The Highlights

People often ask me what the highlight of my camino was. That's a difficult question to answer.

Here's what I did:
1,215,930 steps according to my Fitbit
2,098 photographs taken
790 kilometres walked
38 days walking and 38 different places to sleep (hotels/casa rurales etc.)
37 blog postings (not including this one)
Made new friends - who live in a total of different 7 countries

What I liked best:

Every day was completely different and yet so routine.
Every day was as simple as one step after the other, and as challenging as one step after the other.
Every town, every church, every path was so different and so beautiful.
All the people I met were open, kind, friendly, generous, interesting and interested, articulate, spiritual, well educated, well-travelled, trusting and trustworthy, and completely accepting of whatever their camino brought them. I loved meeting them and getting to know them, and I loved meeting myself again, and getting to know me in this brand new and completely different context.
I loved the dirt accumulated during the day, and I loved watching it flow down the drain each evening - in hot, hot water.
I loved the finely tuned choreography of each morning: wake, wash, dress, pack, eat, ensure phone charged, batteries and water bottles full, turn around once to check the room, and finally, leave.
I loved each stunning vista at the rise of every hill and at the turn of every curve. 
I loved walking long and hard, feeling that I truly earned my cold, cold beer and dinner at the end of the day's journey.
I loved feeling the rise and then fall of the temperature in sync with the rise and fall of the sun.
I loved the sounds of the wide open country mixed with the crunch of gravel under my feet.
I loved the cool darkness of the churches which brought welcome respite from the heat of the day.
I loved being blessed at the end of the Pilgrim masses.
I loved being there, doing that, and then I loved coming home to the people who love me.


I conclude with the words that were first recorded in the Codex Calixtinus in the eleventh century:
To all pilgrims, and to all my readers and friends in all their unique situations I say:
"Ultreïa et Suseïa"

(The pilgrim shouts “Ultreïa!” (meaning “go further” or “to the end”)
Then the fellow pilgrim responds “et Suseïa!” (meaning “and then go beyond the end”).

Santiago de Compostela and Home

Go Big, Then Go Home

Saturday Sept 28th, 2019
Lavacolla to Santiago de Compostela
10km plus touring, 23,000 steps, Final walking day: #38

I planned to arrive in Santiago de Compostela (S de C) early, possibly even before the Pilgrim office opened, to get in line for my ticket. The ticket is simply a number which indicates your place in line to get your Compostela, the official document that certifies that you met the requirements for completing the Camino. Rumors had been flying among the pilgrims for the last few days that the office was being swamped with pilgrims, and that ticket numbers were limited, and that they stopped giving out tickets early in the day. We didn't know exactly what to believe, but for me, the rumors were enough to motivate me to arrive in Santiago with more than enough time to spare.

I packed up everything the night before and laid out my clothes for the morning so all I had to do was jump into my clothes and get going. I had a two hour walk ahead of me, and I wanted to arrive at the pilgrim office before it opened at 8:30 am. The alarm went off at 5:45 am. I did hear it. I woke up at 6:30. Aarrgghh. Oh well. I dressed quickly and got on the road.

It was full dark when I left Lavacolla. The stars were still shining, and the constellation Orion was low in the sky. The last 10 km are all asphalt, so it was easy to walk. They are also mostly lit by streetlamps. There were a few sections that were very, very dark but I had a small flashlight with me, and that was more than enough. My last day walking was the first time I used the flashlight. It was a small bike light, but very bright. I had it attached to my lumbar pack so it was with me at all times. The thought was that if I got into some sort of trouble on the road at any point, such as an injury, I could flash the light and get someone's attention. Also, if I was anywhere inside at night and there was a power failure, I would have the light with me.

There was one point while I was walking in the dark when I sure I heard the steady crunch, crunch, crunch of something/someone walking in the woods to my left. Friend? Foe? Predator? Prey? I did not shine my light there to see. Actually I turned my light off  so as not to attract attention, and carried on. Soon a pair of pilgrims caught up to me from behind and passed me. I sped up a bit to match their speed, so I could walk with a bit of "company", leaving about 40m between us. Far enough apart so that we weren't walking together, but close enough to see them up ahead.

As I approached Santiago, the traffic and noise increased, even though it was 8:00 am on a Saturday. The sense of urgency and tension increased. Once in the outskirts of Santiago, more and more pilgrims began to appear from all directions. Everyone was walking with a much more determined gait than I had seen at any other time on the camino. I kept checking my watch, realizing that this was an unfamiliar behaviour. 8:30 am was drawing very near.

