I have lost track of what day it is, except that Santiago in getting closer and I am getting tireder. We have arrived safely and sun coloured in Sarria. This is the place a ton of people begin their walk becasue it is about 100 km from here to Santiago and so it is the last place to begin and still 'qualify' for a Compostella - the certificate which says "You did it!"
Within the space of a night the weather switched from long johns to shorts and t-shirt. This is good and a great relifef from the bone chilling cold and damp. Now we are having to figure out our sun protection instead of keeping everything dry. It has been in the low thirties for 3 days now.
There are many things on the walk which are outside of our control and this is a part of the pilgrimage for sure. We don't know where we will eat, where we will sleep, or where we will fnd rest stops along the way. We assume we need to carry water for the whole day in case the fountains and wells are dry or not drinkable. All this is challenging and tiring in its way, but manageable with a little effort and planning. It is amazing how good a stale-ish hunk of bread tastes when hungry, and warm-ish water finishes the meal nicely!
However; one of the hardest things to manage is knowing that there will likely not be a toilet in the moments when we may need one most.
Yesterday in a rather desparate moment, knowing the next town was too far to be of help, I quickly jumped into a ditch on the side of the dirt track with a quick look to make sure no one was coming.
The stinging pain on my calves told me this may not have been a good choice. Turned out to be a patch of thorny brambles and stinging nettle. The welts on my legs and forearms have calmed, the numbness in one stung finger is finished. Learning: no matter how desperate - look before I leap.
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