The final day is not far, just 13 miles, but the thoughts and emotions are big. There are still a few hills to climb and there are more pilgrims on the trail, but mostly I was just grateful for strength, this great opportunity, friendship on the trail and back in California. Thank you so much for following along. The final route was really beautiful until you got into the city and the crowds took over. Santiago is a busy city and people are coming from all over the world. The square in front of the Cathedral is full of emotion as people enter and see this journey completed. Today as we were walking in, I met a couple from Singapore who I had met on the first day. We both had traveled over 500 miles and met again on the final day. It was so fun walking again with Henrik and Lone from Denmark. We laughed, cried, high fived our way to the Cathedral. At dinner tonight, I met 3 ladies who I had just met 2 days ago at breakfast. We are all grateful. Such big smiles. Tomorrow I leave for Pari...
Last night it rained and the chance of rain today was over 50% so I was hoping I could get to my next destination before the rain. I was about a mile away when I it started to sprinkle, and it wasn’t as bad as last week, but I entered the city and hotel with wet pants and shoes, so the drying process has started. The signs above are where I started and where I ended; a total of 19 km. My walking is a little more, because the hotels are usually at the ends of the town. Today I walked with an American who was living in Thailand. She has a partial physical disability and yet has done the Portuguese Camino and now is back for the French Way. The weather has been just about perfect for me, but she wishes it was warmer after training in Thailand. She was a joy to walk and talk with. I stopped to see a magnificent church in Villalcázar de Sirga. It is called Santa Maria de Blanc and is just massive, over 900 years old. It is a blend Romanesque and Gothic structure and started out as a fortres...
When my granddaughter, Cosi, asked me why I wanted to walk 400 miles, I said, “to listen.” I should have corrected and said, “It is 500 miles, like walking from your house to Lolo and Nana’s, then walking back to Fresno, and walking back to San Jose again.” I’m sure she might have said, “Your crazy,” and she might be right. Today I crossed the 500 miles milestone. I walked this far in 31 days with 2 days for rest. My knees are sore, and my muscles ache a little bit. Advil has become my friend and I have worn out a pair of shoes and put a pretty good dent in another pair, but I am thankful. Today was a short day and tomorrow as I enter Santiago it will be even shorter. It has been a wonderful journey, I think I have heard and seen God at work. But I will say on the Camino, and I believe in life, many times God works in wondrous and mysterious ways. Beholding the beauty of northern Spain is a gift and the Spanish people have been so kind to an American with lousy Spanish who points a lot...
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