Rain Sounds, Quiet Roads, and a Rainbow

Daily miles: 30.93 | Total miles: 12,183.23

It rained heavily through the night again. I lay there listening to the steady sound of rain falling, wondering how much of it I would face in the morning and throughout the day. At some point, I fell asleep again until my alarm went off just after 6 a.m. It was still raining until around 6:30, and then—just like that—it stopped.

After my cold coffee, getting dressed warmly, and stepping out of the van, it was still dark. I felt ready for whatever the day might bring. And once again, it mostly stayed dry. I walked toward the mountains but went around them today, without much climbing. Most of the route followed an old, small side road, passing through little villages and towns. Locals were sitting in cafés, enjoying their Sunday together—slow, relaxed, and social.

Olive groves lined both sides of the road, many of them standing in water after so much recent rain. Small rivers ran down the road I was walking on, and the larger rivers were high and powerful, brown water rushing through with force. At one point, I turned right and passed an area where sand mining had taken place. Garbage was scattered everywhere. Dogs lived there too and came out from behind the sand hills to greet me.

Then, off to my left in the distance, while it was still only drizzling, a full rainbow appeared—and stayed for quite a while. A truly magical sight. Just a few minutes later, my sister showed up, and I took a short 10-minute break in the van. The sun came out, and the gravel road ahead was full of potholes.

I walked on until the small road merged into a bigger one, crossed a long bridge, and then passed through more small towns. My sister found us a place for the night, and when I arrived, I was very happy to slow down—shower, eat dinner together, and rest.

I’m tired, but I feel great.

Thanks for checking in, Andrea