The Final Post.

The sun shines brightly this morning in Santiago. The late breakfast crowd is large and robust today. I will do a little prepacking this morning and then attend the noon pilgrims mass in the Cathedral. No English mass nearby so one more mass in Spanish for me. It will be great to get back to the States and be able to fully participate in a mass in my own language. The mass is very crowded today. Even though I arrived early I am standing in overflow. There is a large choir adding to the pageantry of the mass. There are large groups of students taking up significant space in the pews. It is a beautiful mass with many cocelebrants. At the end of the mass before the final blessing men in red robes come out and lower the incense holder. The excitement grows as they swing the coldrum nearly to the ceiling of the side halls spreading the incense over the pilgrims. I am so happy to have finally witnessed this activity. As I prepare to leave mass I am met by Stefan and Donatella. They finished yesterday and will go home tomorrow. We enjoyed some coffee and conversation together about our Caminos. You meet so many people along the way. And then it rains, really rains. Soaks the pilgrims coming in this afternoon. Good time for siesta and reviewing the many photographs of doors of the Camino for the one to be awarded door of the Camino. I come across what may be my favorite picture of the Camino. Yuli took it one early morning as we hiked the Meseta. After the rain passed it is time to get out and find some food. I find myself in what became our favorite tapas bar in Santiago with vino Blanca and several delicious dishes. It is just not as much fun listening to the other Camino comrades share stories and say their goodbyes. After strolling the streets of Santiago one last time, and seeing no more souvenirs I need, I head to the hotel bar for one final brandy. What a trip. What an adventure. If you are even slightly considering your own Camino I have just two words of encouragement. Do it. And have a Buen Camino.

The One When I Visited Finisterre, or is it Fisterra.

The last couple of days have been rest, relaxation and reflection. We attended the pilgrims mass and caught up with the group of nine fellow hikers. We celebrated our accomplishments. We bought new clothes that hadn’t been worn 30 days. We said goodbye one at a time until there was only me left in Santiago. Today I take a bus tour out to the coast. The guide is to speak English but it looks like most of the bus are Spaniards. Guess she will be speaking English for me and Spanish for the rest. As we depart Santiago the fog envelopes us again. Maybe this is a good sign as it was last Wednesday when Pascelle and I began our final leg of the Camino. Crazy weather in Spain this year. April snows in Madrid and even Barcelona. Reports are coming in that the trail we crossed is flooded out in some of the earlier stages. The pilgrims on their journey now are having to hike the roadways and take alternate routes. Today for me is a relaxing bus ride to the coast. No worries about finding my way, my feet hurting or can I carry this heavy pack one more kilometer. Time to listen to some music and ponder what is Camino. Time to prepare myself mentally to come home, return to life with family, friends and coworkers. The bus glides through the countryside and villages similar to that which we hiked. There are early century arched bridges. There are small farms with goats, lambs and cattle. There are farm grown forests. There is also the decrepit and decaying structures right next to the new and modern renovated. Such is Spain. An old and new world. Our first stop is in Galicia in the area of the Coast of Death where boats and people are crushed on the rocks every year by the large waves. As we arrive on the coast the sun is shining brightly. It was here that Santiago preached to the Galicians who did not believe. Blessed Mary appeared to Santiago and encouraged him to stay true to his mission and convert the people. The village is surrounded by the sea. The fishing boat looks so small as it comes into harbor. Next stop, Fisterra or Finisterre depending on which language you are speaking, Galician or Spanish. Here we find the oldest lighthouse on the Galician coast built in 1853. This is the end of the land when it was thought the world was flat. Here the pilgrims burnt their clothes as an offering to the past. This is the end of the Camino de Santiago. There are pilgrims arriving as our bus pulls into the stop. Next stop is the Village of Finisterre where we can get some super fresh fish and local white wine. The next stop is the only river that ends as a waterfall in Europe. It comes from Pindo mountain. It is the Xallas river. Some of the water is diverted into feedstocks and drives turbines near the falls to create electricity. The hillsides are barren due to a forest fire in 2013. The final stop is the second longest Horreo on the Galician coast, 34.5 meters built between 1760-1783. These were used all over Spain to dry and store the grain. Nearly every home had one. This one is a community Horreo where the community gave 10% of there cultivated crop to the church. The Galician coast is magnificent and certainly worthy of exploring further another time. For now I will return to Santiago and find a nice dinner and for dessert, chocolate covered chestnuts.

