Day 34- September 24: dedicated to my walking stick, mon bâton, mi baston. Il s'appelle Fidèle.

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!

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.

Day 33- September 23: dédie à ma chère défunte marraine Françoise Duguay Roy McGraw

parce que je l'adorais. J'ai pu la connaitre lorsque j'ai enseigné un an à Montréal.  Elle est avec moi chaque jour, chaque pas que je fais.  Je suis convaincue qu'elle aurait suivi mon périple avec ardeur.

Day 33- We put in a big day, in a push to get to Santiago by September 26th.  We did 24 km, hiking from Eixere to Melide. There was the loveliest church in Palas de Rei, where we lit a candle, and where we had our credential stamped. The priest told me it was the second oldest stamp on the Camino, dating over 200 years.

We laughed and talked all day, a little bit of pressure off, now that we know we ARE going to get there in time.  I have walked over 770 km, and I feel great. I feel energized.

We always seem to have a hard time finding our Albergue at the end of the day, but tonight we are at the far end of town, so tomorrow maybe we can sleep in a little, since we won't have to hike through the city.  

BTW - our friend Ju from the first week was last seen in Burgos, biting down on a big burger! We would love to see her in Santiago.

Julio of Reike foot therapy for Nancy, the night of her birthday, was last spotted hiking out of Ferreiros, accompanied by three young ice-cream licking chickadees. He was thrilled to see Nancy (she was waiting for me in an outdoor cafe).  He gave her a big boob flattening hug (Nancy's words!), kissed her on the mouth and said "Love you so much!"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   I finish today with a quote by the restaurant owner in Melide, where Nancy and I had a wonderful pasta in a bar called Chaplin. I told him I had walked every step of the way. He said to me "Santiago es una cuidad muy grande pero mas grandes son los Peregrinos quien y van."  Santiago is a great city, but even greater are the pilgrims who make it to Santiago.

Bonne nuit ma tante France. Je sais que tu veilles sur moi, avec Papa.  Deux papillons sont venus me rendre visite pendant ma grande marche aujourd'hui.

Avec amour et reconnaissance de Melide, Espana.

Day 32 - September 22: dedicated to my boots! They are going to make it after all.

I didn't even have to duct tape them! 

Today was cloudy, with a little rain, but not enough to ruin what was a long day of hiking. We did over 26 km. I am so,so proud of Nancy. She is such a trooper. 

Yesterday, while hiking much of the day alone, I passed the 100 km marker. Apparently, these markers are not very old, but they still ARE NOT accurate. Quelle surprise! I don't believe any sign I see about how far we are from Santiago.

The WIFI in our albergues is so bad at times. Therefore, I am two days behind in my blogging.  I received a Snapchat from Joëlle saying "Hi Mom!" but I think it was from September 4th!

The owner at last night's Albergue booked our place for us tonight. She first told them we were Portuguese and our names were Isabella and ? What?  Gee whiz!! Is my Spanish SO bad that she thought I was speaking Portuguese? We had a good chuckle about that, Nancy and I.

Yesterday I was hiking through this beautiful, peaceful village all alone, during siesta time, with not a sound except the birds singing; I was enjoying the moment of total peace, when suddenly I heard this couple having a screaming match from inside their home!  They yelled at each other the entire time I hiked through this little pueblo.  Then my cell phone rang (a telemarketer no doubt!) because I had forgotten to put Airplane Mode back on.  How quickly one can be brought back to the reality of the 21st century, while immersed in the Camino!

Earlier, Nancy and I had taken an hour to have lunch in Gonzar.  Such a cute name for a non remarkable place. 

In Ventas, we had a cloudburst so Nancy pulled out her 4th poncho. I threw my out my one and only way back. I don't need one. I have an ARC'TERYX rain jacket. Another shameless plug!At one point, I mistook a dog for a fox. Nancy knows now that I can't recognize any animal except a cow. 

It was a very long day, and of course our Albergue was lovely, but at the far end of town and we had trouble finding it.

Nancy tied one on after drinking wine with me before and at dinner. She was so funny!   Nancy is always cold when we finish hiking for the day.  I have a picture of her hugging the radiator in our room.

I have never once napped after a day of hiking. I have too much energy. Besides, I wouldn't sleep that night if I did nap.

I finish this blog with what a young Peregrino said to me when I asked him where we were.  His answer?  "I try to never know where I am."

With love and much gratitude from Eirexe, Spain.

