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...
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...
My granddaughter is asking why her papa is going on this long walk. It’s a fair question. My fascination started with my friend from ORU. He hiked the Portuguese Camino after he retired a couple of years ago. Then my son-in-law’s father hiked the French Way and talked about his experience followed by another friend on a trip to Iceland hearing hearing my interest gave me a book to read called Shadow of a Pilgrim by Thomas Connell. Finally when I retired from Atherton, they gave me the gift of a trip on the Camino, so it seemed like the stars had aligned and the dye was cast. These conversations and circumstances gave life to this adventure. Like so many before me, the Camino is both a challenge, an adventure, and a spiritual pilgrimage. I am going on a journey to listen: to myself, to others, and to the Lord. Who knows what I will hear, but at this transition point in my life it seems like such an adventure is timely. There is part of me that hopes to learn something about the simple a...
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