Day 19

What a day. This morning we left Melide around 7 am and walked out of the city. We followed a sign saying to turn onto a road and then just kept walking. After quite some time we realized neither of us had seen a sign or a yellow arrow recently. Just then a car slowed down next to us and the driver said we were going the wrong way. Apparently we had missed a turn. 

So we retraced our steps for 15 or 20 minutes and found the turn we had missed. 

We walked for a while in the woods. 

Following the yellow shells. 

Until once again we realized we hadn't seen any for a while. Yup. We had missed a turn again. This time it was only 5 or 10 minutes back, but we couldn't believe it. 

You better believe I was focused on the arrows the rest of the day. 

We stopped at a church for a stamp in our passports. 

We walked on (sticking to the correct path) 

We've passed a million of these little skinny huts ever since we entered Galicia. We finally asked someone today and found out they are used to dry corn. 

I had wanted to walk 50 km today tiger to Santiago tonight for the special pilgrim's mass where they use the botafumeiro (the giant swinging incense burner). Mark thought this was not very practical but supported my desires until I realized at noon that even if we walked all 50 km we would not make it by 7:30 pm. But here I am happy in my ignorance thinking I would walk 31 miles today:

Mark happily knowing he would not walk 31 miles today:

There were yet again some very nice views. 

And some even better snacks. 

And we did not lose sight of those arrows again. 

25 km to Santiago!!

The last part of our walk was through a very tall forest. 

We arrived in O Pedrouzo around 4 pm after having walked about 35 km. We had decided once I came to terms with not walking to Santiago today that we would take a taxi to Santiago from O Pedrouzo, attend the mass and then take a taxi back and walk into Santiago tomorrow. 

The man who checked us in at the albergue helped arrange a taxi for us. This we took a 15 minute car ride to Santiago (which will take us about 4 hours to walk tomorrow). 

We arrived early and got a seat. Here is the botafumeiro hanging still:

They don't swing it until after the mass. It takes 8 or so priests to pull on the rope and make it swing through the whole cathedral. 

Here they are lighting it:

And here it goes!

Clear up to the ceiling!

And back across the other side. 

It was seriously amazing to see and smell in person. I have a video of the entire thing on my camera, so may try and post it once I return to the states. For now the photos will have to suffice. 

We took the taxi back to the albergue and are now beyond ready for some sleep.