Journeying Together

2 Nov. Our final day in Santiago Our final full day in Santiago and what did we do?  We woke up a bit later than usual to the sound of rain.  Finally some typical Galician weather. There was nothing to do but head out, giving thanks the whole time that there was little rain on our pilgrimage.  There was a farmers market so naturally we had to check it out. The advertised opening was 8am, but customary for Spain, when we got there at 9 most vendors were just setting up.  It was a typical farmers market with produce and food vendors with the addition of several buildings dedicated to the sale of seafood. It was heartbreaking to not buy any. But, alas, I think it would be frowned upon to cook over the hairdryer in the hotel room! We consoled ourselves with coffee and pastry and the purchase of umbrellas to keep us dry.  In the midst of our exploration a downpour occurred and we sought sanctuary in the doorway of a small church only to find that morning mass was about t

1 Nov. Finesterre and Muxia We played tourist today, catching a bus with a guide and 9 other wonderful folks to visit the other endings to the Camino. Our guide was fantastic as he told us legends about rocks and giants, Madonnas and St. James.. We heard the three steps to the conclusion of the Camino- confession, worship and the burning of the clothing as they watched the sun go down on one season of their lives and rise the next morning for a new beginning. Galicia is beautiful.  One side of the bus faced a granite mountain and the other magnificent coastline. It was just gorgeous despite the clouds, wind and rain.  Long considered the Coast of Death, it earned its reputation in the Middle Ages. Our final destination was Muxia which has roots in a Celtic pilgrimage, although our guide did not mention that. It’s claim to fame on the Camino is as the site of a vision of the Virgin Mary commending St. James for the good job he had done and sending him home.  All this from a sto

31 Oct. Santiago This is weird. I’m ready for bed and the wet laundry is hanging in the room. And it doesn’t really matter if it dries or not before morning—usually a problem with the socks. It doesn’t have to be packed up til Friday and that seems really odd.  And I don’t have a plan for where we’re headed or when we can stop for breakfast.  I’m not quite sure what to do with myself. This playing tourist is interesting stuff. We had a lovely dinner of tapas tonight with our new friend Alice. Squid in its own ink was the centerpiece of our gastronomic experience.  We ran into friends we have made along the way and it was delightful. We had a difficult decision to make this evening. First, tomorrow at pilgrims mass the censor will definitely swing with the celebration of All Saints Day.  It’s supposed to be quite the thing to see.   Also, when you e gone this far, it’s customary to see Finisterre-The End of the World.  We had hoped to do that. Our plan was to get to mass again

31 Oct. San Marcos to Santiago.  About a whopping 6 km We headed out early this morning in optimal walking conditions for our final trek into Santiago. The walk was along roads and the smell of cows was replaced with exhaust fumes. I prefer the cows, quite frankly. Dodge the cow pies game was replace with duck the cars. Cow pies are infinitely less dangerous. But we could see Santiago in the distance and it wasn’t long until the cathedral came into view. However, this being a pilgrimage, the way was not the most direct and it often seemed we were going around the town rather than through it.  But the yellow arrows and scallop shells kept us on the right path and we found ourselves at the cathedral. While the cathedral is beautiful, it is under reconstruction and covered with scaffolding. That didn’t keep us from having a good look around, hugging the apostle, viewing the tomb of St. James and sitting for an hour in order to hold a seat for worship. As the famous censor was not

30 Oct.   A Rua to San Marcos.   17.1 km The path has become more noisy with the sounds of traffic. Also with the sounds of people as more pilgrims enter the Camino. How did we get here?  At days end we have only 6 km to go to enter the city of Santiago. We chose this intentionally as we want to walk into the cathedral fresh. We started 39 days ago and had no idea what we were doing. We have slept In albergues, hostels, pensions and hotels. We have met people from across the globe. We have walked mesetas, mountains and hills. It has been glorious and difficult and wondrous. And for all of those moments, I am thankful. Tomorrow, Santiago..  Buen Camino

29 Oct.   Arzua to A Rua. 16.8 km It occurred to me yesterday by my lack of photographs, that I have begun to take the beauty of this place for granted. Just like day after day I wearied of the brown meseta, The beauty of Galicia has begun to seem so familiar as not to warrant a second glance. I wonder how often we do that in everyday life—so take for granted the beauty around us that we do not notice it. So today I did my best to see this place for all the wonder it possesses. The landscape is gradually changing, giving way to woods.  We walked through beautifully scented eucalyptus groves dappled with sunlight. The music of the cowbells and the crowding of roosters added today the grunting of pigs. It was like the children’s song, “All God’s Critters got a Place in the Choir.” There was also the added tapping of more trekking poles as the number of pilgrims has increased. One pilgrim was definitely marching to the tune of his own drummer as he punctuated his steps with a par