say cheese

yesterday I was walking from somewhere to somewhere...Fonfria to Samos (phew, grabbed on to that zephyr of a memory) and I came across a paddock of cows - not unusual at all, they are everywhere here in Galacia.

I´d had a fucker of a day getting to Fonfria, long, sore feet, rain, got the last bed in the albergue. I was so tired I went to bed at 7.30pm and didn´t bother with dinner. My bunk was right next to the door so everyone was coming in and slamming the door...oh how I love touragrinos (peregrino = pilgrim, touragrino = tourist pilgrim). I managed to get quite a bit of sleep despite the Italian downstairs slamming my bunk ladder then just looking at me...freak! but I was still pretty tired, I´m always tired here!

So, I came across this paddock of cows and there was this one cow right at the edge, right near the path, looking at me...as cows do. I just had to take a photo. She posed beautifully for me and after I´d taken the picture I started giggling, then I started crying, then I may well have started talking to myself (I´ve developed a habit of doing that) and I realised that´s the happiest I´d been on the Camino for a couple of days. And looking at the photo now I swear she has an expression on her face asking me 'why are you on the Camino?'.

Can the Camino make you go mad? yes, I think so. The British nurses were telling me about a guy who runs the Camino backwards laughing - I think that´s proof if crying at cows wasn´t already enough proof!

For those of you who want an update of where I am physically - I´m in Sarria, only 6 or 7 days to go now till I can sleep without earplugs and not hand wash my socks and undies every day!