Today I’m the last one to wake up, since I went to bed later than usual last night, excited by the big discovery about the date confusion. The eight-bed room is already completely empty. I get up. It’s 6:30 a.m. I wash my face and, when I return to the room, I find Argos. I tell him the big news. Argos looks at me with an expression that says, “I don’t know how you made it this far,” and Carlos, who is also in the room, listens in disbelief and bursts out laughing.

I get ready quickly and check the weather forecast. There’s a high chance of rain today. Just for today, I decide to send my luggage ahead using the stage transport service. After that, it doesn’t take long to prepare. We head out for a quick breakfast at a café. Afterward, I stay to stretch while Argos goes ahead to save time. A little later, I continue and, after some distance, I run into Anette and Carlos, who are just getting up from their breakfast table. I get off the bike and walk with them. Anette jokes that she’s dying to see me in my unprepared cyclist outfit, especially after everything I told her the day before. She laughs as Carlos reminds her of my great news about the date mix-up.

We say goodbye for the last time, and I get back on the bike. Argos is already far ahead, so I have to catch up.

I know today will be mostly uphill, at least until I reach the Cruz de Ferro. Then comes a long descent. I pedal slowly but steadily, as I have in the past few days. At times, I get off the bike to walk and rest. I lose sight of Argos a couple of times as he continues while I stop to stretch or grab a snack. At one point, we decide to take different routes; he prefers the highway. I venture onto the Camino, and shortly after, I find myself cycling alongside another cyclist who had lent me his pump earlier. We chat. He tells me he’s from Catalonia and works at a bank. The incline becomes steeper as we approach the road. I tell him I’m going to stop and walk a bit to recover, and he continues ahead.

I push the bike along the road until I notice a cloud of flies hovering over my head. The swarm is so thick that I immediately get back on the bike to escape. A few minutes later, I hear a familiar voice:

—Hey, that’s cheating!

I look to my right and spot Jon Ander through the bushes, on the pilgrim path about 20 meters away. I hadn’t seen him all day. In fact, we had said our goodbyes the day before since he was leaving earlier and covering more ground. We chat a little while cycling. He says he saw Argos not far behind. After a while, our conversation naturally fades as our paths diverge again.

A bit further on, I reach the last village before the Cruz de Ferro. I stop to buy some energy bars. As I leave the shop, I see Argos arriving. He asks if I want to stop for a beer or something to eat, but I suggest we keep going and stop at the next village. It’s only two kilometers to the top.

We pedal, and halfway up, Argos gets a phone call. He stops, but I keep going to maintain my rhythm. After a while, through the fog, a large structure begins to appear. It’s the Cruz de Ferro. As I get closer, I hear the sound of a ukulele and someone singing “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.” Some pilgrims are sitting, quietly admiring the cross. When I arrive, I see piles of stones with messages written on them, stacked at the base.

I hear Jon Ander’s voice again, greeting me from across the road. We chat until Argos arrives. A few photos here and there, and we continue—first Argos, then Jon Ander, and finally me.

Now comes the fun part: a long, steep descent. At one point, going uphill again, I get off the bike and hear Jon Ander’s voice once more:

—Get back on the bike, Sergio!

Another downhill stretch appears, so I start pedaling again. The slope is steep, and I pick up speed. A few minutes later, as I ride through a village, I see Argos’ bike parked outside a bar. I go inside and find him with a beer in hand. I join him for another beer and a pork and pepper sandwich. Before long, Jon Ander shows up. We chat and part ways for the third and final time.

Argos and I continue the descent at full speed and reach a village called Molino Seco. We stop briefly and continue the last few kilometers to Ponferrada.

Ponferrada, the city of the Templars. We stay at a hotel with a bike garage in the basement. The room is comfortable. I shower and head out to explore the city. The sky is cloudy, and the streets are quiet. I visit the Templar castle and stroll through the old town while listening to medieval music on my phone.

Later, I meet up with Argos for a few beers. We ask the bar owner to put on the Euro Cup. She agrees and spends several minutes balancing on the barstools, trying to turn on the TV. She finally manages and offers us some tapas.

Today was an intense day, like all of them, but at the same time unique, like all of them. I think the Camino is like life, and everyone walks it in their own way. And just like in life, along the Camino, you run into people you’ve seen before and make new friends. The fact that Jon Ander appears from the bushes, gives me words of encouragement, and then disappears into the bushes again – it seems simple, but it blows my mind to realize that things happen at just the right moment.

My fingertips are still numb.