edy for two weeks! He was experiencing issues with his feet and had taken time to recover. Now, he is back walking and is aiming for Sarria where he will take some time off from the walk, collect his family who are flying in, and return to the trail to walk the final section from Sarria to Santiago in ten days. Today is his last day on the trail before he takes his ten-day break. I am so lucky to have run into him! We walk into Sarria together and find a restaurant where coffee and breakfast are enjoyed. We take a few selfies, exchange contact information, and film a ten-second portrait of him, and then we say goodbye and ‘buen camino’. It is such a wonderful and lucky experience! Ten minutes later I meet up with Greg, Paul, Rob, and Nicola on the far edge of town. A few more ten-second portraits are filmed before we begin walking again. Rob is staying overnight in Sarria. Paul and I make plans to meet up down the trail. Next, I film ten-second portraits of Craig and Nicola for the film. Many laughs. I walk solo for a few hours—fast and confident. Upon walking into Portomarin by 2:20 pm I hear my name called and see Sander, Fay, and Chloe on a patio. They are leaving for the next town where they will stay 13 kilometres down the trail. I check in to my albergue. Shower, organize, write. I am surprised to learn that I have made over one terabyte of material on this walk of video clips, photos, and writing. I met an interesting man named Jay at the albergue over an interesting conversation. He turned out to be slrrping in the bunk directly below mine. The day ends exhausted but feeling confident with the walking and the work!
Today’s distance walked: 42 km | Total distance walked: 860.13 km
