Day 38: Palais De Rei - Melide (5/8/14)

My feet are letting me know that I haven't been operating in true pilgrim mode.

At the beginning, 

acting on the advice of seasoned pilgrims,

I would slather my feet in Foot Goo, 

pull on a pair of sock liners and then put on wool hiking socks.

I would also stop faithfully every 2-3 hours,

take off both pairs of socks and, while resting for 20-30 minutes,

let both my feet and my socks air out.

During this last 100K,

because I'd become so intent on just getting this over with 

so I can head to the beach,

I stopped the whole rest and airing out process...

and my feet are letting me know that was a big mistake!

Nothing serious; 

nothing that impedes my walking 

but certainly a nuisance.

Actually, a lot of things seem like nuisances today...

dirty, semi-clean clothes that I've worn continuously for almost 7 weeks.

walking itself,

eating out - 

and not being able to get whatever you want 

whenever you want it,

showers and lights that turn off (for resource conservation) 

while you're still using them,

pilgrims talking on their cell phones - 

while walking on the Camino...

I could go on and on...

It occurred to me today that this last stage -

the final 100K to Santiago -

was the Camino on Lithium;

all the extreme highs and lows had been removed - 

leveled out -

leaving a path that was flatter,

both geographically and emotionally.

The last 100K are nothing like the 700K that precede it.

It made me feel almost sorry for those people only doing the required miles...

well, I would feel sorry for them if they weren't so annoying!