Day 28 - Melide to Arca do Pino (33.3 km)

Hola, mis amigos

As you can see I was back on The Way again today and the miracle is that it was one of the easiest days of my Camino - certainly the easiest 30+ day I've walked. Yesterday afternoon that would have seemed impossible.

Let's re-wind to last night. When I started my update it was soon after I'd hobbled in to the Farmacia in Melide and came away with a few bits and pieces to try to alleviate my painful tendonitis - Sue, I think your diagnosis of shin splints may be right.

I interrupted my writing to head out for dinner but, before doing so, I thought I'd best get my personal Farmacia in order and perhaps put on some of the newly purchased Voltarin cream before going out. I was hopeful it would help but not confident. I'd taken 3 x 50 mg Voltarin tablets in the previous 24 hours and while they may have stopped the inflammation getting worse they'd done nothing to alleviate the pain or bruising. But, a miracle cure was at hand. When I opened my first aid kit I spied something I'd completely forgotten I had.

Re-wind further back to the day before I left Sydney when I had an appointment with the wonderful Teresa Lee, traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and most fabulous acupuncturist. On previous visits I'd told Teresa about my plan to walk The Camino. As I was leaving that day, she gave me a small parcel which she said she had ordered especially for me and I must take it with me on my long walk. I opened the parcel to find a supply of adhesive bandages. I recognised them as bandages infused (if that's the word) with strong Chinese herbs. Teresa had given me one some years ago to ease a strained muscle in my back - and it worked. I asked Teresa if this was to be used if I have any back pain on the walk and she said 'use for any pain'. And so, foregoing the cream I'd just bought, I cut one of Teresa's large herbal bandages in half and stuck it on my lower shin. I knew it couldn't hurt - but it was more than that. I've been seeing Teresa for 12 or 13 years now so I was pretty confident it would do some good.

When I woke this morning - no bruising and no pain. I wondered if that would still be the case a few kilometres later. Well, as you can see from this update, I had no need to doubt the magic cure. And, Sue, for good measure, I did those exercises you suggested in your comment (thank you). I had not even the slightest pain all day, despite walking such a long distance. The next time I see Teresa I will tell her how well the herb bandage worked. I know already her response. She will take my hand in both of hers and with her affectionate and quizzical smile she'll say 'yes, my sister, that is why I gave them to you', bemused that I might think it would be otherwise.

That's a long way of letting you know that my day was off to a great start and so it continued. After an early breakfast I left Melide around 8am and soon found myself walking through a forest on the outskirts of the town. For the next half hour or so the only guide was the fast disappearing moonlight filtering through the tall trees. There were two or three walkers in front of me and as many behind. I had a small torch at hand - no doubt others did as well - but no-one turned them on and we were all silent. Perhaps they were as mesmerised as I was by the eerie beauty of this morning walk and careful not to break the spell, for the short time it would last.

Soon enough the moonlight was replaced by sunny and mostly clear skies. It was cold, the coldest morning so far. But inevitably my 3 layers and gloves turned into 2 layers by late morning and shorts and T-shirt by lunchtime. Perfect walking weather.

I felt this was an extraordinary day though it was unremarkable in some ways - the landscape alternated between forests and farmlands through small villages and only one larger town. But I found myself feeling light - energetic yet peaceful at the same time. It was probably a combination of things - the relief and gratitude that I could walk on today after yesterday's scare, thanks to Teresa's unsolicited kindness; the perfect weather and the peaceful surroundings; the spring in the steps of every other pilgrim I saw as we all knew that suddenly we were so close to Santiago - perhaps not quite believing it could be so.

I had planned to write tonight about some of the funny and strange characters and incidents I recalled today and yesterday with Nina - but I got carried away with the telling of my miraculous recovery. At least that's how it seemed to me. So perhaps I can weave those stories in over the coming days.

As for tomorrow, Day 29. I know some of you have been 'doing the numbers' so you know what's ahead. For everyone else - unless The Camino has other plans for me, I'll be walking the final 20 kilometres to Santiago tomorrow. If you find that hard to believe, imagine how I feel?

In the meantime, here's a preview:

'La primera parte de esta etapa final hasta Santiago se hace a traves de densas plantaciones de eucalyptos. Disfruta de la sombra y paz que emanan.'

Impressed? Don't be. My guide book is in English and Spanish! Translation:

'The first part of this final stage into Santiago is through dense eucalyptus. Enjoy the shade and peace they exude.'

Seems appropriate for an Australian pilgrim, don't you think?

Hasta Luego. J x