The Final Day of Hiking The Way of St. James

Rested and coffee filled we head out for a final marathon day in a shroud of clouds. It is like God is surrounding us with his Love as we follow the final stages of the Way of St. James. I met a German pilgrim last night at dinner. He also started on March 13th but was on the Northern route. This is his third pilgrimage, however he has yet to walk the Camino Frances. His first walk was with his wife four years ago on the Portuguese route. He recently retired from banking and finds this an amazing opportunity for spiritual reflection and prayer. Seeing that our purpose for walking are parallel I took his recommendation to book the end of my trip in a room at the former monastery behind the cathedral for some rest and reflection. At nine it starts to drizzle but it doesn’t last long.

Spain seems to be a forest growing country. Family farms for generations plant rows of trees, lots of different trees. There are hardwoods and softwoods. Today we are walking through both. Sometimes at the same time. There are eucalyptus trees on one side of the road and scotch pine trees on the other side. The fog fills the empty space between the rows. These eucalyptus trees grow to majestic heights. After about an hour of walking we enter the village of Ribadiso. Glancing left I spot the familiar color of Jesus’s jacket. We holler out to him. He is shocked to see us and tells us our friends are just finishing up breakfast. Bounding out to see us are Yuli, Brett, Kat, and Harry. We chat a bit about their night with a bus load of rude young high school pilgrims who didn’t go to sleep until 2:00. Maybe bounding was a bad descriptive term for their energy level then, but Yuli always greets you with a big smile. As we all get back to hiking the high school kids are literally getting on a large chartered bus and blocking the trail. We scoot by them and climb the hill. Soon it is just Pascelle and me again as we work our way across town. We bump into a pilgrim we have not seen since day three. As we exit the city we begin to see the crowds on the trail. Probably not the summer crowds but certainly larger groups than we have ever seen. Most of these are in large packs and have only been walking since Sarria. We pick our way around and through them quickly putting space behind us. We remind ourselves to be humble and accepting of these five or seven day pilgrims even as one snorts at us and says something about these fast moving pilgrims are ruining her experience. The bars are full as we pass. The lines for the restrooms are crazy. We press on. Finally near Santa Irene we find a bar after the lunch time that is empty. One other pilgrim joins us for a break from the rain and a rest and some fuel. Now Pascelle is getting serious about going all the way today. As we near Pedrouzo where our other friends are meeting up with Thomas, Sharon and Dominik we don’t even see the turn to the Albergue they are in. It is 2:00 and Pascelle thinks we can be in Santiago in four hours. We march on. The trail is empty except for an occasional pilgrim. We head around the airport and hear the rush of airplanes taking off. We reach our intended destination of Lavacolla. It is sunny now.  We have the trail to ourselves. The forecast for tomorrow is more rain. We commit to finishing this journey together. Now we will find just what we are capable of. We have already walked about 38 km. There is another 12 to go. My legs need a break. We stop for a Coke at Villamaior. We are committed now. Pushing back up to cruising speed or at least what I have left we work our way up and down the final hills through the final forests. We pass the final industrial areas. We are on the outskirts of town. We pass the large former military barracks which is now a massive Albergue 5 km from our final destination. There we see Catalina whom we haven’t seen for a couple weeks at least since Leon. We cross the massive highway that circles Santiago. We cross the tracks as a bullet train passes below us. Now we are in the bustling city. As we greet people they just mutter something back. No more the friendly “Buen Camino” cheer from the locals. These city folks are in their own world which is very different than the one we just walked. You would think the way finding would be clearly marked in Santiago of all places but it is a bit confusing with all the other signs that now become clutter. With anticipation we keep walking pulling ourselves up through the city. Finally we enter the old city. Now the small streets get very small. Three ladies stop us and ask where we are coming from so they can be sure they are in the right spot to watch whoever they are waiting for to arrive tomorrow. In their own world they point us in the wrong direction to the Cathedral. We trace our steps back to the Plaza and see our friend Frenchy. He has completed his pilgrimage and has a map. We get good guidance from him and race down the cobblestone locked in arms now. We are going to finish this together. There it is the Cathedral of Santiago under renovation. We snap a quick picture and race off to the pilgrims office. No lines at 7:30 PM. We have walked for twelve hours. We have covered 50 km or over 31 miles in USA terms. Our phones say we have walked over 65,000 steps today. The clerks greet us and happily award us with the Compostela certificate and the distance certificate. Oh wow. What a way to finish a long journey and a long rewarding day with a very good friend. Together we leave the square with a sense of great accomplishment and head for the tattoo parlor. Okay maybe save that for another day. Or not. We do find a place to unload our packs and drop for some much needed rest. Tomorrow we will return to the Cathedral Plaza to welcome our friends and attend the pilgrim’s mass.

