Day 6 - Feeling fantastic (Grandas de Salinas to Fonsagrada 27 km)
Today was a great day. I am grateful for my Camino family, the weather, my health and increasing strength, and for the incredible opportunity to be on this amazing journey.
Getting up early and hitting the path in the dark is so worth it when you get to witness the beauty of twilight and the sunrise. We walked for about 30 minutes before the headlamps were no longer necessary. The night sky, once we climbed above the fog, was brilliant but short-lived as the sun slowly rose to light the path and warm our bodies.
We ran into Erlind a few kilometres into our trek; he and Marine had camped in a small village and had a perfect view of the sunrise. Although we thought we had left early, at second breakfast several kilometres later, we discovered that most of our pilgrim family had left earlier than us and were ahead. It didn't really matter to us as we were booked for the night at destination. Those who did not have reservations were in what we like to call a bed race - getting to a non-reservation albergue at destination to be first in line for a bed. If not successful, you may have to walk several kilometres further to the next town.
Arrival at destination required a very steep climb for the last several hundred meters to prove that you were worthy of a refreshment. Standard shower and sorting out our kit followed before we hit a cafe for that well-deserved refreshment.
We had another wonderful time sitting outside the cafe watching Spanish life go by. Today's group included Dan, Laura, Jarrod, Natalie, Becky and Max. Our family continues to grow closer and the fun is increasing. A couple hours of soaking up the sun on the sidewalk was followed by a quick trip to the grocery store for tomorrow's essentials. Supper then followed with today's Galician specialty of octopus on the menu. Delicious!
After completing the Podiensis in France then having about seven days without walking, my body was well rested. And now after six days of walking, my body is back in peak form. Today I felt fantastic, able to tackle any hill and full of energy. With less than a week to go before Santiago, I am pumped to enjoy the remainder of the journey.
