Day 11 Pontevedra

 Today's stats: 12.53 miles, 31,064 steps, 4:46.


Left at 6:45am in the dark. Some stretches i was using my camera flashlight. At one point I ran into three Americans using their trail map trying to decide which way to go. I joined them for several miles and we had a good conversation.  Later I briefly met a man from Colombia and another from Mexico. The Colombian man was familiar with Marisa Baena, the LPGA pro from UA who won the NCAA in 1996. The world is a small place.

Weather was cool and clear, great for hiking. Just got a few spits of rain as I entered Pontevedra.  Seems like I've packed just about right. I think the weather will cooperate from here on.

Some good pics today. I love the forest routes. There's been more up and down since we left the coast. Tomorrow will be a workout (Spiritual Variant) to Armenteira. We start at about 150 ft and climb to 1,200 ft within 10 miles.










Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 15 Santiago

Image
  I'm going to miss "Stella" (my 4-iron) and "Porto" (my hiking pole). Like me, they're square pegs trying to fit in...a mismatched set of poles. We've been a team. At one point I thought of tossing Porto, but having both of them made sense. Stella was always in my left hand,  Porto in my right. I'm going to take them to Santiago and see if I can find a home for them. There's places pilgrims can donate old gear. Maybe someone can continue the story I've started. Thanks also to my Camino family for accepting me and showing me love! I worried if I'd fit in with my differing world views and interests. It's not every day you see someone hiking with a golf club. And I'm a conservative in a group of liberals, from what I can tell. But we made it work! If we can do it here, why not in the outside world? They accepted me and even encouraged me to dance despite having two left feet! FL Brian, Laura, Barbara, Heather, Dan, Robyn, Cathy, EG,...
Read more

How did I get here?

Image
 I've hiked a Camino previously, in May 2019.  It took me 16 days to travel from Leon in northern Spain almost directly west to Santiago de Compostela where the remains of St. James are supposedly buried.  And then another four days to hike to Finisterre on the coast, where I proceeded to lose my phone.  (That's one of my better Camino stories, but I'll save that for another time.)  Hiking the Camino was one of the greatest experiences in my life.  The scenery was great, but it's really about the people you meet.  All ages, locations, walks of life.  I basically hop-scotched across northern Spain for two weeks with a South Korean woman I met.  It's how the Camino works...you see some of the same people for several days, then never see them again.  Or see the same people all the way. Anyway, I kept thinking I'd do another Camino or hike some day.  And I completed part of the Fife Coastal Path in May 2023.  So this is in my blood...
Read more

Day 10 Redondela

Image
Is it all about politics? I hope not. If it is I'll walk a lonely journey. I've always had a recurring thought. When God made me he said "I'm sending this one on a solo journey." I'm an only child, never married and have a difficult time joining groups. Yesterday afternoon made me feel like "here we're go again. If they knew me, I'd be an outsider. I don't fit their group. " I cried after I got to the hotel.  And they weren't tears of joy. I see a nation totally divided, unwilling to find a middle ground. Tears of exclusion. Tears of a loner. You got through many emotions out here. It's a time for growth, testing your boundaries.  I need that. Brian was good for me yesterday. Our chat was not combative in any way. That's the beauty of the Camino. Started this morning at 8:30am after breakfast at the hotel. Breakfast was included so I finally took advantage. Steady light rain from the beginning that matched my mood. Once ag...
Read more