A Marathon Day

We are awakened by rain. As we start the rain lightens but returns later with a vengeance. Pascelle and I see it all today, rain, sleet, hail and a little sunshine. It is a challenging day but we end up in Boente after walking a marathon. Not much time for pictures or even enjoying the scenery. It was there. The trail was great. We found some big ants and some little cars. There were dogs and beautiful ancient bridges. But in the end it was a just a long day of walking. Both of us are ready to complete this journey and return to the ones we love.

The Rain in Spain Falls Mainly on the Plain

What a bunch of bunk that statement is from “My Fair Lady”. We didn’t have that much rain in the Meseta. Here in Galicia it looks like a rainy day, all day, everyday, for the next week. I may have to stop and get some rain pants. We had a pretty quiet nights sleep in this 40 bed Albergue with just Pascelle and I here. Not sure where all the other pilgrims are that will just be starting today. Sure won’t complain about a good nights rest to prepare us for slogging through the rain. Stopped at the first coffee house in Barbadelo and were inundated with the kids we passed climbing the hill. Stopped at the first coffee house in Morford and were flooded with new pilgrims that pushed their way in and demanded service. Disgusted we left without food or drink. Walked 1/2 a click and found a wonderful bar and had a great omelette. New rule on the final stretch of the Camino, don’t stop at the first bar. Two crazy hard hours and we seem to be ahead of the crowd but I am ready for a break. Pascelle and I stop at Los Andantes in Vilachá and find an actual vegetarian bar. Resting up we prepare to push through the next big town and get up the trail away from the new pilgrims. Pascelle likes to capture a picture of the dog of the day. My picture lost. This was the actual dog of the day. Wait that’s not a dog. Here is the dog. I never know what might capture my attention. Today it was a canola field in bloom. We make good use of the sunshine and have a big day reaching a small Albergue in Castromaior. Second night where we are the only pilgrims. It will be a quiet dinner. Our hostess is actually from Lima, Peru. We struggle a bit with the language but get by with Google Translate. Checking our maps it looks like we are an hour away in a car from our destination. We are both ready to be done and return to our lives. The next couple of days we will push ourselves.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Today we start in a cold drizzle as we walk along the road in the clouds. The trail is still snow covered. At Biduedo we see a rainbow inviting us to return to the main Camino trail. The snow has melted away. We walk along splashing through the snow melt running down the trail. Winding through the countryside we begin the descent through gnarly moss and vine covered oaks.

We are met along the way by some friendly dogs and once in awhile one not so friendly. This is an active farming area worked by many generations. Sustainable farming has been their lives for centuries. We stopped at the bottom of the hill in Triacastela for a coffee con leche. Then off through the farmland to Furela where we stopped for a bite to eat. The rain comes and goes but is pouring as we arrive in Sarria. It is here where the mass of pilgrims start their journey as it is the closest location to meet the minimum distance of 100km required to earn the Compostela certificate. The guide book reminds us to be living pilgrims and not project a superiority just because we started further back. We follow such pilgrims into Sarria and wish them a Buen Camino. Hope we can maintain nonjudgmental acceptance as the trail gets busier towards Santiago.

The People We Meet, the Views we Enjoy.

Start with a lovely morning walk through the mountain canyon following river’s path. We stop in Ambasmestas and meet a couple who moved here after walking the Camino. This is a common story in the people we meet. This couple is from Russia. They have tried many locations in the world from Costa Rica to Malaysia. They chose Spain and have been here three years making a business for themselves and enjoying the life and space they have chosen. It is a blessed spot. We had wonderful pancakes so I had to tell the kids about our granddaughter, Lola, and Pancake Patio and the wedding late night pancakes. Moving on we pass through several small villages on our way to the climb. At Herrerias we take a short breather and then begin the ascent through the forest. It is a steep but beautiful climb. The day is humid so we get warm quickly. This is so exhilarating. The views of the valley grow below us. As we reach La Faba we find a small community with a church and gardens and a small shop and a bar. Here we meet another worldly couple that gave up the international city life to work in a spot of the world where they can find Joy in their lives. She is from Brazil and he is from Italy. They walked the Camino and found this community. There are several of them living in commune and serving pilgrims. They have converted a 300 years old priest family house into an Albergue, communal kitchen and bar. The Albergue used to be the School house for the village. The stable is now the communal kitchen, restaurant and bar. The association works together to grow the food. In several fertile gardens. We have some tea with them and then continue our climb. The vistas continue to change and become vast as we rise. Now we are above the forest and exposed to more wind. The snow covers parts of the trail. The further we climb the broader our view becomes. We cross over into Galicia just before arriving in the hilltop village of O’cebreiro. Here you begin to see the architecture change and the thatch roofed structures that have been here a long time. The food also changes a bit. No more lemonada. The server says it is too cold on this side of the mountain for the things you found in León. You also begin to see Santiago Cake now. A lovely treat. After a good lunch we decide to put another 12 km behind us as we start across the mountain top road moving up and down with the highway. The trail is covered with snow on this side of the mountain. The views are amazing. The weather changes several times. We consider a couple stop point but settle on a nice Albergue in Fonfria. We have had a big day. At dinner we meet a couple from Australia that have chosen to live the backpackers life in early retirement traveling the world and living modestly meeting people and seeing things. After the Camino they will head to Scotland.

