Wow, I can't believe how close I'm getting. Though it feels like about two months, it was only 3 weeks ago that I was stuck in Sahagun with ripped up bloody feet, thinking that I had, at best, a 50-50 chance of going on. Now I'm feeling as strong as I've felt the whole trip; my feet, which have continued to be my weakest link all along, are keeping their complaints muffled; and I'm totally psyched. In fact I'm trying to savor every moment. I walked slowly today, and each time I crossed a bridge, or passed through a village, or stopped into a church, or climbed a gentle hill in the forest, I wondered how many more there'll be until the end. It's like the meal is coming to an end soon and I want to taste the flavor in every bite.

Today's walk was about 10 miles, again through forests, rolling hills, and a couple of villages whose stonework was mesmerizing. So much variation in style, sizes of stones, the amount of cement used to set them, the amount of space between them, the way the windows and doors are framed. Once again I was happy to see how many of them appeared to have been recently repaired. I stopped into a small, particularly beautiful 14th century church in the village of Lobreiro and was surprised to see frescoes, I assumed 16th century, that looked like they were of German or Northern influence. And when I got to the city of Melide, it was bustling. Rock music blaring in one of the main squares, the ubiquitous octopus restaurants overflowing, tons of pilgrims and locals filling the streets. And for some reason people are setting off fireworks--what a coincidence, on the 4th of July! My walk was prolonged a bit because I couldn't find my small, basic hotel, situated on a short, obscure, side street. I stopped into several bars, and the friendly and helpful owners enthusiastically pointed me in various directions, but three of them didn't have it quite right. So I ended up walking in circles for about a half hour. But I finally made it.

I'm going to head back out now because I need some food, then it'll be relaxation mode. Three more days, only 33 miles to go. I'm super excited to get to Santiago, but right now I'm sorry it's getting so close to being over.