I slept well at the Albergue Camino Real. Which isn’t to say I didn’t still get up at 6 am. I think most of the pilgrims were out the door before I was.

This morning I left alone, yet still was part of a group of peregrinos. Most of them passed me, it’s true. But a set of 5 or 6 people stayed at my hiking speed, though we passed each other numerous times. 

I walked past a small barn that smelled of sweet feed, corn, and cow poop. Going past, I noticed they had Holsteins. Margaret was telling me how most cows here in Europe are A2 milk producing brown cows. They don’t produce quiet as much milk, but the milk is more digestible.

In US of America, we like things big… So, we have Holsteins. They produce a huge volume of milk, but it has different milk proteins: A1 milk. That is why I sometimes can get away with American milk, but most often, not. Also explains why I can generally tolerate European milk products.

This is not the only cow poop smell assaulting me on this trip. I am sorry to say, it is the season of sh*!… fertilizer. The season of freshly turned fields, that have been topped with ….natural fertilizer.

It is also clearly a season that smells like summer turning into fall. I hadn’t realized that had a smell. It does. It is round, mellow and sweet; more relaxed than summer, when everything is super busy growing and producing. 

One of the ladies in the group hiking at my pace was stopped on a rock on a very steep hill. The background was delightful, so I asked if she would like me to take her picture, which I did. From then, periodically another woman, Brenda, walked beside me and we chatted. This was fairly shortly before we reached Hotel Castro. 

Hotel Castro was supposed to be my stop for the day – at about 5 mile (7 -8 km). But I had screwed the booking up, and had it booked for tomorrow. Because I was able to cancel, I did. 

I booked myself in to Hospedaje Juan Rey, which was another 3 miles up the road (6-7 km). I didn’t know if I could go that far, but figured I could call a taxi if I couldn’t. It was going to be hot again – 84F.

So, I was chatting with Brenda as we came up to the cafe at the Hotel Castro and she said she would sit with me! Her group was made all of expats from Venezuela, Ecuador, Guatemala, etc., who now lived in Chicago. 

I told her a bit about CMD and she said they all had worked at big pharma, so she found it really interesting and wanted to know more. 

On one of the last big hills, I was talking with the other woman. We discussed my condition. She was a research biologist too, so we could actually talk about studies and lack of studies. She could understand when I said I had looked at the research…that I meant I had looked at the original articles, not done a search on Google. Still, they are meta-analyses…so…Eeeeh!

It is actually hard to bring up my condition and a shock when I can discuss it rationally with someone. Not many people feel comfortable discussing the possibility of death. I like it when they are able to do so – but it is shocking that they can. 

Further up that last big hill, I started getting sharp chest pain and had to put on a second nitro patch. I believe that is Coronary Artery Spasm and the trigger was the hill and the topic. My heart felt better, but that much nitroglycerin gives me a stuffy nose and a headache.

I walked with them until I got to my hotel, and by then it was hot. Though I wish I could’ve walked on with them, even thought about doing so, I was glad to be done. I had done my longest day 13.8 km or 8+ miles. I was glad not to be going on, and happy to have had the experience of meeting and making friends along the Camino. 

Now – I am complete. (I thought.)

I chatted with my friend back home, Leah. She recalled a name I was trying to remember. We DO have an example of CMD in an old television sitcom – Fred Sanford and Sons. Whenever Fred’s son, Lamont, would say something liberal, Fred would grab his chest and say he was coming to join Elizabeth, his wife. That – right there – that is CMD. And it is common enough to have a stereotype.

(I think there was a Grandma type character that did the same thing, but can’t recall who it was. Hit me up with the answer if you know.)

One more day to the big finale. I am so close…and yet, stopping and resting is what I need to do. It will leave me fresh and ready tomorrow. I am looking forward to seeing the cathedral! 

While I am looking forward to finishing, I feel like that is not the important part of this journey. The important part is what I have done along the way. 

Hopefully I’ve done good in the world for others. 

Definitely I have done good for myself!

Photo Credit: Tama Cathers

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