The signs along the route now show less than 100 kilometers to Santiago, and we have been on the road continuously for 29 days. Time has flown by and is still flying fast. "Rest days" and long distances means that the people we met in the beginning, are either stages behind, or in front. It places us among new people, new groups and new conversations all the time.
We enjoy the silence as well as the conversations we have along the way, and we both think that it is going really well! The Camino really has a lot to offer, both as a hiking destination and as a pilgrimage, whether your motivation to do it is religious or spiritual, or personally founded. We are in another world. Of people who, like us, have decided to "walk the Camino". People with the same goal of reaching Santiago because… because…
Everyone’s here for a reason. And with some thought about the significance of the journey. Physical and human.
We feel very grateful and privileged - both for each other, but also for the lives we have left at home, whom we miss and we look forward to being reunited with in a week. Physically we are also lucky, or at least in profit - we generally sleep well and we feel strong. Our basic form was good when we left, but has only gotten better.
When it is tough it is also where we can feel that we are alive. Some days are really tough and it does not necessarily have to be the days with long distances and high rises in altitude. Joints and muscles (feet!), and the whole corpse is gradually going tender. So how we rest after a day's walk has only become more and more important as the trip has progressed. We try to get 2-4 hours of rest/recovery every afternoon before dinner. That works really well, and makes us ready the next day with new energy.
But the crucial element is the surroundings. We enjoy being in nature and talking about the development we have seen from the first stage in Roncesvalles close to the French / Spanish border, through the flat Meseta and to now, where we again move around between mountains and almost untouched nature. It is so beautiful. And it can be hard for the eyes to understand some of the spectacular sceneries we see.
When it comes to our gear and attire - we are really satisfied! We have tried to think about whether we are missing something or whether we have overpacked. We have plenty of blister patches with us at least, but other than that, we think we have hit close to perfect! We do not really have anything with us which we have not used regularly, nor have we lacked anything.
Our clothing is top notch! We just have to say that. Wool is gold and it is invaluable to put clothes on every morning, which we know for sure will fit today's challenges no matter what it is. The wool does not smell, it regulates the temperature and then it is just comfortable to wear - and it looks good.
In addition to our wool, we have a shell set, consisting of a jacket and trousers that can be used in both cold and warm weather as it is light and breathable, it is also what works as our rainwear.
Now there is less than a week left. And that's weird. It is strange that this has now been our nomadic life for a month, our world, and now it is going to end abruptly. And we are going home to reality.
We look forward to enjoying the last days with sore feet, to the final stages with views we will never forget, and to the final Camino talks. It really has been an adventure. And something very special to share with each other.
