Today felt amazing! I’m sure it’s a combination of several factors: having had a rest day yesterday, finally hiking without blister pain, a very flat path today, temperatures below 80.

Several other people that I chatted with today reported that today’s hike was boring, and by extension, difficult. For me, I felt like I could have done more than the 16.25 miles that I did. I arrived at my albergue tired but not completely spent.

Dinner was delicious and a semi-communal meal. Solo travelers such as myself were seated with other solo travelers, and couples were seated with other couples. I had a great conversation with an Argentinian-turned-Canadian, Pamela, who works as an English-Spanish interpreter and flight attendant.

I’m in a shared room tonight (no private rooms being available in this little village) with three other people, all of whom are sound asleep at 8:30 PM. I just can’t go to sleep that early, no matter how tired I am. So, I’m sitting on the rooftop patio of this little albergue, listening to the birds, and watching the long, slow descent of the sun. It won’t be fully dark here until about 10:30.

Somewhere during tomorrow’s hike, I will be approximately halfway across Spain. There are 871 kilometers between St. Jean Pied de Port, France and Finesterre, Spain. (The official Camino ends in Santiago de Compostela, but I plan to walk the additional 91 kms to Finesterre). It’s hard to believe. It feels like I’m just now getting used to this.