Day 30...Gonzar - Melide ( 33.1 km)

What can I say...another great day!

We left the Albergue earlier than usual, 6:50 am. We climbed steeping as soon as our feet hit the ground for 8 km.

We stopped for a bit of breakfast, a cola cao for me, a cafe con leche for Yvonne and toast for us both. During breakfast a 30ish woman entered the bar. She just woke up and was feeling a little guilty but happy. She told us her story. She´s been on the road to the Camino for four months starting in Holland. It was a dream of her father´s to do the Camino, but he died 10 years ago. She decided she wanted to do it for him. She could only take one year off from her job (not 6 months) and decided this was the time. She´s walked in snow and rain for much of her earlier days. She said she wanted to take her backpack on wheels but it was difficult on the mountain paths. It was an inspirational story. She called her mom and told her that she lit so many candles she felt like she lit a trail for her dad. Next thing she knew she had 52 e-mails because her mom spread the word. She told us she has orders not to arrive in Santiago until July 1st because there will be a surprise. She doesn´t think her mom will come because it is her birthday but believes her two nephews will be there. Bittersweet...

It will be down hill from here today. I started walking after our break with Madelon at 8:52 walking on the dirt path with the sun shining on my right shoulder and a morning breeze rushing up the mountain side. There were smells of fermenting Hay. The birds were singing wilding in unison.

Biking Pilgrim´s were speeding downhill on the asphalt road with glee. Buen Viaje! (Good Journey) I yell after them.

I heard roosters, bees, birds and cacadoodle do´s. It was quiet enough to hear the crunch of my boots on the dirt path. No more far away views now that we are in flatter land, only narrow winding roads.

10:08 am

Today we are being rewarded for all the hard climbs we´ve done. We are now crossing rolling hills on this third day before arriving in Santiago.

Thoughts pop in and out of my head like a road map of the world.

A little section of the road reminds me of a forest road at Armstrong Lake in Washington. Parts reminded me of Hansel and Gretal in our woodland path. Another area reminds me of Alice in Wonderland where she dropped down into the rabbits hole, tunneling down, down throught the forest just as I was.

I walk down the backs of boulders worn down from thousands of footsteps by thousands of Pilgrim´s. Cow pies dot the 3 ft. wide dirt path. The road down to Melide was one mostly under small dirt paths with trees curved into tunnels. I was delighted once again to go dancing down and down the paths until we were in Melide.

Tomorrow (Thursday, 26 June ´08) we travel from Melide to Arca, 30.1 km. I hope to have access to a computer tomorrow before we enter SANTIAGO on Friday. If not, we will walk from Arca - SANTIAGO 20.6 km and arrive before the Pilgrim´s Mass at the Church at Noon.

We are doing well. Many thoughts are swirling in our heads as we near the end of this journey only to begin another when we leave to go home.

With much Love to Everyone...We´ll be home soon. AriZona on the road in Spain.



Then slightly descending for another 7 km and back up and down again to Palas De Rei, where we bought some salami and cheese, a coke for me, wine for Yvonne and enjoyed a nice sidewalk lunch. Afterwards, we went inside the bar to check e-mails. I wasn´t able to check my e-mail last time and wanted to hear from my sweetheart, while Yvonne read her e-mails and replied. Se were both delighted.