Camino, day 9
Cruces, 13th October 2023
Buen Camino,
I'll keep it short today. Because not much happened. It rained, the walk was beautiful. Honestly, it was the prettiest day of my entire pilgrimage.
Tomorrow, it ends. Today, I walked 29.9 kilometres. I am in the village of Cruces, only 18 kilometres from Santiago.
I can't believe that the Cathedral we've all been heading toward is already so crazy close.
This morning, I let everyone leave. Then I walked alone in the rain. I kept passing people, but I didn’t mind. Today, I managed to bracket myself in.
The route led mainly through forests and tiny villages. I stopped in two lovely cafés. In one, I had a latte (my very first coffee of the entire Camino). In the other, a tuna empanada.
It really was a day full of feelings and thoughts and everything at once, maybe because the destination is near. I’m having trouble writing it down, let alone coming up with a joke. I even forgave the cyclists when I saw them, poor things, covered in mud from head to toe. And the youngest one couldn't have been more than six! The tiniest pilgrim, I’d say. Though perhaps other pilgrims thought the same thing today about my fanny pack, which under my raincoat looked like a fetus three months prior to birth.
Just one last thing before I go to bed. At one point, I wanted a sign, an answer to something. I stopped, looked around, waited. Nothing. I told myself I was being too demanding, that I needed to be more patient. I walked up a small hill, and there was a marker: Santiago, exactly 33 kilometres away, not a tenth or a hundredth more. So, I thanked that one man born in 1933 and, with tears in my eyes, went to get my empanada.
18 kilometres. I could get there by lunchtime. Think of me, I’ll be thinking of you!
Kat
