Anne’s knee has gotten worse. After a last day of ten miles, it’s clear that she cannot continue.

As they say on the Camino, everyone’s Camino is different. For a young Italian couple with a toddler in 2015, their Camino took a new direction when they responded to a countryman’s request for help by taking over running his albuergue so he could go home to care for a sick relative. They may still have not seen Santiago de Campostela, but their Camino was one of service and love.

In our case, we will take local buses and trains and adjust our itinerary while Anne hobbles along. It’s hard to acknowledge that the body can’t handle what it once could. Not is it easy to humbly admit falling short of an objective.

One of many lessons of the Camino.

As we adjusted to the non-walking mode, the weather turned rainy and gloomy. Not good walking weather, in any event.

Health update. Anne: maybe the left knee was wrenched on one of the extremely difficult downhill stretches. Adrenaline probably obscured the specific event or moment of injury. Starting around Walking Day 3, there has been a stabbing pain going down the front of the leg with each step. By the way, Anne’s right hip replacement feels great; no pain at all on the right side. Stamina was holding up,  even on the climbs: it’s “only” the left leg..

Ed feels well. As we travel on,  he’s gallantly carrying Anne’s pack as well as his own!

We are developing our adjusted itinerary as we go along.  Although we are leaving the Camino route, we hope to visit some places,  known and unknown to us,  and hopefully see family in Ireland,  before we return,  ahead of schedule,  to the States.

More to come.