28th June Anomia


Ponte de Ferriere to Boente 26km

Okay I'll give you a moment to Google that. And to be honest that's what I had to do as I've been struggling for the second day running to find or express a word for today, so I thought there must be a word for that. And there is.

For the purists amongst us, today is the last day on the Primitivo, last not because I have reached Santiago (still 40 plus km to go) but because it is the point at which the pure Primitivo route from Oviedo merges with, slips into and is absorbed by the Camino Frances. (more tomorrow).

As such it's been an interesting stage but at the same time as this is stage 28 it's not really stood out for any particular reason. Another 25k plus day despite a start that was delayed by the need to grab breakfast at last night's albergue because of a lack of refreshments points on route. 

Misty beginnings, country roads, forest trails, wooded paths, past wind turbines,  crossing streams via stone bridges, sometimes in solitude at others deep in concersation with Bryant.

What has been perceptible has been the subtle change in the people walking today's stage alongside me. I don't think it's a case of people catching up with us as we've been moving at a fair rate of knots. I suspect that as Lugo marked one of the magical 100km point you need to walk from in order to receive a certificate in Santiago, that lots of little groups have recently started to walk this last section.

28 days ago when I left the alburgue in Irun on that misty Sunday morning, with almost 800km ahead of me, it was impossible to imagine that 4 weeks later I would be a stones throw away. Tomorrow I get ready to join the 'conga'.

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