The descent into S de C was accompanied by a drop in temperature, of, I would say, about 15 degrees, and was accompanied by a cold wind. I was ready for sunrise and the warmth it should provide. There was a lot of city to cross before arriving at the old city, the Cathedral of Santiago (St. James the Apostle) and the pilgrim office. I kept checking my map. This was the one morning where I could not afford to get lost. I even had two charged back-up batteries with me. The extra weight was an excellent trade-off for the extra security.

 

This was my first peek of the cathedral, visible between the buildings

at the end of the street 

At 8:30 am I was a few blocks away from the pilgrim office. Coffee shops and souvenir shops began to line the streets. Pilgrims started passing me in the other direction, Compostelas in hand. Among them were Pat and Richard who were among the first 10 pilgrims in line that morning. They had their Compostelas and they had received an invitation to lunch! Following a 500 year old tradition (of which I was not previously aware) the pilgrim office treats the first 10 pilgrims of the day to a traditional pilgrim lunch at the nearby Posada ( a 4 star luxury hotel) on the Praza do Obradoiro.

I made a very quick stop in the Praza do Obradoiro in front of the western facade of the Cathedral to mark my arrival, and then headed to the pilgrim office. I got my ticket at 8:45 am. I was number 469, and they were serving number 75. I walked back to the square to have a proper look and feel, and to take pictures.

There has been a holy building on this site, built over the tomb of St. James the Apostle, since the first chapel was built by King Alphonso II in the 800's. The building of the present Cathedral began in 1075. It was constructed mostly of granite, and it is an enormous and awe inspiring structure.

Throngs of people were in the square. Pilgrims were laughing, hugging, kissing, dancing, and crying. Some stood alone or in groups, staring at the Cathedral. Some sat and ate breakfast, or just contemplated their accomplishment. Some lay down in the sun with their heads resting on their backpacks, eyes closed, taking time to connect with the place, and with earth beneath them.

I took my time in the square, then toured around some more and visited a few nearby churches and squares. I was able to check on the progress at the pilgrim office via my smart phone. Judging by the rate of change of the numbers, I figured I had until 1:30 pm before my ticket number would be called.

In Santiago I met up with so many people I knew. I saw Linda from Australia, who I had met back in Vianna. Sometime after I met her she suffered from infected blisters and cellulitis, and had to take antibiotics and a period of rest from walking. But she persevered and had arrived in Santiago. She was trying to find the pilgrim office to get her ticket. I knew where it was so I led her there. She was crying, and told me she had been crying for two days. On the way to the pilgrim office we met Tatiana, a woman from Germany. Tatiana and I had met many times over the weeks, either with her passing by me, or with me passing by her. Often the two of us would stop in the same place to take the same picture. She was crying, too. The closer she got to Santiago, she said, the less she wanted to arrive, because it meant that part of the journey was over. I think I understand now that the reason people go on to walk 4 or 5 more days to Finisterra on the west coast of Spain is to give themselves some time for decompression and for integration of their thoughts and feelings. It is difficult to arrive in Santiago and then immediately return to one's previous life.

After getting her ticket, Linda and I found Chihiro, the Japanese woman I had met on walking day #2. Linda had spent some time walking with Chi, but I hadn't seen her in 5 weeks. Chi remembered me, and even remembered my name! We hugged like we were long lost sisters, and congratulated each other for reaching Santiago.

 Me and Chihiro

For centuries, Pilgrim mass has been celebrated in the Cathedral of Santiago. This year, the cathedral is undergoing extensive renovation, and the mass was moved to the nearby Church of San Francisco. I took my place there at 11:45, and mass began at noon. Although it was in Spanish, it was lovely, with a nun singing sweetly, and priests in red leading the service. From time to time I discreetly checked the progress in the pilgrim office. To my horror the numbers were advancing faster and faster. At 12:30, halfway through mass, number 430 appeared on my phone. I had to go.

I hurried to the pilgrim office and made my way up to the security guard who was defending the entrance against a crowd of pilgrims. There were no more tickets being given for that day. I displayed my ticket and entered, and my number was coming up. Seeing "469" on the screen seemed like one of the sweetest things I had ever seen. I was called to wicket #12, and was assisted by a lovely young woman who took a few moments to connect with me. She asked me how I was feeling, and how was my camino. She helped me with the simple paperwork and then wrote my name by hand, in Latin, on my Compostela. With the final stamp placed in my Credentiale, or Pilgrim Passport, my camino was truly completed. I carefully rolled my Compostela and placed it in the protective tube that I purchased earlier in the day.

