Negreria (Spain) | My Camino Resumes - Day 124

Shortly after leaving Santiago de Compostela this morning, I notice the sky resembles the colors of my shorts. I love the silhouette against the orange and powder blue sky. Is this a sign of good things to come?

Day 39 takes me away from Santiago de Compostela towards Negreira on my way back to the coast. The stage is approximately 21 km (13 mi) and has one climb of nearly 250 m (820 ft).

The streets are relatively empty this morning when I leave the Albergue. Soon after, I can hear rapid footsteps behind me. Turning to my left, I see a Spanish woman pass me by. I say, Hola, Hablas Ingles or Frances. She shakes her head and replies, Español. Within a few minutes, she's nearly out of sight until she loses the marks. I am using the Mapy app this morning, and it is easy to follow the Camino. It resembles Google maps in the interface, but you don't have the issue of getting "Googled."😂 Googled happens when Google Maps takes you to the wrong location. It happens more frequently than it should. Everyone who has used Google Maps has been "Googled" at least once. 😂 It occurred to me several times while I was in Ireland.

The sun feels great this morning. I haven't seen many Peregrinos this morning since the climb leaving Santiago. The walk to Finisterra is 90 km (55 mi) and will take me 4 days. Muxia (Moo-see-ah or moo-shia) is another 28 km (17 mi) north of Finisterra and requires a 5th day. 

The walk this morning feels like the cherry on top of my dessert. I decide to spend the first few hours of each day this week reflecting on the Camino. It will allow me closure, and by the time I reach Muxia, I will be ready for the next adventure. Today, my purpose is to reflect on the lessons of the Camino.

Near 10 am, pass this old stone bridge. Unfortunately, the Camino doesn't cross this one. Nevertheless, I like the contrast between the dark bridge and the white building.

Around 1030 am, I stop at cafe KM79. I have done 11 km (6.8 mi) and am just a little more than halfway. I order a chorizo and cheese bocadillo and kick up my feet while I enjoy the morning sunshine. I planned to eat along the way. So I left town without breakfast this morning. However, I am hungry now and remember why I always eat before leaving for the day.

The trail is charming this morning!

Around 1215 pm, I arrive in A Ponte Maceira. This is one of the most charming little villages I have passed through, with many sites. The bridge is quite stunning too.

The view to the south is stunning from the top of the bridge.

As is this house and courtyard on the north shore.

I love these photo opportunities. They set up nicely and lead the eye to the center of the frame, making you wonder where the trail leads.

A couple hours later, I arrive in Negreira. The town isn't fancy, but I run into Timo while searching for an ATM. Timo looks and feels terrible. We grab lunch together. "I'm done. I am taking the bus to Muxia tomorrow. I am not hiking another mile," Timo says. He's now the second person who hiked one day past Finisterra and abandoned the journey. It is not surprising. When people arrive in Santiago, it is an emotional experience. Many lose the desire to continue. Fanny also quit after day 1 and took the bus.

At dinner, I run into José Ramon. We chat briefly, and he tells me he is doing Muxia to Finisterra this time. He did Finisterra to Muxia 8 years ago. We wish each other Buen Camino! I know this will be the final time I see him, as he plans to make the journey in 4 instead of 5 days.

5 Lessons of the Camino

The Camino is a metaphor for life. It has a birth, a life, and a death. Therefore, the lessons of the Camino are also important life lessons.

1 - The Camino Always Provides - I said this frequently and passed it on to my fellow Peregrinos as often as I could along the journey. I always referred use it as a metaphor for believing and trusting that what you need will come. However, I list it here because it doesn't just apply to physical things. The Camino Always Provides Peregrinos with the type of experience they need even if they are not ready to see it or cannot understand why they are experiencing life this way. Jean-Marie helped me understand this, and now when I hear about the experiences of other Peregrinos, it is easy for me to understand why their experiences were such. I believe that people always experience what they need.

2 - Walk Your Own Camino - It is easy to get trapped into following other people's agendas. It doesn't matter if it is an app, places people want to see, or my desire to reunite with people. When reuniting with people, a specific word comes to mind, Fate. Fate is about the present moment, where every decision an individual has made has led them to their current scenario. I found that I enjoyed the Camino more when I followed my own path; sometimes, this path paralleled the path of others for extended periods. Other times they only converged for brief moments. Regardless, I must let go of the fear that keeps me from listening to myself and walk my own Camino. 

3 - Give People Your All - I had many significant interactions that evolved because I was invested in the relationship, even if our time was short. This opened the door to creating deeper interactions or providing me with something I needed along the way (i.e., information, guidance, tips, etc.). Investing in people is time well spent.

4 - All Paths Are The Right Path - This is an extension of Bruce Lee's philosophy, "No Way, As Way."  Let go of the perfect path (i.e., technique, route, etc.). There are many times I missed a turn along the Camino, yet I walked 828 km and arrived in Santiago with others that took a more direct path. This has taught me to always follow the path that makes sense for me, like when I walked with Annie and Sandy on the day we passed through Ribadeo. Stay flexible and be open to life's opportunities and interpretations from others. There is always more than one mango, as José and Petra learned. 

5 - Everybody Hurts - People often suffer in silence. This was evident every day I was on the Camino. People walked with blistered feet, bad knees, and sore backs, yet no one complained. Take time to check in with people and ask them how they are feeling. There is a lot of living that happens (i.e., things that happen) before my path crosses that of others. Taking the time to understand where people are in this moment prevented me from making many assumptions about their condition. Sometimes people exceeded my expectations. Other times, I needed to modify my expectations.