Day 46 – To O Pedrouzo

Arzua to O Pedrouzo – 18 Kms, 27,001 steps

I’m at O Pedrouzo, my last stop before Santiago. I left Arzua this morning before dawn and had a pleasant, if sometimes damp, walk along fog-laden farm roads and country lanes.

I walked for about an hour with Barbara from Alaska, whose husband is bicycling the Camino Norte route. It was interesting to talk with someone from Alaska and to get her view of “lower 48” politics. Unsurprisingly, she felt pretty insulated from a lot of more recent developments.

The horde of pilgrims has stretched out but I’m rarely alone. Tonight there’s a palpable sense of anticipation in the cafe terraces.

So what has it meant to me? I’m going to enjoy the satisfaction of the achievement, of course. But this has been a much more solitary Camino than my 2019 jaunt, and I haven’t experienced quite as much Camino magic.

It has been great to do it again with better prep and in better shape; just not having to deal with physical pain (blisters, stress fracture, etc.) has made this hike a much nicer experience. And I’ve enjoyed much better weather this time, too. However, I’m quite certain this will be my last Camino.

My New French Girlfriend, Marti, is flying in to join me in Santiago tomorrow night, so I’ll be busy, and I want to take a day or two to process my feelings before making a final Camino 2022 blog post. Look for it in a few days.