June 20 from Melide

Made it to Melide at 55.5 km from Santiago. On the 18th I walked 23 km to Portomarin. On the 19th I walked 24 km to Palas de Rei. My original schedule had me walking 15.5 km to Melide. But yesterday I was really wanting to go an extra 8 km today because today was so short and the extra 8 km would give me more options in the next days (including getting to Santiago on the 22nd instead of the 23rd). Well my new Camino Partner in Crime, Celina from Brazil, was not going to be able to make the extra km. so I was weighing my reasons for going and staying. I'm tired of saying good-bye to my Camino walking friends! But maybe I should walk the last three days on my own? The Pilgrim Benediction says "blessed are you pilgrim if what concerns you most is not to arrive as to arrive with others." And so many of my "others" are stronger walkers and have already disappeared or were about to start the sprint to Santiago.
And then I learn that today is Celina's birthday and my internal debate was over. What kind of friend leaves a person in the dust on the birthday - and for a mere 8 km?!?
So I stuck to my original schedule and Celina and I strolled the 15.5 km to Melide.
And at the first cafe stop I found friend Daniel from MA with whom I had spent the day walking to Villafranca and then hadn't seen him again. And I probably would not have seen him today had I rushed ahead to get in my extra 8 km.
I would have also rushed straight through Melide and would not have remembered that my guidebook says the best place on the whole Camino to get pulpo (octopus) is at Pulperia Ezequiel in Melide.
But I wasn't rushing and so we ended up having lunch at Pulperia Ezequiel where you sit at long wooden tables. We ended up at a table with four Spanish pilgrims who has recently joined the Camino Frances after having walked the difficult Northern and then even more difficult Primitive trails. When we sat down we didn't know any of them. Within ten minutes we were talking and laughing with them. And that is how we spent the next two hours. It is a Camino memory I will treasure for a long time.
It is no doubt possible that I would have had equally wonderful Camino experiences today if I had chosen to push on for the extra 8 km. But all I know is what happened today because I chose to stick to my original schedule and NOT leave my friend in the dust on her birthday.