Fidèle m'a suit partout. Je l'ai oublié ici et là, mais il ne m'en a jamais voulu pour ça. Il m'a appuyé, était toujours à la main, ou dans une main, chaque jour et chaque pas que j'ai fait. J'ai du remplacer les douilles trois fois, mais la dernière que j'ai posée, juste avant Léon, il porte toujours. Il a reçu énormément de compliments, mon beau Fidèle. J'ai dit merci pour lui. Merci encore une fois mon oncle Jean, du beau cadeau. Je t'aime ben gros!!!
Today, Day 34, started with me almost getting killed after breakfast. I was ahead of Nancy, leaving Melida. At the crosswalk, the car stopped and I started to cross. WELL, they guy behind him didn't want to wait. He pulled out, just as I was clearing that car, and almost hit me. He had to break, I had to swerve out of the way, with him stopping not two feet away from me. Scared? You bet! However, I was more worried about Nancy behind me who hadn't seen any of this, so after I finished crossing, I waited for her, and YELLED at her to be careful crossing. Scared her half to death. I honestly think this was a hazard of being SHORT! He didn't see me crossing and figured the car ahead of him had stopped for another reason, I am guessing. Gee whiz! I would have hated to get hurt or killed less than 50 km from Santiago!
Later on that morning, I met a remarkable Frenchman named Serge. We had already heard about him on The Way. As soon as I saw him, I went up to him and in three languages said "May I shake your hand?" You see, he was picking up garbage with a stick and putting it into a big garbage bag. He answered me in French and we had a lovely conversation. He has done the Camino 28 times, leaving from Paris (where he is from), from Rome, and other points and various Camino departures in Portugal. Il m'a dit "La terre est sacrée. Il faut la respecter, car en fin de compte, elle nous donne tout, n'est-ce pas? That is why he does the Camino, and every time he does it, he picks up garbage. I find Peregrinos are pretty good about keeping the sendas clear of their garbage, in spite of the fact that until recently, I have seen very few garbage cans. When I told him I was Acadian, not Québecoise, he said "Allez-vous m'engueuler?" "Are you going to chew me out?" I think we Acadians can be a little indignant about being told, "Oh, French Canada? You are from Québec." It IS an assumption on The Camino.
That being said, speaking three languages, (two well and one badly) has been so enriching for me. I gave a history lesson yesterday to two Frenchman, on the Deportation of the Acadians in 1755. All they really wanted to hear about were the New England Patriots! Like I give a darn about a football team! LOL
Today was another gorgeous day, with blue skies, birds chirping, and the promise of a warm day. We ended up finding that out, because we hiked for over 9 hours, over 27 km. We hadn't intended doing that but our BFF, the author of our guide, screwed up major in the calculations of the distance between villages, and we ended up hiking 5 km more than we intended, to get to our Albergue. It REALLY was a long, hard day.
Those PITAS, the cyclists, are still whizzing by us, some at breakneck speed, downhill and with no warning. Sometimes I think to myself that I will stick out Fidèle and clothesline one of them, or stick out Fidèle and trip one of them, because they drive me crazy. They are my biggest peeve on the Camino. They have no business being here. True Pilgrims DO NOT use a machine to do The Way of St. James, as it is called in English.
The closer we get to Santiago, the more we see those BIG tour buses. More PITAS!
Those PITAS, the cyclists, are still whizzing by us, some at breakneck speed, downhill and with no warning. Sometimes I think to myself that I will stick out Fidèle and clothesline one of them, or stick out Fidèle and trip one of them, because they drive me crazy. They are my biggest peeve on the Camino. They have no business being here. True Pilgrims DO NOT use a machine to do The Way of St. James, as it is called in English.
The closer we get to Santiago, the more we see those BIG tour buses. More PITAS!
There are lots of Germans here, and they are SO tall! Boomers by far, the 50 plus range, are who you see the most on the Camino. I have met people from over 35 different countries. Aren't I fortunate?
Since yesterday, we have only seen one Peregrino from way back, Roberto of the "spaghetti a la carbonara" evening, back in Granon. Everyone we see is new - just doing the last 100 km to Santiago.
It took us nine hours, plus sheer guts and determination to find our Albergue, because it was off the beaten path. I have taken to buying a beer to go when we are 2-3 km from destination, especially on warm days. It perks me up for that last stretch. Our Albergue is a real oasis. We get there at six, time to indulge and have them do our laundry, while we shower, post a few pics and enjoy an extravagant supper of 1 kg. of grilled T-bone steak. We have done over 27 km, we figure, and we deserve it, by golly!
It is near 10. People are going to bed. I am posting a few pictures, when Nancy comes back out from our delightful room, and says "Can you please ask them where my "flecha" T-shirt is? We got our laundry back and it is missing. Plus, I don't think these belong to you or me!" From behind her back she whips out the smallest black pair of thongs I have EVER seen. I start to laugh right away. I go into the nearly deserted bar, where the owner's daughter is cleaning up and explain our laundry problem. We start to laugh about it. Her mother comes in, and don't they start to throw the thong back and forth between each other. I am just rolling in the aisle with laughter. Then at one point, they start to pretend it is a slingshot. I can barely stand it, I am laughing SO hard my stomach still hurts today. Obviously, it was left behind in the washing machine from yesterday's laundry, so someone is not going to hike back for their thongs! Nancy got her shirt back this morning, first thing. (Remember, I am blogging a day behind!)
How did we get through today? Like lots of signs on the Camino say, handwritten here and there - Salud y Fuerza. Health and strength! I have both in spades, but what Nancy is lacking in health, she makes up for in strength! Kudos to you mon amie, for toughing out what turned out to be one of MY most memorable days on The Camino, as well as one of the longest, hardest and most rewarding. We are less than 26 km from Santiago.
Signing off with love and gratitude, just outside Salceda, Spain.
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