You Are More Than Just a Passing Pilgrim on the Camino

I have a late start today because I have to wait to borrow a charge for my phone. My cord quit working last night so I awoke to a 5% charge. I don’t know where the nearest Apple store is but I will trust the Camino to help me solve this situation today.

I say goodbye to Pascelle this morning not knowing if I will ever see the fine young lady again. She has been a joy to get to know. I am sure she will do amazing things with her life. I start the day hiking out of Ponferrada with Bálint and Ulli. At the first Farmacia we lose Ulli as his foot is causing him great pain he needs to address. Bálint and I continue to walk out of the city passing many pilgrims enjoying the continuation of our conversation from a couple weeks ago. He is trying to decide whether to be the Prodigal Son and go back to the family business after Santiago or to continue to walk and travel for a year. At Fuentas Nuevas I leave him with a coffee and tostadas and the comfort that the Camino will help him find the answer. I’m sure we will see each other again in a day or two. It is a day of passing pilgrims I have met before. It seems like I passed all the Koreans today. I passed the British couple. I catch up to Harry and Kat in Cacabelos and sit for a bocadillo. Wow that sandwich was huge. I ate half of it and saved half for later. Powering on together we begin the climb up into the vineyards. As far as you can see workers are in the fields cleaning up and preparing the vines. It looks a lot like California. I shout a Buenos Dias to them and the return with a Buen Camino. Such a friendly bunch. Pulling into Villafranca I spy a Redskins hat. I give the lad some grief about getting our quarterback only to find out his name is Stefan and he is from Germany. He just likes the NFL. At the edge of the village I meet a lady from Malaysia. It is her first day on the Camino and she is naturally sore. I assure her it gets better. About that time an angel sends me a message that she is arriving in Villafranca on the bus in an hour with a new phone charger for me. So I wait in Villafranca for Pascelle to arrive on the bus. Harry and Kat catch up and then push on to Trabadelo. Pascelle and I will try to do the same. Villafranca is a beautiful mountain village. As I cross the bridge over the fast moving water I turn to see the town. A church, a church, a church and a castle. How cool is that. I saunter up the street looking for a bar for a coffee or beer and hear the roar of another river. The falls are so amazing and the sound so powerful. About the time Pascelle sends a note that her bus arrives my heart sinks as I realize I lift my hiking poles back on that bench by the post office. I send her a note that I am racing back to find my sticks. She meets me and has already checked the park bench. No poles. I have to look anyways. No poles. Oh well less weight. We check Albergue Leo but they don’t have my poles. Heading out of town we are stopped by a young lady on the phone with her mother who had walked by me several times as I sat on the bench. The old gal had warned me about the rain with concern. She was a sweet lady. Her daughter was now trying to stop me to share that she had my poles. How does this work? The Camino is amazing. Pascelle and I race with Joy up the road along the mountain stream reveling in the Camino Spirit we just were blessed with. We join Harry and Kat at a wonderful Albergue along the river in a small village of Trabadelo. We are the only four that stopped here today. The locals love us as we share dinner with them. What a Camino day. These people that live along the trail really do look out for and care for the pilgrims that pass through their village. Now that is the way to end an evening. 13 year old Spanish brandy.

