So Frigging Hot Again!

Today was a harder day. I’m now installed in a magnificently restored mid eighteenth century farm house in the middle of nowhere.

   
      

    

  I got going really late this morning so I ended up walking in the heat of the day. Stupid thing to do! A lot of it was along the road with no shade, and it is so hot today. I came across an Englishman who was carrying a large backpack and a toddler on his shoulders! He was going the wrong way and the child was really sobbing. Turned out she had dropped her teddy bear somewhere and could not be consoled. Neither could dad, because he had retraced his steps over 3 kms and still not found it! He was not happy.

   
     Today’s walk was worse than the meseta. This last stretch is long and boring, much of it along the side of the road, so there is always the noisy traffic (mostly trucks) to contend with. Many people just walk this last 100 kms so they can get the Compostella certificate, so there are a lot more people walking as well. I did notice however that I was powering along, overtaking a lot of them, especially up the hills.! There were so many of them struggling, out of breath and stopping to rest. I suppose after walking this far, I am pretty fit, and I don’t really even notice the hills much any more.

I have just come back from dinner and I am ‘completo’ !! One of the best meals of my trip so far. Mama in the kitchen, cooked up local produce and I am stuffed.  Started with lettuce, tomato, onion and asparagus salad ( all fresh from the garden), bread of course, and local cheese and salted ham. Next course was oxtail (I think) , slow cooked and falling off the bone (with potatoes of course), and then flan ( creme caramel) with toffee on top. OMG,!! I had to hug her!!! It was really fantastic!

 

  

  

 Only 5 more sleeps until I reach Santiago! I cannot believe that I have done this.  I will go on to Finisterre and watch the sun set at the ‘end of the world’….maybe even burn my boots. And then I’m having a few days at Muxia before returning to Santiago and then going to France. I am torn with the sadness of this adventure finishing and the excitement of going to France again. I cannot wait to wear normal clothes, or even have a choice of what to wear, put on normal shoes, and I JUST WANT TO SMELL NICE AGAIN!  I’m also aware that I’ve lost weight as my clothes are falling off, and my suitcase being stored in Santiago, may be filled with clothes that don’t fit. Anyway, the end is near and I have to start thinking about getting back into ‘normal’ life again. It is going to be so hard.