Another way over the mountain

Getting ready for bed, so here’s a quick update. I woke up in Villafranca this morning having met up with Clemens. We were now a 2 day walk behind our other friends, so we made the executive decision to take a bus to catch up with them. It’s not a the Camino sin that it sounds like. It’s a common practice to take a bus or a train ride to a further point, especially if there’s a medical or time sensitive reason to do so. (Or if you just need a rest from the Camino). I’ve logged more than enough kilometers to show that I’ve walked the Camino, so our decision was well within the realm of reason. Anyway, Clemens and I took the bus to Triacasteli, about a 50 minute ride, that would have been 2 days of hiking. Every hill that the bus went up, I said a silent “thank you” to the person who invented the internal combustion engine! We are now in Galicia, and it’s beautiful. Mountains and deep valleys, farms on the side of the mountains. We could be in Switzerland with cows with bells around their necks, ringing as they chew their grass. A picture perfect setting. I’ll be walking tomorrow, back on the Camino. Lots of hills to tackle, this scenery comes at a price. But, I’m back with my cadre of friends and we’ll be in Santiago in a week. Hard to believe. Today begins my 5th week on the Camino.