San Xulian do Camino.

I woke early as usual, and when I stood up the pain in my hip was

so intense that I almost fell over. I had to hold on to the bunk

as I accessed the searing pain paralyzing me. The consequences of

sleeping on the hard floor at O Cebreiro were apparently just

coming into full flower. I swallowed my last ibuprofen which

allowed me to begin walking. It was very painful at first but

after a while, the ibuprofen kicked in and I could manage more or

less normally. At 1:00 I reached Palas de Rei where I immediately

bought a package of twelve 400 mg tablets of ibuprofen for 395

pts. In the U.S. ibuprofen is packaged as 250 mg pills and larger

by prescription only. Needless to say, I was delighted to find the

somewhat larger dosage readily available. As I sat in a restaurant

in the center of town, I had lunch of a tortilla and wine while I

contemplated walking the 14 km to Melide where my guide says about

the refugio: "Beautifully built, magnificent refuge that offers

all the necessary facilities. 130 beds and stables facilities."

Sounded too good to pass up, and after finishing lunch and

watching the world go by for a few minutes, I hobbled onward. I

must admit that despite the pain, I very much enjoyed walking in

Galicia. The track is often perfectly idyllic, good surface and

lined or arched with tall poplar trees or hedges. I was fortunate

also, in that it remained relatively sunny in a region renowned

for rain and dampness. A few kilometers outside of Palas de Rei I

stopped for a few moments to rest and photograph the beautiful

little 12th century parish church of San Xulian do Camino. The

legend is that Julian, a soldier, accidentally kills his parents

and builds a hospital to repent for his sins. After running the

hospital with his wife he is visited by an angel who tells him

that he has been granted divine pardon.

San Xulian.

Detail, San Xulian.

At 6:30 P.M. I reached Melide feeling tired and with my hip still

hurting, but glad to have made it. The main intersection was a

busy place with a little park off to the side. I stopped in a bar

on the park to rest and celebrate my arrival. A narrow room with

the bar on the left as I entered and with disco blaring from the

stereo which was competing with the T.V. I took a seat where I

could look out toward the street and the park beyond and ordered a

cafe solo and a brandy (for medicinal purposes). At that moment

the universe came together in one of those rare moments of magic.

The cacophony of the stereo, T.V., traffic, and children yelling

in the park collided to form a unified and perfectly syncopated

drama with every element moving in elegant synchronisity. Chaos

was transformed into harmony. After finishing my drinks I broke

the spell and proceeded to the main intersection and asked for and

received the directions to the refugio which was at the end of a

side street busy with people and shops. This refugio was, in fact,

quite grand. Except for being overrun with pilgrims it seemed

everything that was promised by my guide and more. It was new and

well designed with a large kitchen and adjacent dining room. It

felt large and spacious and after checking in with the young woman

registering new arrivals, I was directed upstairs to select a

bunk. Upstairs there were several rooms off the foyer, all large

and bright. I selected a lower bunk near the showers and proceeded

to unpack and settle in. The first order of business, as usual,

was to wash my socks, spare shirt, and under ware, and get them on

a line drying as soon as possible. After a shower and a short rest

I ventured out to take a look at Melide. This was a bustling

little city filled with life and I was impressed with the

unselfconscious way it seemed to host the tourists and pilgrims

alike. At the end of a street near the center of town where I

entered the city, I came to a plaza lined with shops and the

parish church. I entered the church and was absolutely astonished

by a small alcove on the left of the main aisle which was

elegantly decorated with faux marble columns. I sat for a moment

and listened to the service in progress before returning to the

plaza where I bought a small hand towel in one of the shops.

Delighted with my simple evening excursion, I returned to the

refugio and ran into the Canadians eating their dinner in the

dining room where I joined them and opened my can of sardines

which I had purchased back in Triacastela. After we cleaned up I

went outside just as the sun was dropping below the horizon, and I

retired to my bunk to read for a few minutes before dropping off

to sleep.

Entering Melide.