6/20/17 – 35.1km/21.8mi from Negreira to Olveiroa.
I’ve been enjoying seeing again some of the things that we saw on the Finisterre trip in 2014. For example, the sign for the town of “Fornos,” vandalized so it says “Pornos.” A little puerile, but I found this gleefully delightful back then and now. The Camino Finisterre also has kilometer markers like the Galicia stretch of the Camino del Norte, which allowed us to do yet another photography project – a collage of our Camino Crew at the markers corresponding to their age – all the way from Giovanni at 69 to David at the young age of 30!
I’ve also been enjoying the new faces since we left Santiago. I’ve had a bunch of nice conversations with a number of new people. I came to realize that before I came on this trip, I was being more of a loner than normal – even if unsure of why. Enjoying these conversations as much as I am makes me realize I’ve really regained a lot of myself along this Camino.
The day was straightforward enough. In yesterday’s post I mentioned that on blazing hot days you pray for a merciful breeze but then are greeted with the scent of freshly poop-sprayed fields or fertilizer storage houses. That happened to us today, literally 80 times. The 21.8 miles to Olveiroa passed through a number of farms and while the heat didn’t get to us thanks to the breeze, the smells did.
But those smells were also a warning, reminding me that this trip is nearly over. Reminding me to take in everything – every view, smell, taste, touch, and moment of camaraderie with my fine companions. Reminding me how much I’ve come to love my new companions. You’d think after 40+ days of walking, we’d be tired of each other but I still like these folks! I reveled in an evening of games, jokes, and conversations with old and new friends tonight, and tried to brace myself for the inevitable end of this wonderful journey. Brace myself to go tomorrow to Finisterre, the “end of the world.”
