Unlike yesterday’s crush of people, I spent much of the morning walking with only the sounds of nature to keep me company. I think it was because I was starting from such a small town. Yesterday, I started walking at one of the most popular jumping off points along the whole trail; a big town with many, many hostels. Last night, I stayed at the only available inn for several miles, and it hosted only a few dozen people. It was a nice change of pace.
As I walked, I kept hearing whispers from those who have trodden this path before me. At one point, I had to clamber down a rocky gorge. As I looked at the divots in the stone, I realized they had been formed by all the boots stepping the those exact spots over a millennium. I can’t really grasp how many feet have to walk on a rock to make an imprint in the stone, but it’s humbling to know my passage, though I would have thought it went unremarked, added just a smidge to the depth of the imprint.
I kept checking in with my hips and feet as I walked, since both were not speaking kindly to me by the time I arrived yesterday. My feet, surprisingly, were fine. My hips, well, they’re not fond of the journey thus far; I’m pretty sure it’s the weight of my day pack throwing them off kilter. I’ll try to give them a good stretch this evening, perhaps it will help calm them down a bit.
I spent most of today’s hike contemplating tomorrow’s trek, which will be my longest of this trip, 23km. I’m not as frightened I’ll run out of steam before completing it as I was before I started walking because I’ve been watching the other hikers. Instead of doing the whole day’s hike in full-steam-ahead mode, as I would tend to do (gotta get all the work done before I can rest!), they stop along the way to give their bodies a break. Yesterday afternoon, I watched one couple stop in at the restaurant at the inn where I was staying for a full meal, complete with wine. They sat and laughed for two hours before gathering their gear and moving on. I doubt I can convince me to stop for that long, and the wine is definitely out of the question, but I’m thinking a couple of longish breaks along the way will get me there in better shape. We’ll see…
Photos: this morning’s rainbow; looking back along the trail; those footsteps in the stone; the Church of San Xoan de Portomarin, just a block from where I am staying
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