Camino Day 12: The Way to be welcomed

Santiago to Vilaserio - JBD: 34.8km

And so the day of epicness.

After the big night out Dave and myself staggered in at 1am(ish) trying not to wake the soundly sleeping Em, Stef and Owen. At 7.30am Stef and Owen snuck out to start walking to Vilaserio, leaving myself, Dave and Em to coffee and brunch it up before Midday Pilgrim's Mass. It was a great experience and another chance to say goodbye to that part of the Camino and to many other Pilgrim's spotted in the crowd.

Then I set off walking. For nearly 7 hours straight I walked (I had a 10 minute sit down and had to enter cafes to ask for a refill of water but did no sitting there) in the beating Sun and the wonderful Spanish countryside. Stef and OWen arrived in Vilaserio at 5.20pm, nearly ten hours after they left and when I got that text through I thought - I better be moving quicker than them! When I saw a greeting in the dirt stating my name and the time they passed I realised I could have up to 2 hours 4o minutes of walking left to do. This was at 6pm.

I kept moving. For the first time in the entire trip I was in pain because of it. I was talking to myself a lot, singing Les Mis to keep my spirits up and thinking of joining up with my friends. Then I got a text from Owen stating they were drunk and had chips. I text back stating my hatred of them. But fair play to them, when I arrived Stef hand me a glass of tinto vino which I inhaled the scents of gently before inhaling the liquid in one. The perfect way to be greeted. There was much more wine and food. And even Stef's shadow got to drink some.

#blameowen