Plasa de Rei to Melide (10.27 miles/16.53 kms)

 

Today was a tough day, no question about that! I went to bed early and woke up not feeling real well and a little feverish, the opposite of what I’d hoped. I started out not having any real energy. Fortunately the Camino started off downhill and was fairly level most of the day. There were a few uphills but none very long or steep.

 

I started out on the Camino until just outside of town where I saw another pilgrim pulling a cart on the highway, which at that point was running directly next to the Camino trail. His cart looked homemade and comparing how he was walking and pulling it to me on the gravel trail made me realize how much easier it is to pull the Wheelie on the asphalt road. I try to stay on the actual Camino as much as possible but I have to remind myself that it doesn’t really matter as long as I am going to Santiago. Purists may say that to be a true Camino your travel should be on the designated Camino, but it doesn’t really make sense because the bicyclists travel on the road and they get their Compostela. Someone doing it on s horse is obviously doing it on another route too. And, the current modern Camino surely has changed from the various routes the Camino has taken over the hundreds of years of its existence because of financial, geographic, political, rivers, bridges, landslides, and probably many other reasons.

 

After moving onto the highway I was pleasantly surprised at this late stage of the Camino how nice it actually was to be on the highway. There was very little traffic, and the shoulder is fairly wide, but the nicest thing was not being in the middle of the multitude of pilgrims. The Camino still crosses the highway in many locations, and of course runs right next to it most of the time. The scenery is the same and beautiful on both.

 

I had very little energy when I started and after a few miles realized that I did not have the energy for a long day. Even though it’s only about forty miles to Santiago, if push myself and get worse, I may not be able to finish. I told myself when I first started the Camino that I would listen to my body regarding my knee and not push myself, but that hadn’t been an issue, and now I have to listen to my body about this cold or flu.

 

A few miles before I got to Melide I started feeling worse and decide to stop as soon as I found a place to stay. I called several hotels and hostals in Melide and all were full. This is an issue in the smaller towns the closer you get to Santiago due to the number of pilgrims this time of year. I had the exact issue two years ago in the same town.

 

I got a reference to a pension from one of the hotels and fortunately they had a room available. I got here by noon and will rest the remainder of the day. The room and pension isn’t the nicest I have stayed at, but I am thankful because I would not want to be in a crowded alberque feeling like this when I just need to rest. I am only a half block from several bars, restaurants, and a store.

 

I am about thirty miles, or two days, from Santiago. I will see how I feel in the morning, and if I am not a little better, I will stay here another day, until Monday. If I leave by Tuesday, at the latest, I should still be able to get to Santiago by Wednesday, and then take a train to Madrid Thursday, to make my flight for Home by Friday.

 

Best wishes,

Ted

 

As always, please excuse the typos, grammar, and spelling, etc., because I am writing this on my phone and don’t always review my blog. And, even if I don’t review it, it’s a good excuse for my mistakes!

 

Leaving Plasa de Rei in the morning

The view on the Camino leaving Plasa de Rei

View along the Camino

View from the highway

My home for the night, Pension Xaneiro

My room for the night, or two? Not fancy, but for €25, and nothing else available, I am thankful and fortunate I found it