My Credentiale with its final stamp on the right.

I visited the two areas of the Cathedral that remained open to the public. The first was a visit to the statue of St. James the Apostle. Climbing up a narrow and steep stone staircase, one arrives at the head and shoulders of the statue of St. James the Apostle. The stairs are deeply worn by millions of feet over the centuries.

People are allowed to touch/hug the statue, and many people spend a few moments there praying.

 You can see someone's hand resting on the statue's left shoulder.

The second area still available to visit is the crypt that houses the relics of St. James and of two of his disciples.

I was drawn back to the Square. I wanted to stand in the sun and just be there. Dan, my walking companion for the last few weeks whenever our schedules coincided, was also on the square, enjoying the Galician bagpipe music.

 A lone piper at the entrance to the square.

 Pipers in the Praza do Obradoiro.

We had lunch (best patata tortilla and croquettes of the whole trip!) and agreed to meet later for a drink.

By this time it was late enough for me to check in to my hotel. I settled in and emailed Eliana and Evandro, inviting them to join Dan and myself that evening. Right after I sent the email, I noticed that Eliana had already emailed me! The four of us had a lovely dinner.

We joked about whether I was going to walk to the airport in the morning, after all, it was only 10 km away. I agreed that it was possible for me to leave Santiago at 2:30 in the morning, walk to the airport and be on time for my 6:40 am flight, but I believed that sticking with my original plan of taking a taxi would be best. Then we said our real, final goodbyes. Eliana and Evandro were off to Madrid the next day, and Dan was going to spend another day in Santiago and then was going to walk to Finisterra before returning to the US.

What I didn't know was that the three people to whom I had just said goodbye were sharing a secret.

I returned to the hotel, packed up, and lay down. The alarm was set for 4:00 am and the taxi was arriving at 4:30 am. When I got into the taxi, it was the first time I was stepping into a vehicle of any kind in almost 6 weeks.

I flew out of Lavacolla airport in the dark. A moment after I felt myself sink into the seat during lift-off, I was asleep.

Two hours later I was in Madrid. We landed in Terminal 4. The sun was just peeking over the horizon.

When I got to the carousel to pick up my suitcase, the concourse and the carousel were both completely empty. The LED signboard over the carousel said the last suitcase had come down the ramp at 8:13 am. It was 8:25. I walked over to the luggage claim counter, showed my boarding pass and asked about my luggage. The attendant clicked a bit on her keyboard and said "Wait 10 minutes." I explained about the LED sign, and she repeated "wait 10 minutes." I figured I could wait 10 minutes. By the time I returned to the carousel, there was one, single, lonely bag riding around the carousel. Mine. Whew.

The next 18 hours went something like this:
Shuttle bus from Madrid Terminal 4 to Madrid Terminal 1.
Check in, pass security, wait. I charged my tablet, phone and back-up batteries and ate the packed breakfast prepared by my hotel in S de C while I waited. One bottle of juice and one ham and cheese sandwich.
Take-off was at 11:30 am.
I endured an 8 hour flight squeezed in a tiny seat between two men. First, crunchy snacks and beverage. Then a meal (lasagna and salad), later we were offered ice cream (!) then even later another beverage service, then finally we were offered hot ham and cheese sandwichs (how did they know??) I couldn't get comfortable, so I didn't get any sleep on that flight.
We landed in Newark, New Jersey at 2:00 pm local time. I was the last person off my flight at 2:30, which left me with less than one hour to get to my next flight.

I had to find the baggage claim area, pick up my bag, take my bag to the "baggage check-through" area, line up to to get my bag scanned, get my bag scanned, and drop my bag off on the check-through conveyor belt. Then I had to find and take the AirTrain to Newark Terminal 1, line up for passport control, go through passport control, line up for US customs, go through US customs, then line up for security. Um, by this time I had only 20 minutes to get to my gate, and there were 50 people ahead of me in line for security. I asked each person if I could go ahead of them as I had a tight connection, and they all said yes. I thanked each person profusely. When I got to the front of the line I turned around and thanked them all again. They all nodded and smiled. Some of them even wished me good luck!
I got through customs and ran to the gate, getting there just as boarding began.
1.5 hours later, at 5:15 local time, I landed in Toronto International Airport.

 

Toronto harbour, unmistakable from the air.

My husband was waiting for me in the arrivals lounge, complete with welcome sign.

On the way home we stopped at a restaurant for dinner. What I didn't know was that my husband had planned a welcome home party for me, so when I got to the restaurant, there were friends and family already there, waiting for me.

