We’re on our penultimate day, 18 kilometer stretch between Salceda and Lavacolla.

This part of the Camino Frances is always interesting, because it stirs up a number of conflicting emotions.

On the one hand, there’s a degree of sadness, because the journey is coming to an end. You kind of get used to the routine of the Camino. The simplicity. There’s nothing really that you must do. Life revolves around simple things, like finding a bed, finding a meal, chatting to people along the way, and gradually getting towards your destination.

Though, of course, as many people find on their first Camino, the destination really has nothing to do with it, the journey really is the destination. Part of me would like to do a much longer Camino. I suppose really just to maintain this peace, and calmness, and simple routine. I’m not sure how many days we’ve been on the road so far, I think about 45. I think I could certainly be quite happy with a Camino of 60 or 70 days.

On the flip side of the coin?

The Camino routine does tend to wear you down after a while.

Eating the same old food, walking in all weathers, and coping with injuries that gradually increase the further you walk. So I think on that side of the coin, we’re both really looking forward to reaching Santiago, and then getting back to Bangkok for a little bit of R ‘n R, and I know Pat is really looking forward to catching up with some really good Thai food!

Of course we all know what happens when you get home. After about two or three weeks, you start thinking about the next Camino 🙂