<html><div style='background-color:'><P>24 October</P>
<P>A glorious afternoon in Galicia, about 22 degrees and sunny after a wonderful morning walk from Triacastela. Wish conditions had been this good the past two days from Villafranca to O Cebreiro (torrential rain) and from O Cebreiro to Triacastela (a little rain and lots of fog). The last time I walked the route the weather was even worse, so I am not complaining, and the views this morning from Altos do Riocabo were worth the walk, Sarria and Lugo like shining cities off in the far distance across the emerald fields.</P>
<P>Autumn is a wonderful time for the Camino, and from Burgos onward it has been amazingly uncrowded. Only 10 people divided between the two refugios in Triacastela last evening! The new private refugio in Triacastela is great, a real bathtub, lots of hot water, and a washer and dryer, unheard of luxuries on the Camnio in 1998 when I last stopped in Triacastela. Lots of Canadians, both english and french speaking varieties, but from Somport to Sarria I have met only 4 US residents, two of them with ties to my home state, Washington.</P>
<P>Wish the world news were more positive; I am fearful something truly terrible will be announced each time I buy a newspaper or listen to a Spanish newscast. There is a great pleasure to being cut off from the world in the small towns along the Camino. It would perhaps be the greatest pleasure to be totally cut off from world news (no internet even) for the month of walking, but towns like Sarria with newsstands and internet cafes show up every week or so.</P>
<P>Anyway, I am allowing myself 5 more days to Santiago, a slow finish to a long and wonderful walk.</P>
<P>E. O. Pederson</P></div><br clear=all><hr>Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at <a href='http://go.msn.com/bql/hmtag_itl_EN.asp'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></html>