Not far to go now.

Tonight I am spending my last night in an albergue.  It is probably the worst one of the whole trip too, badly in need of updating, which by the scaffolding and banging that has been going on I think they must be working on it! I am only 19kms from Santiago de Compostela and so tomorrow night I am treating myself to what is probably the ultimate luxury and the ultimate in frivolous spending for someone who has been payimg around €6 a night for a bed and a hot shower, some hotter than others!  Yes I have decided to treat myself to the Parador, but that will be another post in itself!

The last few days have shown how Galicia can turn on the rain.  At times it has been like standing under a shower head.  Earlier on in Galicia the rain was softer, but in this part it is heavy and constant, though there have been some sunny parts to the days too, and, best of all, today was fine all day.  I even saw my wet footprints on dry asphalt!

I am now well and truly in eucalyptus country.  The eucalypt forests are, as one would expect, pretty untidy, with bark strewn on the path and hanging in the trees, and twigs of varying sizes strewn over the path to trip the unwary!  Sometime ago I read how these trees, which are really a weed here though they are still planting them for harvesting too, are affecting the water table.  I think, looking with my untrained eye, I can understand this as it seems to me that although the rainfall doesn't diminish here there is less surface water run off and my thinking is that this might be due to the fact that the eucalypts are consuming some of that water.  This only a surmise on my part I might add.

This eucalyptus forest was quite tidy Compared to some I walked through today.

There were other forests too.  South Aussies - take note of the sign and delete the last "s" and what do you get!?

The water continues!

The green fields of Galicia, heading towards Arca.

I have been surprised at how few people are in the albergues the past few nights.  In Melide there were 2 Koreans, 2 Englishmen, and myself and in Arzua there are 2 Spanish and 2 Australians.  Both these towns are big stages and I thought there would be a lot more here.  Tonight there are only about half a dozen too.  One of tonights residents (who I might add looked quite old to me!!) asked me how old I was.  When I told him he waved his hand in the air and said something like "woo, so strong". I THINK it was a compliment!

Having brekky with the two englishman who were my companions in the Melide albergue

I managed to get a sing in two churches in Melide.  I was busy singing to myself when a señora came in, so I finished and stopped, not wanting to intrude.  She spoke to me, I think in Gallego, for there wasn't one word I understood, and I interpreted what she said as asking me to sing some more.  Again I stopped and again I got a barrage of unintelligible sounds thrown at me, so I sang one more hymn, and dissapeared!  Didn't want to push my luck.

The church in Melide where I sang for the Señora.

A couple of little chapels I passed on the way. This one was at Santa Irene.

I didn't take photos of the square in Melide and so before leaving in the morning I walked back to do so.  On the way I passed the market that was just setting up.  One señora called me over and tried to sell me a cheese.  When I declined she offered to cut one, but couldn't understand that I didn't want it because of the weight, and with that she rummaged through a box to offer me a jar of honey, which would have weighed even more!  An Australian woman, Deborah, was in the albergue last night and she had exactly the same experience a couple of hours later, only she managed to extricate herself before being offered the honey!  One very determined salesperson!

The last couple of days I have seen some different Horeo's.  There was one even painted to match the house!  I don't recall seeing so many painted ones before.

This was the Horreo painted to match the house!

I just happened to be in the right place and see this Horreo open today.

Today, walking from Arzua, I had a couple of stops for cows.  Having got to the forests I thought I was out of cow territory, but not so.  This of course means that there is still the cow dung to negotiate on the path!

Cows on the path.

Tonight I am Arca, and tomorrow I have the final 19 / 20 kms, depending on who one consults, to reach the Cathedral in Santiago.  I am going to try and leave at first light, around about 8.45.  I want to see it all, and have no intention of walking in the dark, as I have done in the past.  First light in the autumn is considerably earlier, and so leaving in the dark at that time of the year gives one a chance to get to the cathedral in time for the pilgrim mass at midday, but it is a different story at this time of the year.

This is always a happy and sad time at the same time.  Happy, because after so much walking, often in trying circumstances the body, and the mind, are ready to stop and rest.  Sad, because living the life of an itinerant pilgrim has special privileges and special joys that one really doesn't want to end.  The time to travel slowly on life's journey, to communicate as best one is able with those we meet, the chance to see how another people live their lives, and the time to reflect as one walks are all very special gifts indeed.