Second but last day of the Camino

Pilgrim mass is really worth joining. A totally engaged sister with guitar Leads the music throughout the mass and does a great job getting everybody fired up about the short distance left to Santiago.

Rise and shine at 5:45 am and off I go. Since my hotel is located at the entrance to Arzua I have an additional km to walk. Amazing how many people are already on the Camino. It supposed to get hot today so everybody tries to beat the heat with an early start.

I meet Nicole from Denver, seen her almost every day; we finally talk and she invites me to a place in Santiago:‘Come to Momo Bar on Wednesday night - we all celebrate there.‘

The first 10 km today are challenging with some 800 meters incline, but I am also fully charged with Adrenalin in sight of the finish line. There I spot my 3 musketeer from Canary Islands; they must have started at 5 am.‘We want to invite you for drinks in O Pedrouzo.‘ Will have to pass on this as my plan is to return to Arzua as my reservation for tonight is still there and could not be changed.

I pass by a wall where many people left messages and pictures of people they care and mourn about. What has this Camino done with me this time? Loosing a mother is hard and it sure takes time to comprehend what happened. I decide though that I am much more thankful for the time I had with her instead of grieving about her loss. She has been walking every step of the Camino with me - deep inside my heart. And will remain there for the rest of my life.

I spot a real fast walker; he jumps like a gazelle after 20 minutes I finally catch up with him. I know my race horse mentality I should have dropped long time ago - but it still comes through from time to time. I greet the gazelle passing by him - no response. He must be French or maybe just hearing impaired and did not hear me.

I make it to O Pedrouzo after 3h20 min and reward myself with a breakfast baguette ( bocadillo) with ham and cheese. Then I am off to the bus stop in front of the police station of the village to make it back to Arzua. The afternoon is for maintenance: washing salon, massage and eating up all the food so I don’t have to carry it tomorrow.