day11

Before I start with today’s journey of 12.8 miles from Caldas de Reis to Padron, our last night before we reach the hallowed town of Santiago, I must share with you a little humor from last night.

We carry very little in our packs, trying to limit them to 13-15lbs with water. This requires packing very few clothes for the pilgrimage. We typically try to wash clothes every night by hand or find a laundromat. Last night we found a small laundromat and washed and dried our clothes. I captured a picture of Dave beautifully folding his clothes, it would make a 5 star laundry be proud. After his masterful folding he then proceeded to crush them into a compression sack that takes an 18″ sack and reduces it to 6″. Thus allowing larger amounts of clothes and supplies to fit into your pack. I felt bad for my buddy who went to great work folding his clothes. I laughed my ass off. The locals in the laundry didn’t get it but it was a Camino story I will remember.

The Christian religion has left its stamp all over Portugal and Spain for centuries. This continues as we made our way out of Caldas. You often see statues of christ and the crucifix that have been there for centuries. We captured a weathered and worn statue in the yard of a typical architecture for a home in rural Spain.

We had very little payment today. We spent the majority of our time walking on dirt paths through woods, dense forest, and across swollen creeks. This area has received the rain Dave and I experienced over the last 3 days. Today was foggy, with very little rain.

This pic above shows one of many tributes pilgrams have left for other pilgrams to see. It’s probably not a good sign when you find someone’s shoes. it’s likely they have experienced severe foot issues and have given up on the shoes they were wearing. This is not uncommon. We often see pilgrams walking very slowly in their backup shoes or sandals trying to get to the next town and determine what is next. Dave and I have done well. Sore, blistered, or damaged feet can quickly end your Camino journey.

Another pilgram statue greets us in Padron, our final night before we walk the final 15 or so miles to the Cathedral of Santiago! Heading out for dinner, more Spanish wine, and then crash for an early wake up. Buen Camino