Home Turf

I took an Easter break. It did my ankle some good. And today I learned to never again utter the words ‘They said it would rain but it’s sunny and dry here. Guess I dodged the weather.’ Whenever Jeff asks me for a meteorology update. Tempting the weather gods is just bad ju-ju. They promptly laughed, then unloaded their wrath upon me.

Crossing into Galicia was emotional for me. It’s my home Communidad in Spain. And I am also in Lugo province now. Even more so. I could catch a bus from here and be home in a little over an hour.

I must say, I like the precision of the granite kilometer countdown markers in Galicia the best. Down to the meter. As Jeff says, ‘In Galicia, we know how to do it right.’ Unlike some of the other provinces I have passed through. And I am not the only one complaining about the pack of lies in local provincial mileage calculations along the way. Other Pilgrims were still talking about the great Roncesvalles to Zubiri kilometer debacle from back at kilometer 770, even in Astorga. And speaking of Astorga, the last few markers when coming into the city are enough to make your blood boil. 267km, then the next one four kilometers further says 276?!?! Are they laughing at us? It might not sound like much but by that point you are counting down. Work with us, Castillo y Leon! Better yet, call Galicia. They’ll show you how it’s done.

It was a beautiful walk today, even with the weather. A beautiful, lonely walk. I didn’t see one other Peregrino. Of course, I walked the variant to Samos. Everyone else is on the main route to Sarria. But I have wanted to see the monastery here for ages. Sadly, all the monks are in Fatima, Portugal today. No tours until tomorrow. But tomorrow I will be well past Sarria and less than 100km from Santiago. But more importantly, I will be just two days from walking in to Palas de Rei.

Palas de Rei is where my Dra is. Where my favorite farmacia sits on the main street. Where we pick up packages at the Correos office. I bought my cozy farmer get-wood-from-the-wood-pile slippers at the grocery store there. In other words, HOME. It will be a long day walking from Portomarin to Palas. I will have to see if I can hold myself back from running an additional 12k to our front gate. Jeff will look out and wonder who that crazy drowned rat of a Pilgrim is screaming ‘Its me!! It’s me!! Let me in!’

But I will enjoy this final week. After Sarria it will be crowded. Even with avoiding the Saturday/Sunday Last 100k starting crowd. It will have taken me forty days. Sort of biblical, yet ridiculous. But at the beginning, I wondered if I could do it at all. Now I’m pretty sure I will. I can almost see the finish line from here. Santiago, hold on to your hat. Because, she locked and loaded. Ready or not, here I come.