There was food and drink, balloons and cake, and there were speeches!

I mentioned a secret. My husband had figured out how to contact the friends I had made in Spain. He emailed all of them and asked them to send him stories about their time with me on the camino. Each of them responded with a beautiful story, and my husband read them aloud at the party. It felt so good to have my camino friends with me at my party, and hearing their own words being read. I realized that when I had seen all my friends in Santiago not 24 hours before, they all knew what my husband had been planning, and they did not give one single clue or hint. They didn't even act unusual, in the way that people sometimes act when they know something that you don't. How fabulous of them!

It was a wonderful homecoming, at the end of a wonderful trip.
Every day on the camino was unique and beautiful.
I'm grateful for the experience and for the friends I made, and I'm grateful for the friends and family at home, who made going easy and who made coming home easy.

 My Compostela

May everyone you know be a beautiful angel.
Ultreia y Suseia!

Thinking About Home

To know the road ahead, ask those coming back (Chinese proverb)

Friday September 27th, 2019
Arzua to Lavacolla
30 km, 44,000 steps, 8 hours, walking day #37

As I was leaving the hotel this morning, I noticed the icon beside the button for street level. In case I needed to know which level had the concierge desk. So cute.

I had a long day today, 30 km. I wanted to reach my destination by mid-afternoon, so  I got an early start. Luckily my hotel started serving breakfast at 6:30 am. As I was eating, I thought about how my breakfasts were going to change after I returned home. No more ham and cheese sandwiches, no more croissants with butter and peach jam washed down with hot chocolate, no more cake and pastry, no more yogurt mixed with local honey (all at the same meal!)

I started out at 7:15 am in full dark -- today was the first time that I started walking before sunrise. As I took my suitcase down to the lobby I realized that once I returned home, I would no longer have to pack up all my worldly belongings and place them in the foyer before I ate breakfast.

The dark streets of Arzua.

It rained overnight and the streets are still wet.

Just as I left the hotel it started to rain. What this really means is that it was cloudy, so no moon to light the way. I began walking the gravel path in the dark, behind a long line of pilgrims who had also started early. From Arzua it is 40 km to Santiago de Compostela, and it can be done by 5:00 pm if one is very motivated. I suspect most of the people leaving Arzua so early were destined for Santiago. My destination was Lavacolla, 10 km outside of Santiago. I had a flashlight but I didn't feel I needed to use it. I had my walking poles, and as I walked, I lifted my feet a few inches higher than I normally would, to avoid tripping over any larger rocks that might be in the path. Many of the other pilgrims were wearing brightly coloured rain ponchos and were using their flashlights. Ahead of me I could see a long line of gently bobbing lights which lit the ponchos and turned them into glowing lanterns for me to follow.

It's never really dark at home in the city. There's always streetlights and the general glow from all the lighting in the city (except if there's a power failure at night).

It soon started to rain in earnest. Today, my last full day of walking, was my first day of real rain. It rained for 4 hours. My hands were prunes and my legs were covered in mud. Somehow I still managed to enjoy it. I did duck into a restaurant to warm up and dry off a bit. Magically, my drip-dry pants really did drip and dry. 

These are not Tribbles. These are not toys, nor are they Gremlins. These are chestnut pods, and the spines are so strong and sharp that you cannot pick these things up with your bare hands.

All the animals today were trying to stay dry. Roosters were staying under the protective roof of their shed. Sheep were huddled against the fence where there was a bit of hedge overhanging the top of the fence providing a small bit of cover. Cats were perched anywhere that they could stay dry. Except for cats, dogs and racoons, there's not much opportunity to see other animals when you live in the city.

Cat pic of the day.

The route continued through dense Eucalyptus forest. I love their grey/silver/green foliage and the way the fresh leaves smell like a mix of fresh mint and pennyroyal.

Without the dampness and the rain, the forests couldn't look like this:

I made the mistake of touching the moss to see if it was soft.

It was sticky.

People abandon their shoes, 

and decorate anything with them.

Rocks?

Sheep!

Time to relax after a long walk.

The sun is finally out.

Almost there.

Almost home.

Three Cheers

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
Lao Tzu

Thursday Sept 26th, 2019
Melide to Arzua
15 km, 26,000 steps, walking day #36

Hmm. How to describe a perfect day?

It starts off with waking up after a good sleep and having clean clothes to put on, since I washed everything the night before. Three cheers for synthetics that dry in a few hours, and a casa rural that has drying racks!

I was escorted to the special breakfast room. It was in an outbuilding beside the pool (!). It turns out I was the only one having breakfast, so the whole breakfast buffet was for .....me!

