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Sept 22 – Santiago to Negreira

Santiago to Negreira – 22 kms; very late start – wake up only at 8 – really tired; take 1 IB; almost 9:30 by the time we leave Mera & part ways at junction to tourist office; take selfies *and* have a beautiful local girl take pictures!The Finisterre path is beautiful & well marked! Lots of eucalyptus to make the path fragrant! Bump into Laura after an hour or so and am delighted to meet her again! Such a pretty & charming girl. I lose & meet up with her again at a cafe where I order a cheese sandwich – the lady asks if I would like tomatoes & I say sure – & lettuce too. Out comes a whole baguette sandwich & I gasp at the size! I ask for it to be cut in half but the husband hands me a knife & asks me to cut it myself. I am unable to do so so Laura helps me! I pack half, eat a quarter & take a quarter to go. This time we walk together – we eat plenty of grapes, some figs – the grapes are sensationally delicious. We arrive at Negreira only at 4 & just after an hour or so after rest, L wants to cook; Aya (Japanese peregrina), Laura & I go to the supermarket & after we get back I chop the pepper, cflower & sweet potatoes & tomatoes. Laura is the head chef & her veggie “curry” is starting to smell really good. She puts prunes too & buys some cilantro; lacks salt but otherwise is yummy! I eat like a pig (so what’s new)! Meet Michele & Stefano – lots of Italians around.​

awara badal

Awara - pronounced - aah-wah-raa is an Urdu word meaning wanderer or vagrant and "badal" - pronounced baa-thul (where the "th" has the sound made when saying "this" or "that") means cloud; When I lost my mother a few months ago I was devastated - everything that once held meaning for me - be it yoga or work or cooking or reading or running the house - became pointless and ceased to hold my interest. The only thing that (sort of) felt like an activity worth pursuing was walking - and miles and miles of it. As I was preparing for (what I hope) the first of many such walks I thought nothing describes the way I feel inside better than a "wandering cloud" - I felt like one and aspired to be one - and so a name was born. It also fit in with my aversion to having an online presence - awara badal - indicated my mood and my temperament without compromising any PII. And in a twisted punny way, what better way to be "in the cloud" than floating as one - blended anonymity and floating presence in one fell swoop!!!