Day 30- I Can See Clearly Now The Rain Is Gone

It’s gonna be a bright sunshiny day. Writer Johnny Nash, singer Jimmy Cliff. Just a great song

Today was going to be a long one so I had an early breakfast and hit the road before sunrise. The morning fog cleared and the sun filled the sky. It feels like it will hang around until I make it to Santiago. In beautiful trails and woods I prepared for the Camino Primitivo to merge with the Camino Frances in a town called Melide about 12 miles into today’s journey. I entered a church and prayed for patience and understanding as my Camino transformed into a crowded free for all. And it did and I was okay with it. The Camino welcomes everyone. Walkers with cell phones chatting away. People singing. One lady was pushing a stroller loaded down with food, toys and a fussing toddler, groups as big as 10 were chatting away. Hawkers lined the trail selling trinkets, food and whatever. I saw all that within the first mile of the merge. Many of the walkers started in a town called Sarria and will walk the minimum 100km (about 62 miles) in order to get their certificate. They will take about 5 days to complete their Camino. So they have a much different experience than me. There are so many people on the Camino now it’s just impossible to greet every one and perhaps strike up a conversation. I would lose my voice if I said “Buen Camino” to everyone I encountered. I am as alone in this bedlam as I was up in the mountains. I’m not complaining just noting. So for about 10 miles today and for my last 35 miles over the next 2 days the Camino will still allow me to get lost in my thoughts. I’ll just be surrounded.

A nice little spot to stop

Following the yellow arrows

A church on the outskirts of Melide. Chris, John and I visited it in our 2013 Camino and we all got our passports stamped there. Carla and I stopped there as well in 2023.

This is the same guy who worked there when Carla and I visited. You can see the passport stamping gear on the table. He loves his volunteer job.