Well, yes, actually, it was all about me!

Table for one.

The whole pot of coffee, the whole jug of juice, the basket of fruit, the selection of yogurts, cereals, pastries - all for me!! The table for 12 was laid out with one place setting at the end. I felt like royalty, sitting at the end of a long table. Three cheers for the queen! I had the usual - my Serrano ham and cheese sandwich on toast, with coffee and juice. And a handful of chocolate cereal, just because I could.

I was on the path by 9:15 am. There was no rush since this was a short day, just 15 km. I began walking and noticed the peace and quiet. There was no one around! Had I been transported to an alternate universe? Had everyone else except me been transported to an alternate universe? I had a short day yesterday, and I think that the large groups of people who had started in Sarria on Monday morning had continued on yesterday, while I stopped in Melide. I think they were all now a day ahead of me. Three cheers for being left behind! I walked at a very comfortable pace, and listened to the birds singing all around me.

The sky had large fluffy clouds and the sun was warm. I continued to pass through farmland. On one farm I saw the yield of the pumpkin harvest.

About halfway through the day I found myself on a very quiet road. I was all alone, walking in silence through a Eucalyptus forest! It was magical. I was thinking to myself "Oh, this just too peaceful. There is no one around". Just as that thought was beginning to transition into "Uh-oh, this is just too peaceful. There is no one around.....", a car appeared on the road, and slowed to a stop beside me. The woman behind the wheel spoke to me in Spanish, but the word "Camino" was unmistakable, and so was the gesture of her pointing in the direction from which I had just come. Three cheers for the Camino, which not only gave me a Eucalyptus forest all to myself, but also provided me with redirection after having gone the wrong way for only a few minutes.

Eucalyptus trees

Eucalyptus is a very interesting tree. The bark peels off the trunk, leaving a smooth, pale greenish surface, and the branches of the undergrowth are hung with the strips of shed bark, giving the impression of poorly hung laundry.

I also walked through more oak and chestnut forest. The trunks of the trees were covered with a layer of moss and then a layer of ivy. The forests smelled of freshness and wild mint. Three cheers for diversity, renewal and surprise.

The homes of older families here are emblazoned with the family coat of arms. I'm convinced that this household had the monopoly on medieval soft serve ice cream.
(I know.....they're torches)! C'mon - three cheers for humor, please.

This family had an overabundance of peaches and placed a box of them out on the road for anyone to take. They smelled very good but I already had a large nectarine in my pack.

This is my first Spanish lemon tree!

One damp section of the path today had many of these enormous slugs. I was careful to avoid them. There will be no songs written for these guys.

Eww.

The farmer had just put down a large serving of bran for his cows. He poured the bran into this little corner, and a dozen cows where trying to get some. They were head-butting each other, and biting each other's ears to try and make room for themselves.

This dog blends in nicely with his surroundings, I think.

In the main square in Arzua, there is this statue of a lady holding something round, and more of these round items in a basket at her feet. I didn't know what it was all about, and there was no interpretive sign.

At the other end of the square, there is another statue, with two hands holding a similar round item. I was sensing a pattern, but was still not able to make sense of what I was seeing.

Later I walked into a grocery store, and browsed the cooler holding the specialty regional cheese. I think I'm beginning to understand. Three cheers for finding the clue.

The grocery store also had a self-serve freshly squeezed orange juice machine, complete with a supply of different sized plastic bottles ready to be filled.

I watched this cyclist use this very tall curb to climb up on his bike. There's no way he could touch the ground while sitting on that bike. I'd be afraid to be up so high and I talked to him about it. He is perfectly OK with having his shoes clipped in and riding with no hope of touching the ground. Three cheers for courage.

I stopped in to a restaurant for lunch. Patatas bravas with aioli, calamari and a beer. Three cheers for walking far enough to deserve it! I may never eat like this again, but at the moment it's a lot of fun.

I met up with Marco today. He's still wearing a sling but feeling better.

Three cheers for Marco's unstoppable spirit!

I also met up again with Eliana and Evandro again. We keep seeing each other on the street. We spent a delightful afternoon walking through the old part of town, checking out the pastry shops, churches, and shoe stores. Evandro's shoes are falling apart, and he's searching for a good pair of walking sandals. At the end of the afternoon we went back to their place in Arzua. It's a large apartment with a kitchen, where we had tea and cannoli. Three cheers, please, for loving, kind, generous and gentle people in general, and these people in particular.

Ultreia y Suseia

(Go further and go higher)