Glorious morning and glorious walking- and every step brings us closer but 'Festina lente' has served us well so far so we don't go mad and rush to keep up with fresher pilgrims but hold our pace.'The old dog for the road and the pup for the gutter'
Wishing us a whispered 'Buen Camino' she shuffled past us on her daily pilgrimage.
I wondered how many pilgrims she's greeted over the years?
We pass a memorial to the pilgrim Guilmo Watt who died at this spot en route to Santiago.
and Frances leaves a tribute- she's not the first to do so today.
Pretty bushed when we reach O'Pino. Went for a drink in the hotel which has a nice shady garden and as we are sitting there the older lady who had been looking at us with such attention at the cafe the day before yesterday joins us. She is a Swiss, very charming and has done the CF in 3 or 4 stages. She says she could tell Frances and I were "established and familiar walking partners" just by looking at us! Her own walking companion has walked the Jakobsweg from Lake Constance doing a section a year over 10 years and will be finishing her epic journey in a few days....now that's an acheivement.
After diner we use the mobile to phone 'the lads' it seems that they have become Santiago 'groupies' and regale us with stories of tapas bars, wIne bars, fine restaurants, markets bursting with food and the 5 star hotel San Francisco-it all seems a lot further away than 20 km.
Lying in bed later that night I keep thinking that Stephen and Chris are so close sleeping is a 5 star hotel with a pool and room service and that if we got a taxi right now we could be there in 40 minutes. I reason with myself and try to suppress the impulse but it keeps on coming to mind. The only reason I don't do it is that I know Frances would have none of it ....but I want to duff out and run for the hills and my inner voice tells me "come on you've done it, whats the last 20k signify in the grand scheme of things?.... Nothing". These are midnight thoughts "Get thee behind me Satan".
After diner we use the mobile to phone 'the lads' it seems that they have become Santiago 'groupies' and regale us with stories of tapas bars, wIne bars, fine restaurants, markets bursting with food and the 5 star hotel San Francisco-it all seems a lot further away than 20 km.
Lying in bed later that night I keep thinking that Stephen and Chris are so close sleeping is a 5 star hotel with a pool and room service and that if we got a taxi right now we could be there in 40 minutes. I reason with myself and try to suppress the impulse but it keeps on coming to mind. The only reason I don't do it is that I know Frances would have none of it ....but I want to duff out and run for the hills and my inner voice tells me "come on you've done it, whats the last 20k signify in the grand scheme of things?.... Nothing". These are midnight thoughts "Get thee behind me Satan".
Boots ready for the morning I hope they won't need to be cast in bronze like poor Mr Watts'
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