Inane Observations

Ventes de Naron to Palas de Rei, 12 km

Palas de Rei to Melide, 15.5 km

As I was walking today, I realized that I only have 4 more days of walking, and only 56 km to go before Santiago.  That being the case, I have started to think about what I have learned about Spain, about myself, and about the Camino.  So far, most of them are pretty pedestrian, so I will just list them as bullets.

More fog yesterday on the way to Palas de Rei.  I felt a little like I was stepping into the Lord of the Rings!

*I don't mind the smell of cow dung so much... You get used to it after a km or two, and it adds to the It is the flies that come with the dung that I have a hard time dealing with.

*Eucalyptus really doesn't smell that bad in the wild--I actually found it quite pleasant while walking today. It is only in the flower section of Hobby Lobby that it is overpowering and headache inducing.

This particular yellow really concerned me, as it can be picked up and moved!

*If you ask for green tea here in Spain, most of the time it is mixed with mint.  I like the combination.

*I think that I am getting sick of my hiking clothes.  For the last 2 evenings, I have put on my skirt rather than one of my hiking outfits, and I am enjoying wearing something other than running clothes.

My dinner last night.  I never thought of mixing sweet potato fries and regular fries with bell peppers before--very tasty!

*I am seriously thinking about chucking my hiking shoes in Santiago.  They are smelly and dusty, and the thought of packing them usually evokes a response of, "eeeewwwwww!"

*I hope that we never go to strictly one dollar coins like they have with Euros....it makes spending them that much easier.

Today I passed into Coruna, the province where Santiago is. Every step gets me closer!

*As I lay here in my Albergue in the center of Melide, I have to say that I really miss the quiet of the trail.  I don't know what I am going to do when I get home, as I have gotten used to living in quietude.  The fact that it is directly beside a hopping night spot means that I will be listening to the base line of the techno music all night.  It is a good thing I tend to sleep like the dead!

Me at the hundred km marker. The mile markers aren't very accurate, since they have moved the trail since they were erected, but I am glad for at least a ballpark figure!

*Speaking of quiet, my iPod nano has become a really expensive watch.  In the whole time I have been in Spain, I have listened to a sum total of 2 hours of music, and ditched my earphones in Leon because I lost the earpieces someplace along the way.  I haven't even really used the mileage tracker, since my guide has a more accurate reckoning.  Next time, it stays home!

*Many of the things that I used to think of as necessities are really wants.  I have come to value tea with sugar, although honey in my tea is still my preference.

A little Roman bridge on the way to Melide today.  Right after crossing it, I saw the awesomest Crucifix in the Church there in Furelos.

*The hotter the water, the faster your tea will steep.  All of the bars use the steam function on the espresso machine to pour water over my teabags, and I get a nice, strong cup in about 2-3 minutes rather than having to wait 6-8 minutes or more.

* Even though I grew up in a city, I think I'm a small town girl at heart.  I prefer the quiet of the small towns I have walked through to the hustle and bustle of the bigger cities.

This just says it all, doesn't it?  They were giving away prayer cards with a picture of this at the church, and if I could have, I would have gotten one for all of you.  However, they were giving them away for free, and I didn't want to be greedy...I only took 2.

I am sure there will be more as time goes on, but that is what I have been thinking about while walking today!