Melide to Arzua
8.7 miles
5/23/2019

Wow! After multiple days of double digit distances, we got a break with one under 10 miles. And I must admit it did seem quite easy, especially since I did complete it within the estimated time of 3.5 hours - even though I took my time and paused for several photos. 

Some time was even spent trying to decide which was the way to go at two different split points. I consulted my route notes at the first one, sharing with the small group gathering at the Camino board that going right was suggested for hikers and left to the paved roads for cyclists. So off to the right we went into a quiet woodland trail (where the cyclists were our biggest threat). BTW, this was the first day we actually had anyone riding horseback on the trail (another option for travelers). 

At the second split point at least eight women were discussing which way to go - my route notes were vague; another woman couldn't get a signal on her phone; but Suzana (25-year old from Brazil) said that going left was 300 meters longer according to her GPS. Well that was all it took for all eight of us to go straight ahead without the slightest bit of hesitation.

From that point until we reached Arzua, Suzana and I walked together - with our initial conversation focused on her struggle with walking on an extremely sore ankle. She spoke both English and Portuguese and was very easy to chat with on a wide range of subjects. When we reached Arzua, I offered to treat her to lunch - which we decided had to include a beer and a bacon/cheese bocadillo. 

Suzana was no stranger to a bocadillo, but this was her first (and she assured me, not her last) bacon/queso one. (This one was the third one for me). It's the best with an ice cold beer!

Now that we reached our destination for the day and could enjoy a relaxing lunch, we discussed our reasons for doing our first Camino. When she shared with me her concern that at 25 she had not figured out what to do with her life, I laughed and tried to convince her that at 67 I was still working on that myself. It certainly didn't help that her parents were both doctors or that her older brother had followed his plan at 25. She already had a degree in psychology but had not found it to be as fulfilling as she had hoped. 

I tried to be helpful by sharing my stories of disappointment that actually proved to be turning points in both my personal and professional life and by encouraging her be open to life and its many unexpected opportunities. We shared email addresses and wished each other well before heading off to our separate hotels.

I met 8 wonderful young women from Arcadia University (just north of Philadelphia) at dinner tonight (2 recent graduates). The University was helping sponsor them on their Camino. They were a delightful group majoring in the sciences, the humanities and music - so enjoyed chatting with them and will look for them these last 2 stages of the route.

It's interesting to meet more English-speaking nationalities now that we are on the shorter route to Santiago. There are more young and retired Americans, more Brits and my first Irish and Denmark folks. Truly a model UN. I absolutely love it!