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Another day, another donning of the rain gear as we left Pontevedra. It was clear the weather wasn’t going to cut us any slack. Walking in the rain with glasses is its own special brand of challenge: leave them on, and they fog up so badly you can’t see. Take them off, and—well, you still can’t see. Let’s just say the day’s views were a bit blurry for me, literally and figuratively.

The rain didn’t stop at my glasses; my hands became so waterlogged that my phone refused to recognize my fingers. Communicating with Luis turned into a game of voice-command roulette. Siri became our intermediary, but with multiple languages set on our devices, Siri had no clue what we were saying half the time. The results? Pure comedy. Mis-translated messages had us scratching our heads at first, but we soon learned to just laugh it off. Nothing like Siri to keep things interesting on the Camino!

At one point, the crowds separated us by more than a kilometer. When I finally reached Caldas de Reis, I found a café and waited for an hour, only to discover Luis had already passed me! He grumbled as he backtracked, and we reunited over lunch and some much-needed “liquid nutrients.” From our café perch, we people watched— all different types of people: pilgrims, locals, and tourists as they wove through the streets.

With just a few blocks left to walk, we weren’t in any rush, especially since we had reservations at a spa that evening. The spa, or balneario, was perched right on the river, with my room offering a view straight down into the rushing water. We spent the evening soaking up the comfort: hanging out at the bar, doing some laundry, and fully embracing the art of relaxation.

With only two days left to Santiago, the mixed emotions started to creep in. We were both thrilled and melancholic, excited yet reflective. Thrilled to be nearing the end, but sad that this incredible journey was wrapping up. Excited to see what revelations the Camino might bring in the coming weeks and months, but at peace knowing the memories we’d already made would stay with us forever.