Stage 27 – the day I took a bath.

Start: 6:10, 18 ºC, sunny

End: 11:10

Distance: 17.8/645.9 Km

Stayed at Casa Matias

OST: Rotolando verso Sud, Negrita

Another short stage. Way too short. 1Km in I decided to walk back to take the alternate route, passing through San Xil. I guess it was OK? No idea what the original route was anyway…. for ANY village any remotely close to the Camino.

I was fit. I was ready. No pain, no concerns, only a mission to conclude.

Interestingly, an Italian guy shouted at me at 6:30 in the morning to question my choice. After several weeks, even those pilgrims you never talked to get to “know” you. The same faces over and over, eventually you become part of the scenery.

This stage was nothing special, and it was way too short.

Still, it was amazing to meet Clemente in Montan.

Clemente became a pilgrim at 19, and has been running his donativo for the last decade. Yoga classes, no-wifi zones, free hugs, and… the Concha tree.

Clemente explained it best: originally, pilgrims would make it to the ocean to end their pilgrimage; once they reached the ocean, they would collect a concha, a shell, as validation of their journey.

Instead, today pilgrims buy their “souvenir shell” as first thing in SJPP.

The shell comes at the end. And Clemente advised all pilgrims to give up their shells, hanging them on a tree.

It’s not about having a concha. It’s about making it to the ocean, and then there will be a shell.

The lesson was:

“don’t mix up your motivation with its validation”.

I left my shell with Clemente and moved on.

Sarria is a city. A touristic city. Still, their public swimming pool was lovely! Ended up buying a swimsuit just for this. No regrets.

Compared to tomorrow’s stage, getting to Sarria was almost inoffensive.

Special thanks: the asshole on the car 2305 DGS who decided to park on the Camino. Asshole.

Next stage: Stage 28: Sarria – Portomarin