Camino Day 44 Ribadiso. To Arca September 4 13.7 miles Total to date512.9

Camino Day 44 September 4 Ribadiso. To Arca 13.7 miles Total to date 512.9

I'm in Arca, just 12.1 miles from Santiago! It is so hard to even comprehend. I'm probably spending my last night in an Albergue. I'm definitely sad about that. I wonder if we could buy a summer camp and all move in. No, I don't think it would be the same. But the old commune hippie just pops out of me.

Today I approached a bar on the Camino and this whole gaggle of young people were sitting out side, including Matt from Tustin, his friend from Tustin, and a guy from Australia they met on the Camino, a young gal I have seen several times over the last couple of weeks, and Erin who I met a long time ago and who is from the states but living in Leon teaching English. They all started waving and smiling like they were excited to see me and offered me some watermelon. The guy from Australia asked me what I was listening to on my iPod. I told at that moment the last song I remembered was the one about you can't always get what you want by the Stones. He turned to his friend and said, "See, I knew it would be something cool" lol I should have shown him my dragon tattoo, that would have sealed it. The kids were all over the top with youthful exuberance and excitement about being so close to Santiago. It was catching. But not catching enough to convince me to walk the extra six miles they are going to walk today to get there before the Pilgrim's Mass at noon tomorrow. I'll catch the. Mass on Thursday.

I got a lot of kudos and positive comments about Mr Burple in several different languages. Who wouldn't like a cute little purple bear waving out of a pocket of a back pack. He's always smiling and waving. Maybe he thinks we are in the Rose Parade. hehehe.

I had dinner with Kay last night at the bar half way between our Albergues. I haven't seen her today, but I got going really late. I decided to not set the alarm and let other people rustling around wake me. Well I guess everyone decided to sleep in, because I was the first one up at seven! Yikes, I left at eight.

Today was a fairly easy hike. And with all the astounding beauty of Galicia that I have become accustomed to this past week. Well, I will finish here because I want to send this where I'm having dinner and access to wifi. I' post again tomorrow and probably for a few days while I process all of this.