Day 30, July 7th, 2023
It is already past seven when I finally manage to get dressed. Interesting how many people are still in bed, obviously yesterday's hike took its toll on many. Or is it that many people's motivation to continue is waning because the finish line is so close? Perhaps I am not the only one who doesn't want to go back to normal life?
Yesterday I agreed with Angela that we would go for ourselves today, but that it would be great if we could meet again in Triacastela in the evening, where I have already reserved two beds for us.
I only have twenty kilometres to cover today, so I want to take it easy and enjoy the walk to the fullest. This also means I get to experience a challenging uphill climb and am reminded of all the trips to the Sauerland region in the seventies and eighties. I was ten and loved hiking through the mountains and forests with the adults and us children. It was the perfect mix of nature and extended family. Every time it was over, I felt lonely and spent my time daydreaming. The adults' music, mainly ABBA, Roxy Music, and Cliff Richard, was constantly playing on my cassette player because it connected me so strongly to the Sauerland and the memories associated with it. I would hole up in my room, draw mountains and trees, and imagine I was back there. We would all hike together through the damp autumn woods again and roast potatoes over a fire afterward. We children would search for fool's gold near the village church and play cards with the adults in the evening. And so I spent a lot of time in my own world, reality overwhelmed me in many ways. Actually, not much has changed, except that today I try to live my dreams instead of just imagining them.
Only after five kilometres I come across a bar where I can have breakfast. But for some reason I am not really getting going today, so I treat myself to a second cup of coffee before forcing myself back on the road around ten o'clock. A cow with a large bell around its neck ambles past me, equally lethargic, and the air smells of farmland as I leave the café. I stop for breaks several more times along the way, mostly with Angela, whom I keep running into since she's not going any faster than me today either.
Apart from that not much happens. It is a relaxed day of pilgrimage with varied paths and plenty of time for reflection and reminiscing.
Triacastela
Our hostel in Triacastela is at least as rustic as the rest of the area, which I really like. The town's name suggests three castles, but it is disputed whether these castles ever existed as there are no remains of them anywhere. In the Middle Ages, pilgrims collected limestone here for the construction of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
Angela arrived before me and was initially worried because the warden didn't have my name on the reservation list. Instead of Stefanie it said Jaqueline! A quick call to the receptionist from yesterday confirmed, however, that Jaqueline could very well be Stefanie, and Angela was allowed to make her bed. And since first come, first served, I am sleeping on the upper mattress again tonight. I don't mind this at all anymore, because I have gotten really good at organizing myself. I neatly tie all the things I need for the night in my stuff sacks around the bed frame, so they are always within easy reach. Besides, the mattresses upstairs are usually not as worn out, plus there is more privacy because there is no one above me looking down on me. However, if you have a large sheet or something similar with you, you can create a bit more privacy in the lower bunk by simply tucking it under the top mattress like a curtain and letting it hang down. So much for the facts.
I am still full from lunch, so for dinner I am just having a few biscuits and yogurt under a tree in the garden, while Angela devours a microwave lentil soup and three whole chorizo sausages.
Only 133 kilometres to Santiago de Compostela…
Distance: 20,7 km / Steps: 32931