June 21 Day 09

It was a cooler start this morning at about 12°, thank goodness. This city Madeira is where three Camino routes converge for the last two days to Santiago. That being said there’s probably about tenfold more people on the trails now, nothing like what I experience the first eight days. Within 200m there’s always at least 4 or 5 other groups or people walking. As I pass them all the lineup of people just continues. It’s crazy how many people are walking the Camino.

This section of the Camino Trail has a café anbout every 2 km and every one is usually pretty full as I go buy them.

I’ve met way more Canadians now in the first three hours of the day then I did in my first eight days, and almost all of them are from Quebec or Montreal.

One younger gentleman asked me if I’m excited or disappointed that my Camino is almost done. I told him both, there’s the emotional/memoriable and relational aspect that I definitely don’t want to end, and then there’s the physical aspect of doing it four days shorter than the recommended time which is slowly beating my body up. That kind of makes me want it to end, but on the flipside I’ve always liked those challenges. And if I’m honest about it, now that I’m in the groove and the routine I could easily go another 30 days. Of course, doing the normal 20 to 25 km a day not the 35 to 45 on days that I have been doing. I see now how the pilgrims that are doing the Francis way can do it. It’s 30 to 40 days of the same routine day in and day out, I get it now.

I spent most of my time alone today recounting my life with Charlene from my first phone call to her as a shy 16-year-old in grade 12 to the final breath that she took. As I recounted so many memories that I could remember, I found it was better than watching videos or looking at pictures because not all of those memories were captured. And for those that were captured digitally my memory recollection of them were far clearer and much more enjoyable to recall. I’m sure I was crying and smiling for most of the time during those recollections, stopping only at the little cafés scattered along the trail to hydrate and re-feed.

Typical hamburger for 4 euros

I reached O Pedruso later than I expected, only because I stopped for 3 short breaks at the cafes.

34km, 47,100 steps, 3300 cal