                                                                 

Dia 31- 21 septiembre: dedicated to the four Js.

The second person who made this Camino possible for me was my friend Jane. Jane and I were roomies in third year at UNB.  I wanted Vimy to have a home while I was gone; a family to love him. While he would have been fine in a kennel with my good friends Bob and Sue, I knew he had spent much of his first year in shelters and kennels. Jane, bless her heart, agreed to take him. Since I have been gone, Vimy has been loved and cared for NOT just by Jane, but her hubby John, the neighbour Jim, who walks Vimy three times a day, and by Jerry, their cat who I am sure tolerates Vimy. How blessed I am to have Jane, and her three Js, in my life.

I got the day off to a good start in Tricastela, by ringing the door bell, when I thought I was putting on the light in the hall at 6:30 in the morning, not ONCE, but twice. Poor Nancy is the one who got the dirty looks from the two Germans in the room next door, who were up earlier than they intended, because of my gaff!

Today I hiked over 33 km, in what was a lovely summer day.  I left Nancy behind after six km. It took me 9 hours to get from Triacastela to Ferreiros.

Today I hiked the most beautiful and various sendas (paths)of the Camino.  I will be posting pictures of only these natural paths that millions have trodden upon, in my first set for Day 31.

We are within 100 km of Santiago. There are supposedly many more Peregrinos on the Camino for these last 100 km, as they can still get their proof of hiking it, if they have their passports stamped twice each day. They must be hanging out in the bars and cafes because they are NOT on the Camino.  I saw two Peregrinos in almost four hours of hiking from Barbadelo to Ferreiros.

In the morning, there are lots on Peregrinos on the paths.  Weaving my speedy way through these pilgrims, I had advice from the Dutch Flirt of the Camino,  Kase, who kept trying to reassure me that I would make it to Santiago on time.  A middle-aged Spaniard,who was limping and looked tired, told me he had so much respect for me and my determination.  He wished me well, and said "Please come back and teach English!"

I had my first hamburger in Sarria.  The owner gave me an orange and didn't charge me.  We Peregrinos are recipients of these small acts of kindness all the time.

Here is a quick story of Colleen. Early in the morning we met this woman. We had heard OF her before we met her.  She is my age. She has buried two husbands.  She sold her house in Alabama to go nurse her sister who died of gastric cancer. She then took three months to  come to Spain, hiking all the way to Cruz de Fero. She slept in Foncebadon, the Druid like village I loved, and the next morning, was at the foot of the cross with her sister's ashes, nestled in a bed of feathers that friends had given her.  There she fulfilled the promise she had made to her sister.

The more I hike, the better I feel.  I have so much energy. I feel happier, freer, less encumbered with all of life's little and big burdens. I feel like I could just keep walking forever.  The paths welcome me, envelope me, in a cocoon of intimacy, peacefulness, and harmony with all of who have come before me. I really can't describe the feeling more than in that way.  These paths speak to my soul.

Bonne nuit ma chere amie Jane.  Give Vimy a hug for me please.

With love and gratitude from Ferrerios, Spain.

Jour 30 - 20 septembre: notre 30ième jour à marcher! A milestone in so many ways!

Ce jour est dédié à mon chien, cher Vimy.  I miss him so much.  He is my companion, with whom I share every day.  He is a Schnauzer and everyone loves Vimy. He is safe and loved while I do the Camino.

It is fitting that I dedicate this day to Vimy, as I have seen so many dogs on this journey. Every time I see one, I think of Vimy.  This morning Nancy and I left the fairy tale pueblo of O 'Cebreiro. Not far out of town, where there was a fork in the road, I stopped to talk to an old man, who looked so tired. He had his dog, his backpack and tent behind him on this type of a one wheeled cart and wanted to know which way to O'Cebreiro. Well, usually when you see someone going the wrong way, you figure it is because they forgot something - usually their walking sticks.  Turns out this man had done the Camino del Norte, on the Côte d'Azur of France, had been to Santiago, and was working his way back to France. He wasexhausted, and didn't know how much farther he could go. He was hoping a friend would pick him up soon. His dog was so cute!  I pointed him in the right direction, and after we resumed our walk, I said to Nancy "Did you get all that?" She repeated it back perfectly.  I said "Wow,  you are getting really good at understanding Spanish".  Then I realized I had conversed with the man in French, having detected his accent.  Nancy had  a good chuckle over that one! 

