One whole side of my Credencial del Peregrino is filled with 26 stamps and I already have three stamps on the other side! I need to be sure to leave room for stamps for three more days. On Day 11 we will reach the Cathedral at Santiago de Compostela, and then on to Finisterre. ¡E ultreia! ¡E suseia! (Onward! Upward!) The van returned us to Arzua and we began right away at a faster than usual pace attempting to reach our destination before the rain that is expected at noon. My friend Mary gave a Zyrtec for the allergy or incipient cold I’m dealing with this morning. It is the Nativity of Mary and our first pilgrim stamp of the day was given to us by a nun from the Hijas de Santa Maria de la Providencia. I am praying for the Lord to provide each of us what we need to fulfill our hopes for this Camino. The way took us through shady country lanes to Preguntoño, Calle, and Calzada. At a little after noon we reached our lunch spot at Tia Teresa Tavern in Salceda where we met up with the speedier half of our group and enjoyed a green salad with buffalo mozzarella type cheese, lobster with saffron rice, and chocolate coconut cake under the protection of a plexiglass enclosed outdoor dining area. While we were eating lunch, the skies opened up and the expected rain began to fall. Two sisters from Texas, Janet and Chris, are so fast on the trail that they went all the way to the end and came back to join us at the checkpoint for lunch. After lunch a few more brave souls vested up with rain gear and completed the last mile into Santa Irene in the rain. My friends Mary, Bob and Chang joined Shelly and Jeff, Dawn, Kelly and Cheryl, and our guide Cesar in the heroes walk in the rain. Martha, Bert, Jen and I rode with Janet, Chris and our driver Danny to Santa Irene. Thank the Lord, the walk in the rain was not long, but because of the cold coming on, it did not seem wise for me to get soaked. Instead I recorded “before and after photos” of the pilgrims who made the last leg in the rain. Our guides took the night off and the rest of us met up for dinner at the manor house after siesta. My steps for the day were 17,505, with 67 flights climbed and 59 descended for a total of 8.1 miles. Had I done walk in the rain, it would have been 9 miles today. It was relatively easy today. Tomorrow, too, looks like a kinder gentler walk of 8 miles through rolling shaded lanes from Santa Irene to Lavacolla. The average temperature tomorrow is expected to be similar to today at 55-70 degrees. The rain is expected to clear by morning. I pray to get a good night of sleep and rise without a cough or sore throat.