The One When I Realized Sue and I Could Live Here

What a beautiful day we have been blessed with. The morning sky is bright blue revealing a ring of snow capped mountains we did not see yesterday. The peaks frame the valley we are in with with crisp lines against the horizon. The air is chilled and exhilarating. It will be a great day for hiking. The breakfast was delicious with fresh squeezed orange juice, meat and cheese, yogurt, toasted granola with dark chocolate and bread. Always the delicious bread. And coffee. Brett takes off before us about 8:30. He plans to push past Ponferrada a bit. The four of us lounge on the big sofas enjoying a restful morning before a short hike. Pascelle, Katherine, Harry and I push off about 9:00 and head down hill marveling at the view of the mountains, the few clouds and the jet streams crossing the sky as if they formed a Camino shell in the sky. About a click and a half down the road I discover I still have the room key in my pocket. Turning around I quicken my pace back up the hill and return the key to the Albergue. Now I fly down the hill quickly passing through the trail bounding across the gravel and rock outcroppings and the streams that flow across the trail. I slow as I pass through Riego de Ambrose absorbing the essence of this quaint mountain valley village. I pause in front of the church to give praise to God for this gorgeous day. Then back to a hurried pace down the trail until I catch back up with my fellow pilgrims. We stop and chat with a Camino trail vendor and get some fresh fruit he has packed up to the trail. Then we come upon Molinaseca. It feels like entering a Spanish version of Estes Park, Colorado. The clear snow melt stream runs along the eastern edge of the village. The Church rises to the highest pony of the town. As you cross the bridge you are welcomed by tiny markets and bars for coffee or a bocadillo. I am relaxed, very relaxed, and begin to wonder what would life be like living on the Camino trail? Could Sue and I make a life selling coffee, pastries, sandwiches and supplies to the pilgrims? Could we have a little house along the stream with a large garden? Could we visit the farmers market and buy fresh bread, cheese, produce and meats? Could we create an inviting Albergue that attracted interesting pilgrims from all over the world and offer them a moment of peace? Walking down the hill from Molinaseca the others chime in and add to the vision finding parts for them to participate in the story. We see plenty of places for sale that could just fit the bill. Soon the vision is an entire business empire with multi-faceted arms of commerce. Maybe we should just consider a vacation home in the Spanish hills with these majestic peaks as our view and a stream as our soothing sound machine. Back to reality we enter Ponferrade and hike to our Albergue. We are done hiking today by 1:30 and will enjoy siesta. Then we visited a 12th century castle of the Order of the Knights Templar. And stopped at the Basilica. Before crisscrossing town for tapas and pinchos. It was a great evening when we looked out the window of the gun bar we had to ourselves and saw our friends from Ireland. The Camino introduces us to new friends everyday, sends us off on different journeys and brings us back together.

May Your Burdens be Lifted

It is a big day on the trail. Today we crest the highest point of the Camino Frances and we leave our burdens behind. The day starts gloomy but the sun rises to shine on our backs for a ways to lighten our spirit as we climb. The trail is wet, sometimes even a full running stream of snow melt. As we hike into Rabanal del Camino taking pictures of the doors of the Camino I am reminded that the bread man delivers. Hope the occupants take their loafs in before it gets wet. The rain forecast is 50% today which means it is raining 50% of the time and just windy the other 50%. Last nights Albergue only had instant coffee so I pull into a nice bar and grab a coffee americano grande. Just about satisfying. Still haven’t seen a Starbucks. At the bar I collect my last stamp in the American Pilgrims credentials booklet and purchase a Spanish booklet. On our way out of the village we stop and see where the Bavarian Monks live and pray and hold service. We just missed their morning service. On up the hill we climb to the next village, Foncebadon, trying to avoid the streams and puddles. There we stop and prepare for the final climb to the summit. I order a vegetarian bocadillo and get a tuna fish sandwich. Oh well it is Spain. Guess someone thought I needed protein. We climb out of the village and head up the hill. Wait what is this. This is nothing. Wehave climbed two or three hills steeper than this. True it is cold, windy and wet with now snow on the ground, but the remaining climb to get to the first crest of 1505 M is not bad. The view even though restricted by clouds and fog is amazing. We reach La Cruz de Ferro and pause to think upon the burdens we carry in our lives and then release them by pulling the stone or token from our pack that we have carried fri St. Jean Pied De Port and place it on the mound where pilgrims have been doing so for decades. Thanks to Sue for making my stone one that will stand out until it is covered by other pilgrims years from now. Moving on the trail is so covered with snow we are forced to walk on the road that crosses over the mountain. When we get to the final climb of the day we decide to go a bit higher than the 1515 M shown on the map to see what that is that sits at the top of the hill. The signs clearly don’t want us to be here but the station is abandoned. The map says it was some kind of military post and I would believe that based on the fence, the buildings, the vantage point and the fact that we found a helicopter landing pad nearby. Enough exploring for the day. We trek through the snow and let gravity take us down the hill to Acebo. The parochial Albergue seems to be closed so I convince the kids to spend a couple more bucks and join me at the fairly new Albergue on the edge of town. A welcome relief after finishing the day soak and cold. A hot shower and clean clothes are magic. Should be a nice pilgrim dinner tonight and a chance to plan our adventure tomorrow.