Day 25: A disappointing, but necessary decision

Four weeks of walking and my body has betrayed my intention.  My knee is just too painful to walk on. 
Ketl called me last night.  I did my usual yak yak yak about all the wonderful adventures Pete and I were having.  She told me about the kids (Anya is in Chicago working for several days, Rachel is taking NYC by storm this summer, and Alex is guiding his state representative candidate to certain electoral victory).  Then I described the knee situation.  I told her it did seem responsive to rest and that seemed like encouraging information.  After my usual come to tears I miss you so much goodbye, I gave the phone to Pete to call his wife, and headed to evening Mass.  At Mass in the beautiful baroque church with about 20 sisters and brothers, after a few more shed tears, I reconciled myself to the reality that walking on and on would neither be possible nor make good sense.  So after 330 miles, I have to make a change.  Pete and I have to be in Santiago on June 28.  We would also like to walk the last 100K in order to get a church authorized Compostella certificate.
So this morning we hopped the local commuter train and rode about 60K to the town of La Caridada.  There we checked into a pension for two nights.  I will stay off my leg.  Pete is out now looking for ice.  Our prayer is that rest, ibuprophen, and ice will make it possible to continue walking as planned without falling behind in time and distance.
Stepping on the train this morning was so very disappointing.  In three years of planning and dreaming, I never once imagined lying and weeping in a cheap room in a working class and decidedly unpicturesque Spanish town with my leg propped up on my pack. Yet in the story I hear on Sunday after Sunday, and indeed in the story I came on this Camino to learn to feel in my bones and sing with my life, disappointment is not the end. Disappointment does not get the last word on the Way.  Buen Camino I hope.