Day 21 - Camino 10 - Melide - Pedrouzo

Writing this in Venice so a bit of a strain remembering.

Leaving Melide before dawn.

Started the day pre-dawn again and spent some time getting to know Tabea 2. A German medical student who had travelled far and knew more than six languages!

Also chatted to Elysia a speech therapist from Northern Italy. Planned where to meet Louis so neither of stressed through the day. And met up for lunch 20 kms on the road. This was going to be a 34km day.

Typical Pilgrim's Meal Menu - taken at Ribadiso

Had a good chat to Kideisha along this part of the journey and learnt more about art, photography and getting in touch with her aboriginal roots. She was in the middle of quite a bit of meandering around the world.

Also learning about Tabea1 who told me about how she had found God in a sunrise sometime along the Camino. A German engineering student and good friend of Louis.

One of the few scenery shots taken this day -
Talking too much me - also wanting to be a bit more present.

I'm writing now outside the San Zaccaria ferry stop, after a quick breakfast in Venice, Wednesday morning. Just to get context.

So we were walking and talking all day long and the kms were rolling by. We met one bloke from outside Adelaide who had brought his two kids aged 7 and 10 along with his wife and mother-in-law on the last 100 kms. A mighty fine effort. The boy had celebrated his birthday on the second of his trip. He had a sign on the back of his backpack and so had many people talking to Jim that day. The 7 year old had a small pack as well with a large stuffed giraffe named Raffey sticking out the back.

Went to see where Andy was staying in Arua 2 kms short of our destination Pedrouzo, but he wasn't there so we moved on. I realised I'd left my walking stick I haad bought on day 3, back at that hotel, so I went back for it, thinking I'd catch up easy enough. On my way back,  I was about to pass this Brazilian lady who was walking very slowly until I turned and looked at her. She looked just like my sister Liz. With the addition of a few years, pink lipstick and pink hair. So I started chatting to her- her name was Sandra and she spoke just as much English as I did Portuguese - next to nothing. But we had fun trying to communicate. We were so engrossed in this "conversation" that we missed the turn off to Pedrouzo. We walked another 2 kms along the road until we finally stopped. We were about to head back on the path to look and a guy on a tractor came along the path. We both tried to ask him for directions in a poor attempt at Spanish and he responded in perfect English. He was English ... posing as a Spanish farmer.

with Sandra from Brazil

On the way back, I said the word "maybe" and she said something about "Janis Joplin". When I questioned her about what she said, she said "folk music" then with encouragement she sang the song she was thinking of about a Mercedes Benz. I remembered bits of the song. We sang together. I tried my luck and said Bob Dylan and she began "Blowing in the Wind."  In the end we so busy singing Bob Dylan songs together and laughing we got a little lost again. It all ended up fine though and we parted ways in town over an hour later than we should have been there.

It was going to be our longest day but I had made it a bit longer than anticipated. 39km day I calculated.      

Tea was average but the sleep was good at a modern but weird albergue that had a urinal outside the male toilet and shower area.  In the open????