500 today

0700
It's a lovely day for walking.  Fine and dry with some cloud cover. Heading to breakfast and then I'm off.
490km so far so within 2 hours I will have hit 500km. My poor little totties!
My sister used to call me (well still does on occasion) Timphy Toddle Toes...well those toddle toes are doing alright!

0930
I feel tingly all over...maybe all the stinging nettle so far this morning. ..legs and arms covered in sting spots...in orienteering terms you could say 'full body cover compulsary'.  My right arm has the most...still quite numb.

2000
What an amazing day! My arms have recovered from the stinging nettle but have got blackberry scratches all over them. My left leg is still numb and doesn't respond to thumping or pinching. ..I think I got a little  too much stinging nettle..the last patch was 4 hrs ago.

I made the 500km all right..it was quite 'spooky possums'. I had passed a village called Villademoros and thought that I would look for a nice spot for my 500km party. With 200m until it clicked over was a big display board about a C15th church just to my right. The church (locked as usual) was party central at 500.33km. It was great...a can of coke..a small Toblerone and a church ...what better way to celebrate the 500km.
You might think (or indeed know) that I am strange but this was a big deal for me. I didn't think I could this..I didn't think I would be strong or fit enough.  It wasn't until last week that Santiago became a real target.

Locals played a big part in my day. On a number of occasions as I stood at a track junction with no arrows to guide me. .someone would just appear and call out the direction. One guy helped me as I stood on one side of a huge roundabout at the junction onto tbe freeway. The arrows lead me to the intersection but none could be seen to lead me out. This call interrupted my guide book inspection. .which didn't help at all ... The intersection didn't exist in the description. Anyway he kept yelling and waving me over and he stopped walking while I jogged over to him. He signaled to follow him, turned and walked. Past an underpass he pointed. .there were the arrows.  He then pointed out a church in the distance and a huge bridge..I had go by the church turn left and go under the bridge..3km to the next town. That was timely I thought...but as I emerged from the houses to cross the road by the church someone called out 'Tim..I'm lost'. Cool as a cucumber  i said no you're not...just down this road to the bridge. It was bobbie from Arizona who had walked the first 6km with earlier today.
This is camino...these things happen all the time.

Another local worth mentioning was a donkey. .pulling a seed drilling machine with a farmer and his wife...amazing..see the photo.

I walked with Bobbie for another 6km until I turned off for Luarca..she was heading to the Alburgue. 

It was a long 5k into Luarca through paddocks, tiny streets and finally past a high school. As I turned past a large building this most beautiful site greeted me...I was high above a seaport. Luarca would be one of the beautiful seatowns I have ever seen. I was going to walk on another 12km to the next place but no more. I got fantastic accommodation quickly and then went exploring. I then decided that I will be back here in Luarca sometime soon.

I ended up only doing 26km today...516km in total and Santiago de Compostela is 240km away according to the guidebook...so 66% of the way there.

My day ended with dinner at a local restaurant. .pilgrim menu again. I also had some excellent conversation as well.  Some of my camino friends speak english SO well...even able to joke and give sarcasm so easily!

Live back in NZ  is creeping into my mind. It is so nice to be the one who doesn't understand what's going on..I have relaxed into the fact that I am anonymous for example in this pub..I don't understand the conversations.  It is quite luxurious not attending to the talking. I am not sure how I will cope back at school with so many people talking and being able to understand it all. ...hmm..we shall see. Back at work in a month. I do miss the kids and the staff..enormously. ..but it is so quiet in this noisy country.

Adios amigos. ..as the Proclaimers sang...I will walk 500 kilometers