Almost there! I saw the spires of the cathedral from the top of the hill here. Only 5km to go in the morning, so if we don’t rush and it stays chilly (as it most likely will), we should arrive not too sweaty and in time for Mass!
November 1
Albergue: Monte de Gozo, 6€
Food/coffees: approx 6€
Well, ibuprofen definitely helps and it was definitely noticed that I didn’t take it first thing. I took some at our second coffee stop (mid morning) and felt much better the rest of the day. Still aches and a few pains, but I slowed down when I needed to and didn’t need to worry about being late and not having a bed, as this place has 370 of them – about 8 to a room. The others were already here, so I joined them in their room. I ended up with a top bunk again, as I was the 5th one and the 4 bottom ones were taken.
Top bunks are torture on the Camino. It is terribly painful on the feet to climb up the skinny rungs of the ladder and jumping is even worse!
I was on the top yesterday, too, but that is because it is their policy to save bottom bunks for the sick and those over 50. In other albergues, there were enough beds that I could move down, but not last night. And I slept terribly last night! There was a spring poking my hip, I’d had too much sugar from that flaming drink, and someone near me was getting notifications on their phone all night. Snoring I can handle better now, as with earplugs in, it is only a muffled sound, but the phone was at a higher frequency and was more distracting and noticeable. The owner of said phone also decided that he needed to be up and packing in the dark room before 7 a.m. Could have been worse had the lights been on, but it was bad enough with the noises and his plastic bags rattling. So I got an earlier start than originally planned.
But no rain today! It was overcast for much of the morning and the ground was very wet, but only a few drips on us from the wet trees. And the sun came out after our mid morning coffee and the rest of the day was beautiful. Not that there isn’t beauty in the rain and the clouds, but it is wonderful to walk in the warm sun.
I again walked with Tash and Vittorio in the morning and until just after lunch. They packed up quicker than I did after lunch and I later stopped for a pee and then I never caught up to them again until the albergue. I did chat with some other people, however. Two from the Philippines, one from Denmark, and I finally met another American! That’s the first one in over 2 weeks, though there are rumors of others.
I saw the monument on top of Monte de Gozo from quite a ways away. As I was climbing the final hill, I really started pondering all those that have gone before and walked up the same hill. Quite fitting for All Saints Day (I know that at least St Francis and St Pope John Paul II made pilgrimages to Santiago, and the monument is commemoration of JP2s visit) and with All Souls Day tomorrow. I kind of had a moment, but not a long one. Not to put too many expectations on tomorrow, but I’m sure there will be more moments then!
Anyway, it’s beautiful, I’m sore but well, and almost to Santiago!
Arbitrary number 10, but I'll take it!
Monument on Monte de Gozo
andreaonthecamino 