We still had to go up two mountains - Alto San Roque and Alto de Poio, before  making our way down to our destination  

of Triacastela for the night. The scenery is as gorgeous going down as coming up. 

I decide not to a take a Tylenol for muscular pain, and suck it  up. My little aches and pains are nothing compared to many other Peregrinos in obvious pain when walking.  It is so evident in their faces.

We take our time and decide to have lunch at a Café at the end of the village of Fonfria.  We support those entrepreneurs who advertise on the path, giving clear instructions as to where they are in the village. If you are NOT the first in the village, where most Peregrinos stop, you have to work twice as hard to get their business.

Three steps form the Café, there is this sweet faced lady, holding a plate of warm pancakes.  IF there is one thing I hate, it is pancakes.  I take one to be polite.  So does Nancy.  Then she asks for a "donativo", a donation.  So I give her 1 Euro. She cocks an eye at Nancy, as if to say what about her, so I give her another Euro. 

By the time I get to the Café, I am fuming.  An Aussie, one of a group of partiers, takes my proferred pancake. I protest against what this woman was doing, when another Aussie says "She is only trying to earn a living."  I protest "NO!"  What she is doing,  it is ...... and as I search for the the word, he says "Extortion!" He was right. That is what it was. Talking with the Café owner, he tells me he figures she makes 200 Euros a day, doing what she does.  Plus she doesn't pay taxes.  So beware of sweet faced CON WOMEN, on the Camino, mon oncle Eloi!

We tip the owner, who is young and hardworking.  When I ask why he doesn't ring the bell, he says he doesn't have one but runs behind the bar to clink two glasses together.  We share a good laugh!

We are going through, on our path, what amounts to cattle farms.  The Camino goes through the farm. There is cow shit all over the place. 

It is a long day but gorgeously warm and breezy.

Nancy is getting tired. We hear there may be no rooms left in Triacastela, so I decide to run on ahead the last three km.  I do it in 25 minutes, running flat out on the flat stretches and doing my funny duck waddle down the steep descents.

I pass Peter, a lawyer from Vermont, with whom we have chatted while hiking.  He looks very tired as well , so I ask him if he wants to bunk with Nancy and me, if we can get something.  He is in agreement.  To make a long story very short, we shared a four bed large room, in a private pension, and even though we had to walk 75 steps to get to our room, it was wunderbar!

While I was waiting for Peter and Nancy to meet me at our pension, I sat at the outdoor café, had a beer and because my water bottle had leaked in my back pack, I had hung up my socks to dry on the little fence that was the enclosure of the café.  Nancy and Peter arrive and join me. Who goes through town, right down the middle of the street, but a herd of cows!  My socks, which I hadn't washed in three days, attracted one cow, who came right over and slobbered all over my them.  So I had to wash them that night, darn it.  Nancy told that to everyone; she loved the disgusting dollop of cow drool hanging off my sock! 

I did try to get to mass that night. Some Columbian lady told me mass was at 7:00, but it was at 6:00, so I missed it.

I saw Martin, he of the no words and rags on his feet, that evening. I spoke to him in French, and he did his tipping of his hand from his heart.

We had a lovely supper with Joan and Robert, who is German and taller than Joan.  It is like being in the land of giants when we are with them.  Peter joined us.

Although I left Fidèle in the bar of our Pension for over three hours, no one touched him: I picked him up and brought him to supper with me, where he practically killed our sweet waiter, by hanging out in the aisle. 

Je vous dis bonne nuit avec amour et grande reconnaissance de Triacastela, Espagne. 

Jour 29 - 19 septembre

Day 29- is dedicated to Mark.  Wherever you area  and whatever you may be doing, I wish you well.

Today was a cold morning to wake up to- 6 degrees. I still refuse to buy gloves. The day was sunny and warm by early afternoon. Another hiker's dream day.

Our stay at this Albergue was so much fun. The hospitalero, Tymo, was more than helpful. He even put our laundry to wash and dry for us.  His dog Leo kept us entertained, doing quite the little dance for food.

Today we hiked up 700 metres, from Vega de Valcarce to the absolutely gorgeous little mountain pueblo of O'Cebreiro, population ,,,50!

It was a difficult climb, steep and rocky, but every stop to catch our breath, was rewarded with panoramic views sans pareil, one more beautiful than the next. The pictures I will post will attest to that.

