Today I started very early. I woke up and was excited that the local bar, for coffee would be open at 6:00 am. I walked over and it was pitch black. Not a sole in sight. So since I was up I put my headlamp on and off I went. I planned last night that I would walk from Ventas de Naráon to Arzúa which is a 40 km or 25 mile walk. I did this for two reasons. The first is that I really want to have a chance to make the last day into Santiago as short as possible. Normally I stay 20k, out and have hat walk in which I frankly hate. It is boring and no fun. So I thought that if I got to Arzúa today then tomorrow I can walk 35 km and get to San Lazaro which is were I stayed when I volunteered at the pilgrims office in 2019. I will stay in the albergue part and not the volunteer part but still the same location. It will be fun to go back to the bar that we ate at and to be able to get a coffee in the bar that is so close. I will then have a quick 20 minute walk into the Cathedral. So I don’t have to be in a hurry. I can shower in the morning and wash all of my clothes so I am set. I will take my pack to the pilgrim house so that I can go to Mass.
Today’s walk was very interesting. It was the first day that it was really crowded. It was packed. There were pilgrims everywhere. At one point there were 3 or 4 buses of school kids that got dropped off. There was a sea of pink shirts filling up the Camino. It was insane. There were also many pilgrims who started in Sarria. It was fun to see. And of course for me a challenge. I play the pass them all game in my head so I put my head down and simply go as fast as I can, all the while saying buen Camino. I met several Americans. fun stuff.