Lunchtime on the Camino. I have 6% battery left and I will try and sneak out a quick post. We are in Melide and about 50 k from the finish. You’re the best, Phil.
P.s. Jerome just showed up and is the first of the old crew to arrive. He is asking about Laura and really who wouldn’t?

It isn’t light yet but there is wifi so I thought that I would say hello. I love this place in all it’s funk and glory. Have an extra ordinary day. Love, Phil and Team Wifi and Hotel California.

We just pulled in to Palas de Rei and it is 1711. Most of the cafés and other watering holes have wifi so I try to keep in touch with you as often as possible. Rick is less strict than Kelly with this. Kelly wouldn’t let me wifi around during the day.

I am going to read through my blog posts from in Spain and see if I missed anything major and catch up. So many things have happened that I feel like I have captured ten percent of it. Maybe I can glean a few more important items.

I have some cooking/food thoughts that I could throw in here. 1. Gazpacho rules and is really a blend of tomatoes and peppers, onions maybe cucumbers. Then it needs some croutons, oregano and a little olive oil floating on top. 2. Olives, peppers and anchovies on sticks was one of my favorites. 3. Crunchy bread with olive oil and salt. 4. Tortilla Española is good and easy. It’s egg and potato pie.

Maryka just got some of her grades: three A’s. So we are celebrating, cervesa grandes all around. She is laughing and having a good time after all her hard work.

OK, I have to go do some serious stuff now. Shower, laundry and troll for dinner. Love you all immensely, Phil.

Stopping for an orange juice and a chocolate croissant in the town of Gonzar. Very crowded and hard to hold a decent conversation. Lots of individuals, families and groups walking the last hundred kilometers. Us guys that have been at this for a while seem pretty gnarly compared to the newcomers.

Sixteen kilometers to go before our rest. Phil.

San Miguel and Magdalenas, which translates to beer and sweet rolls for breakfast is what started us out this AM. Todd says that it is choose your own adventure day so I’m signing up for the Giddy Dilly Dally Adventure Package. So here we go! Phil.

I was walking with Maryka today and she said that the two of us were like two drops in the river of pilgrims. It is getting very crowded as we get closer to St James. But I love it as it is all part of the story, right? People are sleeping on the floors of the local school classrooms and gymnasium. I heard that in Santiago they are rearranging the Cathedral to accept a thousand people at the Pilgrim Mass each day. It’s massive!

I asked Maryka to help me today. The question is whether I am experiencing an internal hallucination or whether there is really something happening here that is exceptional. Well, She says that even on her first day that she sees that there is truly something happening here. Rebecca says that it is a combo of internal and external. Yes.

We are going to finish eating dinner and go for an evening walk (paseo). We are in Portomarin which is on the shore of a reservoir, very beautiful, of course, what else right? Need to sign off for now, love you, Phil and crew.

Rick, Maryka and I are in Barbadelo, just west of Sarria. Very lush here compared to the desert I was in yesterday morning. I am looking at oaks, poplar, birch and a laurel hedge; looks like home.

Kelly is lounging in Leon. Ladies, a tip. In Leon I spent an hour and a half sitting by the Cathedral waiting to say Happy Birthday to Angelia but she was on the road somewhere Caminoheading along. But it gave me time to place all the stones and build the thing. But I came up with more questions than answers. How did they do this and how did they do that? Oh well.

I lost the stylus that cost me 5 euro and an hour of searching around in the big city with Gracie. Oh well. Rick just handed me an extra one that he stole from Kelly. See how it works?

Annie, message for you. Maryka had a dream last night in the albergue that you will have a big lucky windfall. So keep your eyes open!

Also Rick started a blog: www.oldperegrino.blogspot.com . More Camino happenings to check in on. Yup.

OK, have to shower and do laundry. Maybe take a nap. Say a rosary for my stone pile and pilgrims struggling along the way. Till later, all good, Hotel California

This is incredible and totally unexpected. Todd, Rebecca, Jessica and I rolled into town to meet my old friend Rick from home who is going to walk the last 100k. Yes, but who did he bring with him but his beautiful daughter, Maryka. She walked with me back home in the snow and rain. We have fun.

Kelly should be in Leon lounging around in a hotel. He pinned a note on my shirt for Rick. In other words, he figured that I would mess that up. Kelly, really?

Galicia, is totally green and lush. A real change from the Meseta, that we had grown to know and almost love. OK, so, that’s it for now. Love you all, Phil.

We are in Mansilla de las Mulas after a 24 k hike. I was with Todd and Kelly. Had a very high level talk with Todd and then there was Kelly… He feels so responsible for my well being and is so afraid that I will go astray after I leave him tomorrow that he insisted on giving me the big lecture. Yike! It was full frontal Kelly. I mean what trouble could I possibly get in?

I know that he is going for a raise so he is trying extra hard. But really he has been the best buddy for me. Tomorrow we will say goodbye for I will be busing ahead to meet up with my other buddy Rick at the monastery at Samos. Ever onward!

Well, the Sheriff just rode in to help me get this evenings party started. He is turning into my favorite Egyptian! Well right I don’t know that many. And I was hoping that we would catch up with Angela but I hear that she is up ahead. OK, best wishes Angela!

Cherry just showed up and Kelly. We have a international forum cooking. Laurence from England showed up who operated on Kelly yesterday is here. I’m sorry that I miscalled him a German, but oh well. Mary Margret is here so anything could happen!

Todd is going to do some interviews momentarily. We did some amazing filming this morning. The rising sun was beautiful along with the local countryside and architecture.

All good. Ever onward and all that. We miss you Angelia. I think that I will publish this before something unexpected happens. Love you all, SJA, Phil.

Kelly and I made it in. Sitting with Miguel and Carman. Need to shower and eat. Later, Phil.

Here’s Miguel: Life’s what happens ..while you’re planning it…so go out there n start walking your own Camino…Ultreia Peregrino…a.m.d.g.

We got a more expensive room at a hostel and I got to soak in the tub. Now some dinner and then there is some filming to do at sunset. Tough duty, right?

Just want to cover some random memories from random days. Things tend to flow together after a while. One was talking
squenches with Mary Margret who is a professor of such things and I am remembering fragments of art history from long ago. A
squench is a small triangular feature that happens when arches meet domes. Two, was a breakfast on the fly of sardines and chocolate. That was interesting and nutritious. Three, was the young German man that worked on Kelly’s blisters today who reassured him by saying it’s OK I’m a biology major. He did a nice job patching him up and I got another 6 k out of him.