Eight kilometres to go (I think)

My second last day of the Camino involved approximately 17 km of walking. It was a typical day for this part of the world, with  mixture of rain, mist, broken cloud, and even a bit of sunshine. The tall eucalyptus trees in the forest were magnificent, and because of the humidity and moisture in the air you could smell the eucalyptus scent.

And of course I discovered two things: the first is that I'm somewhat noise-averse. After walking nearly 10 km without a bar, restaurant, or water facilities, after using an underpass for the highway, came across a bar – restaurant that seemed to be filled with American coach tourists.  It was noisy, crowded, and for some reason the sheer volume of voices was offensive. I walked on by, ignoring my thirst, and any need for a bathroom.

The other thing that I learned is that some unscrupulous Albergue owners will forge yellow arrows to take you off the Camino to go by their property. One such diversion ended up crossing Highway, finding the Albergue which was closed, and then having to re-cross the highway about two hundred metres later, adding perhaps half a kilometer to the walk.  Some time, I hope the communal police will find this and fine the owner! There was a perfectly straight road which avoided mud and the highway and was the proper Camino.

As you get closer to the city of Santiago, the Camino skirts the edge of the airport. You literally walk by the end of the runway. But in true Camino fashion, pilgrims have decorated the fence with improvised crosses made out of sticks!

I'm staying at a property known as a Casa Rural, which means private rooms with bathrooms and linens. It also has a bar restaurant on site, and the afternoon was something of a reunion for many people with whom I have walked.  It was wonderfully relaxed, and we are all planning to enter Santiago in the morning. But if we are going to do that in time for mass, we will all have to adjust our watches, because Europe returns to standard time a week before North America!

Today's Music:  Beethoven's fantasy for piano, chorus, and orchestra.  It is a stunningly joyful work that celebrates accomplishment. It Summarizes my feelings!

Today's Paces:  27,038

Tomorrow's Prayer Intentions:   Gratitude

Starting to notice "The Lasts"

As my great adventure begins to come to a close, I'm taking notice of some last things.

This is my last long walking day...26k.  It was a day of many hills, and the dreaded feeling as you start a downhill walk that there will be an uphill closely following. At least the milestones and way-markers keep track of the distances and give a bit of incentive to keep going.  I started at 51.5 km and my Albergue is at 25.5 km (from Santiago).  The kilometre is no longer so elastic as it once appeared!

It is also my last night in an Albergue. These have, for the most part, being acceptable places to spend the night. You're normally so tired but all you want to do is shower, rinse out your clothes, rest, drink, eat, and then sleep for the night. I will not miss the people getting up two hours before dawn with misplaced enthusiasm can it's time to start walking.

I will also miss "Buen Camino" which comes from both pilgrims and locals. It is a form of acknowledgement and blessing and distinguishes the peregrino from another person on the street where the greeting would more likely be "Hola!" or "Buenas Dias!"

But there are also firsts – today I met the youngest pilgrim I have met on the Camino so far:  a16-year-old girl named Lucy was walking the Camino with her mother. They were from Australia and she was taking a year off school where she had to write on the Camino as a form of homeschooling.

And there is the music – I have never listened to as much music as I have over the last several weeks.  Almost everything I have cited as a piece of music at the end of the day is on my iPhone. Music has been a consolation, an incentive, and sometimes even something to keep the beat as I walk!  I have given considerable thought as to what these last three pieces of music will be. They are pieces that have remained in my mind even after I have turned off my phone, and truly captured my sense of pilgrimage and accomplishment.

Today's Music:  Missa Gaia (Paul Winter and Paul Halley), especially For the Beauty of the Earth set to an evocative arrangement of Adoro Te.

Today's Paces:  39,171 (!)

Tomorrows Prayer Intentions:  all the people with whom I have shared this walk

Three days to go.

Once again I'm reflecting about the end of my time in Wonderland. I think my reflection has a rather Peter Pan aspect, perhaps because I keep taking pictures of my shadow. There is something rather childlike about walking, eating, drinking, and sleeping!

Peasant woman selling raspberries from her barn; a local sharing a plate of pulpo; glasses of beer by the side of the road; beautiful scenery; cold mornings warm afternoons and cool evenings; communal living, friends that walk ahead or behind you and meeting every two or three days; music playing in your head. It's all part of the Camino experience.

As I have reflected before, the Camino, or any pilgrimage, is not a about where  you're going, but how you get home. What changes? What is the same? How will the insights you have gained on the road influence your life?

As each day passes, and I get closer to Santiago, I have to think about going home. Today I looked at trying to get from Santiago to Paris. It's almost impossible. I really need to go to London or Barcelona or Porto in order to get to Paris, which seems counterintuitive. Maybe it is a French revenge on the Spanish for appropriating the Camino.

But this is also been the best day of the Camino so far. The walk was not strenuous, the sights were gorgeous, the people with whom I've walked before all seemed to converge on this town this evening. The Camino really does give more than it takes!

Today's music:  The Miracle (U2)

Today's Paces:  32,538

Tomorrow's prayer intentions:  my sister-in-law's partner Pat who is recovering from surgery; and the Lively family, as Anne is laid to rest.

The countdown continues

In the Province of Galicia, each half kilometre (500 metres) is indicated by a stone marker, so you become very conscious of your approach to Santiago. 500 metres is about the same distance as a par five golf hole, so today I walked about fifty par-fives but without having to stop and hit the ball.  But with brief rests and beer (cerveza) breaks that's between six and seven hours' walking. 

