Shells, fire, and full happiness.
Stage of June 8: about 25 km total, 20 km to Ordiarp and then another 5 km to Garáibie.
The goal of the day was clear: keep scattering the metal shells for Talia. We had left the first one in the albergue, behind the kitchen door. The photos make it clear that around 10:00 we were leaving the second one, and all three of us were still together: me, Maria, and Thomas.
Only later, Thomas and I separated from Maria, who continued at her own pace. When we reached a small wooded area near a stream, we stopped to eat and lit a small fire. But the strongest moment of the day actually came from what happened between evening and morning: the family had given him food for dinner the night before; then in the morning, while we were leaving, they called him back and gave him another bag with more food for breakfast.
I had my small pan; in Thomas's bag there were 4 perfect eggs for two people, meat pâté, and bruschette. We stopped near the stream, lit the fire with maximum care, small flame, everything under control, and put it out immediately as soon as we were done. We cooked and ate sitting on an improvised bench made of stones and logs. It was simple, but perfect.
Up to that moment, it was the most beautiful experience of the Camino: we were happy, and we knew it. We enjoyed every minute, without hurry, until the moment to start walking again came naturally.
Intense and full stage: shell mission, stretches done at different paces, safe cooked-food break in the woods, and finish between Ordiarp and Garáibie.
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Day notes