Thank you Queen

'It's a beautiful day
The sun is shining
No one is going to stop me now'

Today was amazing.  Sun all day. Pretty rare over the last 3 weeks. As well as that it was a 'Mind Cinema' day. Mind cinema is term coined by Alex who has returned to Austria to work ...poor thing...it is a term used to describe those flash backs and memories that we want to remember (or those that disturb us..very close to the phrase too much information). My mind cinema were all very good and went very well with Queen's song .It's a beautiful day.

Today was a 27km day and 490 km so far. In NZ tbat would put me between Seddon and the Clarence River...tomorrow I'll be past Clarence. I will buy something in the next town..6km away ...to then eat or drink to celebrate 500km tomorrow morning.

500km...that is really bizarre and sort of scary. I may have mentioned before that I didn't really know that I could actually do this. I hoped that I could, but tomorrow is 500km. Tu meke!

Today had some huge contrasts...walking under massive bridges as well as fighting through overgrown tracks with NO markings. Very expensive houses and some hovels (these are increasingly being seen....almost as if the country is getting poorer tbe further west I travel).

And the best part....no rain. I hadn't realized how much it was getting me down. I was lucky to be walking with some very nice people before Ribadesella when it was really raining....otherwise it would have been very hard making good progress in the rain. A couple of days walking without rain does wonders for tbe soul.

My guidebook was very good today...it needed to be. ..the route marking was shocking. At one point after 3km through blackberry and gorse lined track...I emerged on a stretch of road and the only arrows to be seen pointed back the way I had come. Rather than sit down and scream (very tempting. ..but tell no one) I rechecked my guidebook map, headed right (counter intuitive) and 1k later there was the village I was expecting.  Phew. There is an allegory in there somewhere!

I am staying at Ballota..about 1km from the coast at a little pub. Nice room etc but if I had walked on the only accommodation was 13 beds at an alburgue  at 34km...no guarantee there will be a bed.  So knowing this I looked carefully as I passed through Ballota and liked what I saw.

There are fewer pelegrinos on this section of tbe Camino Del Norte.  Most have turned off to do the Primativa a day or so back. This means less pressure on accommodation from walkers...but 10 cyclists past me today. Bobbie from Arizona is one town back and a nice french couple are one town forward.

My feet are bearing up..the Keen sandals did well today again, but I feel a bit like a hobbit slapping along.

Apart from saying hi to pelegrinos as I have walked past them, I have had the day to myself. I really relish this and I have to tell you tbe learning and teaching that goes on is quite humbling.  Not that I don't like walking with others...not at all....but a very real rythmn develops when I am by myself and the conversation is NEVER dull !

I half traveled half way around the world to reconnect with someone who only lives a heartbeat away. However, this is only part of it. Every day here I am learning more, mainly because I am shutting up and listening.

The people I have met and what I have observed so far...I am beginning to understand a little more exactly why I am on this route...and to be honest it is very humbling.

Enough for now...I am having trouble expressing my thoughts and I don't want you to think I have lost it completely!

Plesse pray for me and the other pelegrinos...it is tougher than I had imagined  but so worth it.

Adios amigos...it's a beautiful day...and it is definitely not a tear rolling down my cheek. (Tui billboard I'm afraid)