We listened to the weather forecast and rain was forecasted after lunch atapproximately 2pm. It started to rain at 2.15pm but more on that later. It was also the longest leg of the journey with over 29kms to be completed we were warned that it was to be our longest day.
At the beginning of this leg a group of pilgrims were led in prayer by their spiritual director, a reminder of the origins of the way. It also reminded us of the pertinence religion has in others lives. It was a reminder of the fundamental rules of the Camino to honour and respect other travellers we met along the way and their beliefs.
It was unusually bright for the commencement of our walk and we were serenaded by the dawn chorus. An immediate climb brought us out through sleepy rural villages, with the silence of the morning being broken only by the sound of the gravel crunching underfoot. It had a steady immediate rhythm, yet there were echoes of the many thousands who had also trod this path before us. While there was many “Buen Camino” greetings there was a lot less chatter from the many travellers we met enroute.
We had decided to stop more frequently as this walk was of 29kms duration on top of 22.1 kms and then 24.8kms the second day. At day end we’d have walked the equivalent of a marathon + an additional 31.9 kms. I wondered how I’d never read or seen anything about the physical challenges of walking this distance over this short time span? Naivety ? Was I so intent on achieving this goal I ignored anything that didn’t encourage my view. Probably a mixture of all three but in one respect I was pleased that I had set myself this challenge.
Early in the afternoon a mist developed into a downpour. The last three kilometres were fairly challenging and we were staying in a hotel beyond the town. It was worth the weight as they beautiful log fires burning in the grates as we entered the main building and the heating was on in the rooms which were located around the main reception area. It was a little bit of heaven on earth, and very welcome.
These are a few of the photos I took on this leg of my journey.
Ger Moroney 