I have arrived! What a journey - 720 kms, of which I did a tough 154 kms on the Camino Aragones . My foot that gave me problems last year has not bothered me until the last 15 kms so I hobbled into Santiago. I left at 7am in the rain and dark and fortunately met up with a German girl with a head torch (I have lost mine) as we had to walk through very dark forests for the first hour. Nothing was open the entire way so could not even buy a bottle of water. Just before Monte de Goza a wonderful Dutch doctor (now a homeopath) who stayed at Granon caught up with me. He has walked from Le Puy with his daughter who is also a doctor but she was a day ahead of him. He says that Granon was his best experience (as did another young American pilgrim I met up with at the Pilgrim's Office. Barbara - you must remember the lovely young pilgrim who only left after 9am because we had the Bible study in the chapel afterwards). It was a privilege to walk into Santiago with my Dutch friend. We arrived at 10. 45 am (21 kms in 3 hrs 45 mins) got our Compostellas from the office and then had coffee before going to Pilgrims' Mass at noon. I met up with friends from along the way and more pilgrims from Granon. I have pushed the boat out and am stay at the San Martins Hospideria, a converted monastery. For 23 euros I have my own little room, sheets and my own bathroom and it includes breakfast. It is sheer heaven and after these last 45 days it is total luxury. I have my second Compostella but there is not the same emotion attached to it the second time. I am looking forward to meeting up with my friends tomorrow
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It makes me so happy to think of you walking into Santiago with the fellow I still think of as Dad. He and his daughter could both win a Lovely Pilgrims Contest.
ReplyDeleteHurray that you are in a private room with sheets and a bathroom. You deserve rest and comfort and warmth and a shower without waiting in line. You have done it! A tough journey with lots of physical challenges. I'm very proud of your achievement and in awe of your perseverance and strength and grace under pressure.
I hope you continue to see more pilgrim friends as they arrive in Santiago. Please keep posting as long as you can think of anything to say. I'm going to miss this connection to the Camino.
Love B