Kool and the Gang say... celebrate good times, come on!

A funny 48 hours, I can't believe I reached Sarria a day early, with 224km down, and only 113km to go .. who would have thought eh!

Over the last two days I have walked O Cebreiro - Tricastela - Sarria, whilst I was only going to do 3 hours two days ago, I decided to push on so I could get a full 24 hour rest, before starting the last 100km.  Yesterdays walk was only 18km, which for me, should have been roughly 35k steps ... the 'fitbitch' tells me I completed 64k steps .. which goes to show how the terrain can really impact. Jumped online and booked an additional early night at the place, I am now at, arranged change in luggage destination. Having arrived at the only 4* accommodation for days ... (trust me, the thought of this has kept me going), it is also the only place enroute with a pool, and I have been having visions (maybe hallucinations) of me in that pool from 7am-7pm, the weather has been amazing, but my legs and feet have not seen sun for days, cool water and a dose of sun provided vitamin d, much needed.

In the space of about two hours, the weather changes from 27c down to about 17c, and the heavens open, (and not in .. I have seen the light kind of way).

Arrive at the hotel, to be told that yes they received the booking but they are over booked, and have no room for me tonight.  This appears to happen alot in these parts ... I had one american couple tell me last night, that three of the places they booked into over a year ago, are now restaurants and they had to find emergency albergues to spend the nights in.

Last minute albergues are a precious thing, people are fussy about who is spending time in their dorm, and it is first come first served basis. It is still relatively quiet on the camino at this time, so they were lucky, if it happened in August, I would not have liked their chances. From what I can tell, some people pretend to albergues, that they are more than one party, they secure a few beds and then spend a few hours 'recruiting like type 'normal' folk' to join them.  I get approached all the time, by people walking, trying to get me to join them in a group to spend the night in a dorm.  If only they knew, how bad a dorm mate I would be.

Anyhow, with no accommodation secured and no help from the receptionist, I jumped back online to see if I could find somewhere to stay (this hotel is not on the path of the way, otherwise a stop in at a bar | cafe and a quick chat with a fellow wanderer would have found me somewhere).

Finally found a place, booked and started the walk (now pulling about 25kg because I have my full bags), not what you want at this point.

Made it to my destination, oh my, it is an albergue, not near very much, which means I will be in a dorm with somewhere between 10 - 30 people. Now that's okay, but I need to alter my head....

and then out comes Marcela ...  'Hola, welcome, let my husband take your bag, you are in our other property, come to the car, I will drive you, it is in the historic part of town'. I want to weep.

She drives me to the property, and it is to die for, a little two storey house, that they have renovated by hand, in the middle of the main street of the old town, she calls it my home, and it fels like it is, click here to check out the cuteness... (little home - Sarria)

Marcela then drives me around town showing me things, taking me to the bank, showing me how to get the hotel tomorrow, then offering to pick me up and drive me to the hotel tomorrow & more importantly she shares her story. She shares so generously her background, and Antonios, how they met, what brought them to Sarria, why they now run a business on 'the way'.  I am so moved, by her genoristy of spirit, by her kindness and what she does for others, for nothing in return.  It is people like Marcela and Antonio that make 'the way', that are 'the way'.

I think, I am starting to get it ... maybe ...

Marcela picks me up in the morning, and takes me back to my 4* hotel, which has lost all the gloss it had in mind over the last few days, and I wish I could go back to my little home, and spend a few days with Marcela and Antonio, and the wonderful people I had dinner with last night, because of them.

I check in, the rain is still throwing down, and it is only 17c ...  I dont't even care about the pool ...  (which is lucky because they tell me it is closed), I just really feel like .... going for a walk.

Someone who I love very very much, texted me earlier and asked, 'has this changed how I think?', I don't think it has, but I think it has reaffirmed I need to do more with the good bits of me and we all can, and should, do more with the good bits, ohhh and be kind, and pass kindness on. It has also reaffirmed, who really matters.

113km and 5 days to go ...  my thinking may still change ...

Muchas lovas - CBT - xx

we just keep on, keeping on - gracias Curtis Mayfield - x

Hola amigos,

Planned rest day today, and I was only going to do 3 hours, JP the french walking machine joined me, and over lunch (despite my commitment to not fall to this), he convinced me to keep going as much as possible and take a day off at Sarria before the last 100km to the end. As an FYI, I committed to not falling into a trap of walking with folk I like, because you can potentially push yourself harder than your body should, and feel it later. 

So a nice (although fairly hilly stage) 6 hours, we ended up completing 18kms, through Villafranca del Bierzo and Vega de Valcarce, gorgeous little towns, driving past you would miss the most beautiful aspects of these places, wonderful cobblestones, cathedrals and such history in every place.

It makes me think back to when I first started exploring the UK, where every village and town had such a story to tell, and was proud to share it, where people are passionate about what their little place has meant and means.

It is also amazing now to see, the number of new pilgrims starting to join the route as we near the 100km final stage, people who want a couple of days adjusting to climate and doing a few slow walks in the lead up. It makes me chuckle and reminds me of times when you are in the UK, and the first to arrive in the Greek Islands, and then a week in you see the other first time British arriving, with gear designed to make them look good but not practical, or like when you go to Bail from Australia and again you can spot the first time to Bali Australia arrivals.

I am by no means an experienced walker, but it is funny what you learn to keep and ditch, and how after almost 200km you become the expert to those just starting out, and how they seek you out, it is also amazing how with only the basic of spanish when I started, I have now become quite the translator, especially for friends across the pond.

Tomorrow will be about 13 hours, as I walk through both lazy and tough terrain, towns of O Cebreiro and Triacastela.

Then 24 hours of rest, before I start the last 100km, from Sarria on the 25th ....

Can't believe I have covered almost 200km ....

anything is possible ... be your absolute possible..

Buen Camino, Buen Camino

CBT - x

Hola .. Bonjour .. Salve ... Yassou

Almost half the way through ...  I can't believe it .. 

After the crazy moutain walk, I woke in leg pain. I have learnt you have to push through it. I had also forgotten to stretch out before and after, bad move, stopping makes it worse.

Put off, the rest day ... and did 5 hours today, walking with JP from Paris, who I met at breakfast, where I found myself translating what he wanted, to our Colombian waiter (who speaks spanish but with completely different inflections ... that JP did not understand).

I also can't believe how much my previous travel has helped this experience, especially the 8 weeks spent years ago in Colombia, which made me a great friend of our waiter, and the amount of time I have previously spent in Spain, South America and France.

His English is far better than my French, and he speaks 4 languages, which gave me a great chance to practice. 

Funny day as we both kept introducing eachother to people we bumped into, that we had previously met on this walk, I was actually slightly embarrased when we came across Aussie Michael, who seems to think that all Australian men, are the most alluring in the world, and that every women should be throwing themselves at them.

JP made this section, far easier than planned, as we spent time practising language, singing (amazing how songs can teach language, why did I not learn more about that in TEFL)?

God bless his cotton socks, he also spent over an hour changing my insoles and rubbing my hips and shins.

As he walks faster than me, I either have to dump him as a walking partner, or he has to slow down.

taking a day off tomorrow ..

CBT - x