DAY 41. MELIDE

Its day 41 and I'm in the town of Melide, yes we have ATM and pharmacies!
It was a very long walk of 15 painfully slow miles over 9 hours.  Left in the dark at 6 am and had a walking partner until day light two hours later which was great. I finally relented and got some 600 mg Ibuprofeno pills when I arrived at the pharmacy...I'm a new woman this afternoon.  I can walk without pain. But no beer or wine until I don't need it any more...strong motivation.
The crowds were less today as I began and ended mid-stage.  But we had a group of twenty from age 3 to 50s.. appeared to be brothers and sisters and their children.  They had 2 "buggies" with them for the little ones when they got tired.  Everyone was in an orange shirt with their name on the back.  They all live just north of Madrid and this was their third day of walking.  Yes... I found one who spoke English and asked questions.   Met 2 German ladies who spoke English and we stopped several times together...me for coffee...  they for beer.   My Canadian sisters were on the trail with me but the last time I saw them the older (6 years) one was desperately looking for the younger one who had stopped.  The younger one is a smoker and overweight... definitely not her ideal to be doing this trip.  Their mother paid their airplane tickets and thought this trip would bring them closer together.  Reminder:  this is a trip that EACH pilgrim must WANT to do!  I walked to the grocery store and purchased things for dinner.   My alberge is very new and the bed price included top/bottom sheets, pillow case and a towel!  Living in luxury tonight.  Buen Camino