Arrived Portomarín

Dear Friends,

I'm back on the walking Camino, doing segments of 10-15 Km/day instead of the 20-25 I was attempting before.  This makes for a much more pleasant Camino and allows me to keep the unholy trinity of ailments (tendonitis, plantar fascitis, blisters) more or less in check.

The orthotics I brought to prevent fascitis were compressing the toe space and exacerbating the blister problem.  I switched to hiking sandals which I'm convinced brought on the tendonitis due to the lack of ankle support.  Now I'm back to boots but without orthotics.  This seems to be the best overall approach.

The toes are generally behaving themselves except the middle toe, to which I would like to offer a different middle digit.  I have to treat him with second skin, gauze and tape every day just to keep going.

Otherwise I am enjoying walking the Camino once again.  My snoring has been a problem so in consideration for fellow pilgrims I've eschewed the albergues (dormitories) for private rooms.  It is much more restful plus I don't experience "albergue anxiety" in the morning, an unpleasant feeling that I have to frantically pack and clear out ASAP like the other pilgrims are doing.

In the new daily rhythm I've done my walking by 1 at the latest and usually have checked in, lunched, showered and washed clothes by 2:30 or so, which gives the body some rest time and maybe even a siesta.

Monday night I stayed in a country pensión le llama Casa Morade.  This was SO much more pleasant than the frantic albergue cast-of-thousands experience.  It's very peaceful & quiet in rural Galicia.

Tonight I'm in the "big" city of Portomarín in a small pensión right off the main square.  I went into the church of San Juan there and I must have just missed a Marian procession because a couple of parishioners were moving a statue of Our Lady from a procession platform back to her place above a side altar.

Galicia is very damp and misty in the mornings and sunny in the afternoons (so far).  The countryside has the familiar scent of cow dung wafting in the air throughout.

Please continue to pray for my safe travels.