And while I had planned on 22k today, circumstances changed my plan. At the Albergue this morning everyone else was awakened by some energetic Italians who decided to get up at 6:30 and be out the door before seven.  You've got to understand that it's not even dawn before 8:00 and the sunrise is around 8:30.  But I too dragged myself out of bed, packed up, pulled on my headlamp and set out around 7:15. 

Unfortunately, I missed an ambiguously marked left hand turn and ended up walking the better part of an hour going north instead of west -- I clued in that something was odd when the sunrise was on my right side instead of my back. 

This was one time I was really glad to have GPS on my phone.  Siri politely found directions to make a third side of the triangle and I walked another one and a half kilometres to rejoin the Camino. But I did get to see the early morning sky, and with no ambient light, lots of stars. 

The walk was through a variety of terrains including one stretch of tall pines reminiscent of eastern California or Washington State.   

And a comfy private room, laundered clothes, and good supper and I can say, "All's well that ends well."

Today's Music:  concerto for two violins in a minor  (Vivaldi)

Today's Paces:  33,989

Tomorrow's Prayer Intentions:  the Lewis/Parker families as they mourn the loss of their father/grandfather. 

A happy walk

Today was arguably the happiest walk of my Camino.  It started with the results of the Canadian election last night. Because Spain is five hours ahead of Atlantic time, it really wasn't until early this morning that the projected liberal majority was clear. 

And then the sky was clear and blue.

And then (and this is so judgemental) the novo-Peregrinos with their brand new sticks, unstained clothes and excited debate about seeing their first yellow arrow (photo op) who can barely make it down the first hill (let alone 150m of ascent as soon as they cross the footbridge) made me feel like such a veteran.  

And then animals -- including a herd of cows that walked by.   I took pictures and then followed along at the end with the old woman cow herder. She regularly whacked the last two or three cows tove them along with her stick, but quite abruptly she put her stick across my chest to stop me walking.  I was startled, naturally, and she gave me a grin and gestured at the back end of the cow in front of me who promptly made poo which probably would have landed on me if she hadn't stopped me. She laughed and said something in Spanish that I didn't get and moved on.  Buen Camino!

I also observed that there is very little human contact on the Camino. One of my fellow Peregrinos who I have seen every three or four days was at the same bar as ms at lunchtime and greeted me with a hug.  Despite all the communal living, sleeping in dorms, seeing people in underwear, sharing bathrooms and eating together, there is no human contact. This must be the most romantic and least amorous place on earth. Every night at supper you're showing your pictures from home but not of your Camino. It's quite odd. 

Today's Music:  Toy Cows in Africa (Chance)...one of the most whimsical pieces of music I know...google it!

Today's Paces:  30,009

Tomorrow's Prayer intentions:  all the newbies on the Camino who started in Sarria so they could walk 100k and get their Compostela (certificate of completion...100k is the minimum) to say you've walked the Camino. 

Hills and Rain

What goes down must go up, or so it would seem on the Camino...it wasn't an awful walk, but the constant rain added to the misery factor, for sure, and precluded picture taking, as water was dripping out my sleeves.

A rain suit only works so long and then saturation sets in. Even my leather bag is almost soaked through.

On the recommendation of last night's host, I walked about 25k to a "private" Albergue, which was a good idea...it's given me a good idea of how the last week of the Camino will be.  They actually served a really good vegetarian meal (lentil stew, tortilla, quiche, Santiago cake and fruit),

And with that in mind, I have booked three nights in Santiago beginning Sunday.  This should give me time to get my knapsack sent home to Canada, book transportation to Paris, and maybe even take a coach trip out to Finisterre or Muxia and become a tourigrino. Oh my god did I just say that???

Today's Music:  O Canada, or if the present government is re elected, Oh Oh, Canada

Today's Paces:  33,618

Tomorrow's Prayer Intentions:  my friend Fiona, that her tests go well

The inner workings of a priest's mind

Today was the most difficult day of the Camino so far. The hill just never seemed to stop. For my Halifax reader(s), 700 meters of ascent is like walking from the waterfront to the top of Citadel Hill five or six times.  You can stop as often as you want and take any route you want, but once you've done that, walk another few k's to get to your destination.   

But the worst part was at the town of O'Cebriero where I encountered 'tourigrinos' for the first time (coach tours that visit important places on the Camino).  I went to the Sunday noon mass at the beautiful parish church and was seated beside a clearly English speaking person.  After mass, she asked where I was from...she was from Wisconsin.  When I said Canada, she wondered if I was a pilgrim - as though the hiking boots, exercise wear, perspiration or scallop shell on my bag weren't evidence enough.  Yes, I replied.   "Oh my," she replied, "I've met a real live pilgrim!"

My inner voice at this point is saying, "wtf am I???  A g/d English speaking tourist attraction???"

My out loud voice said,"but we are all pilgrims in our hearts journeying to be closer to Jesus."

And now you know the inner workings of this priest's mind.

But it's not how you start, it's how you finish, as the old song goes.   My pack had arrived at the town where I was expecting it, and despite rumours of "completo" or "full" did in fact have beds and rooms.  I splurged for a private room across from a cow barn ... at least they don't snore ... had a luxurious shower, changed into dry clothes while my wet stuff dried on radiators, enjoyed a beer in the lounge, and a great pilgrim menu in a specially designed Cafe/restaurant. 

Some of my fellow travellers knew I was a priest and asked if I would celebrate mass after supper, which was my delight and privilege.  

Today's Music:  Smooth  (Santana)

Today's Paces:  30,463

Tomorrow's Prayer Intentions:  the Country of Canada as its federal election takes place...may the electorate have more wisdom than the present governing party