We made ourselves a picnic lunch, and enjoyed that in a farmer's field, all for the princely sum of 4 Euros each.

Along the steep hike, we met up with sweetcheeks Shiva, she of the dimples in her upper cheeks. We hadn't seen her for three or four days, so there was a big round of hugs, chatting and picture taking . Shiva was hiking with our dormroom mate from last night, a Hungarian named Atila, who has been tenting since way back. He stays in an Albergue the odd time, to get a hot shower and wash his clothes. I remember seeing him doing a sun salutation one morning near Burgos, standing outside his tent, at the same time as I was doing mine on the path!

Jose and Sylvia, two Brazilians who were with our group of 40 the first night in Orisson, were sitting in a cafe when we finally summitted. They called out to me, recognizing me right away. Probably because I was the first one to stand up that night at dinner, and introduce myself. Someone has to go first at those things!

We also met up again with our San Franciscan giant, Joan, from Leon. We ended up sitting in a cafe drinking and talking, with people she had met along the way, people we had met, and even a new random from Malaysia who was sitting by herself and whom I persuaded to join us.  So there we were, Irish, American, Malaysian, Canadian, German, English,and Australian. There we sat for a few hours, resting our feet, drinking and eating, and sharing our Camino experiences. Then who shows up and joins us? One man from my birthday group of singing Germans. Their group of 12 belong to a choir, and every year one person drives the van, and the others walk.  They will do this until they finish the Camino.  Ulrich's kness are bothering him, so he stayed with the van. He is waiting for the other 10 to finish their hike up to O'Cebreiro. 

This village is magical! A 360 degree view of the mountains we have hiked, cobblestoned streets and gorgeous stone albergues.

We are told to go visit the church immediately because of a wedding taking place shortly.  We go in and listen to the singer practice. Tears stream down Joan's face.  What?  I only cry at weddings of people I KNOW, not strangers. 

I thank the organist and singer as we leave this exquisite building. There is a long pink carpet outside going from the gate of the church all the way to the altar, strewn with rose petals. I try not to step on it. I feel like an intruder.

There is an air of anticipation and excitement, as the wedding guests arrive and the Peregrinos watch and wait as well, for the arrival of the bride. Everyone mills around the courtyard.  I go down to the road that winds up, and am there waving with many other Peregrinos, as the bride and groom arrive at the head of a long motorcade.

At times I think, "Am I in some kind of Hollywood movie here?"

Tomorrow brings the reality of hiking DOWN those 700 metres we hiked up TODAY. For many, going down hurts a hell of a lot more than going up. 

I am fortunate in that while I may be stiff in the morning, nothing hurts. One Tylenol then and I am good to go. I have seen more limping, hobbling, bandaged, strapped, braced, and otherwise bedecked Peregrinos, with all kinds of medical attachments, that I am beginning to feel like SUPERMAN! I even saw two Italian cyclists who took a bad tumble near Viana. One is wearing a cervical collar, and has cracked ribs. Her partner has his left arm all bandaged up. Have they given up? Heck no, they are still at it - still doing the Camino their way.  It kind of makes me feel badly for calling all cyclists PITAS. Well....not really! 

Injuries are part of the Camino. Towns were built around the hospitals that were erected, to attend to the medical needs of these pilgrims. The town of Leon had 26 hospitals at one time, apparently. 

This was supposed to be a short blog. Again!  There was no WIFI high up on top of the world tonight, so I figured I could be short and sweet, in my writing that is.  That is not possible as there is JUST so much I want to share.

Nancy and I are so, so fortunate to be where we are... and only seven days away from Santiago de Compostella. We are now in the region of Galicia. We have left the region of Leon y Castilla behind.

Avec amour et reconnaissance dans le petit conte de fée qui est O'Cebreiro, Espagne.

Day 28 - September 18:dedicated to one of two people who were instrumental in my doing The Camino.

Jour 28- This day is dedicated to a very special someone. Without her, I could NOT have done the CAMINO. Period! Carole, mon amie, lent me the use of her lovely home (cottage) on the shores of the Baie de Chaleur, for six weeks.  She provided Vimy and I with the opportunity to have a home of our own for that time, while she was visiting family in England.  I had been a "couch visitor" for almost six weeks prior to arriving at Carole's.  I was able to use her place as my boot camp, to get in shape for the Camino. Vimy and I were so fortunate to have had a home for that time. Carole, you can never, ever know how grateful I am to you for your generosity.

We left Villafranca del Bierzo at 8:30, just Nancy and I. For once I read the guide book by our BFF, Mr. Briarly, very well.  I must give him credit for going into great detail about the various routes and hazards involved in today's hike.

We hiked up and down Alto Pradela, more than 300 metres up.  Most Peregrinos skirted the mountain altogether. There were many warnings about only the very fittest should be doing this hike.  Plus, there had been a fire recently.  We didn't know this, so ignorance is bliss. Peregrinos had been warned to stay away for that reason. We didn't know, so we weren't afraid. 

It was a glorious day, absolutely magnificent. We did our first sun salutation in as many days. We met only nine other Peregrinos the entire morning. One interesting woman was from Calgary. She was acting as guide, for her first paying client, and accompanying her, another woman from Calgary, on The Camino.  Funny thing is, the guide was out of shape, lagging behind the client, didn't speak Spanish, didn't know where her hiker client was and didn't really seem to be with the tour, so to speak.

Right away I thought "I could do a better job. I am fit, speak the language, and seem a lot more "debrouillarde" than her."  Hey, there is another possible job opportunity for me, a new business - Walk the Camino with Joanne!  Any future clients out there? 

Once we had reached the summit, we went through beautiful pine laden pathways.  I must admit that some of the hike up gave me vertigo - the path was very narrow. Even hugging the right, the left side was a mere foot or two away, and a sheer, sheer drop down the mountainside.

Chestnut orchards were along the top, for what seemed like miles. I was slightly ahead of Nancy when I heard a noise, that sounded like a motorcycle.  I came upon the owner of this huge place, weed whacking his chestnut orchard. We hadn't been near civilization for four hours.  Nancy could hear but not see him, and thought I was lying when I told her. It was a bit of an unusual sight!

At the bottom of the mountain, we had to hike back half a kilometre to the nearest pueblo, to have lunch. Well, that half a kilometre seemed like four. When we got there, I asked the owner if there was a taxi service in town.  I was so tired! I thought, "There is no way I am hiking back out of this village, to continue the Camino".  I was delirious. I think!  Me, who is so thoroughly ANAL, and is determined to walk every single step of this trek, actually thought I would take a taxi? Even though it wouldn't count, because I was retracing steps I had already taken. Well, a good lunch and a glass of Sangria later, out the door I went, to tell the taxi driver, Jose, who was still standing in the middle of street in the village chatting, that we were going to hike back out again. He just smiled and nodded. He must meet crazy (locas) Peregrinos every day!

We finished the second half of our day with a seven kilometre hike along the Rio Valcarce , which we crossed six times.  We had shade, some natural path, and it was a wonderful way to end a wonderful day.

I can't afford to be a princess anymore and sleep in these private hostals. Nancy is so good about humouring me, as we slum it in an Albergue Municipal tonight. There are 6 bunkbeds in a room, not 18, and it is a clean, functional hostel run by a wonderfully helpful man named Txema and his pooch Leo.  We even went to the supermarket, bought food and fixings to make our own soup and grilled cheese for supper. This was a our FIRST real homemade meal on The Camino. Maybe this slumming it isn't so bad!  We should last another day or two, and then run back to those private rooms. LOL

At some point I will try to blog about food for all you foodies out there (Numero 1, ma soeur Louise!), and about doing the Camino on a budget.  Howeve, not today. No time. It is lights out soon in the pueblo. 

I just want to add that the rain jacket that I borrowed from my daughter Joëlle, is absolutely incredible! I was bone dry after quite a few days of hiking in the rain.  My companions, with their big ponchos, were not. When Joëlle told me the exhorbitant amount of money she and Alec had paid for these Canadian made jackets, I thought "That is ridiculous!"  However, I have changed my mind. Here is my shameless plug for that company "Arc Teryx". They make superior rain gear, and if you can afford it, you should buy one of their stylish, yet oh so functional jackets.  I know for sure, that the next time I go on a big hiking trip, I am going to ask Joëlle if I can borrow her rain jacket again!  

Good night Carole! I hope Patsy forwards this posting to you. Would you Patsy, please? I am so lucky to have such good friends.

Tomorrow we hike another mountain, and stay overnight at the top. We are less than 200 km from Santiago de Compostella. 

We have ten days left to make it, God willing.

With love and gratitude from the tiny pueblo of Vega de Valcarce, not far from O'Cebreiro, Spain.