I´m back in Santiago where I´ll board a plane to Zurich in a just a few hours. I haven´t heard from Carla whom I last saw Saturday morning as we said goodbye in Finisterre. She was catching the bus to Santiago where she was going to navigate through one of the world´s largest parties (Fiesta de Santiago) on her way to spend the night at the airport.
This morning, after the party, Santiago is still chock full of people. I was complaining about the crowds to myself when a group of teenagers in orange T-shirts charged by me up the church steps. They were carrying a cross and energetically belting out a glorious song in Latin. Once more I was moved to tears.
Saturday and Sunday I walked from Finisterre to Muxia. It´s hard to stop walking. It´s so ingrained in me now and so addictive. The quiet countryside was very satisfying as were the long vistas of the ocean and walking along the beaches. Though the Costa de la Morte is known for its brutal weather, we´ve had sun every day. This last stretch had very few people. I saw four pilgrims the whole day yesterday. Just let me keep walking, even if my feet hurt and I have no energy.
THE END of our adventure.
Charlotte
Monday, July 26, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Finish at Finisterre (End of the known world in 1492)
Carla and Donna starting our usual Menu de Perigrino at town of Finisterre.
Carla at milestone 0.000 km.
Carla at Cee.
Charlotte´s feet at Capo Finisterre, as far as you can go!!
Burning old hiking clothes at top of cliffs. French couple we met at communal dinner in Albergue.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
We reach Santiago
On Saturday, footsore but happy, we arrived in Santiago. Like thousands of pilgrims across the years, we went to the cathedral square on top of the hill and soaked up the message of the journey while we delighted in meeting others that we had seen sometime along the way. It was surprising how you can share such an experience with people who do not share a common language with you. We got to take our sellos (stamps) in our credential (stamp booklet) to the priests who gave us the official certificate in Latin of our journey...
We have washed away some of the road dirt, had meals and talks with others about their "takeaways" from the trip, and learned a lot from the museums and churches. There are wonderful musicians in the streets and bands playing as the next week is a Holy Week celebration. At the pilgrim´s mass today, they swung the largest incense burner in the world through the church. A raft of men controlled it swinging up over the congregation which was an amazing sight (and a bit frightening.)
We will spend another day here and then head out to the end of the known world in the middle ages, Finisterre, on the Atlantic Ocean, which will be a three day walk (yes, we will actually put our boots back on!). We have walked 798 kilometers so we will hit 500 miles during the walk to the sea....
We have washed away some of the road dirt, had meals and talks with others about their "takeaways" from the trip, and learned a lot from the museums and churches. There are wonderful musicians in the streets and bands playing as the next week is a Holy Week celebration. At the pilgrim´s mass today, they swung the largest incense burner in the world through the church. A raft of men controlled it swinging up over the congregation which was an amazing sight (and a bit frightening.)
We will spend another day here and then head out to the end of the known world in the middle ages, Finisterre, on the Atlantic Ocean, which will be a three day walk (yes, we will actually put our boots back on!). We have walked 798 kilometers so we will hit 500 miles during the walk to the sea....
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Softening of the Heart
I have been stopping and praying at all the open churches. We have to stop anyway to have our credencials stamped to prove we are really doing the Camino. I find that the prayer has been very good for me and I´ve prayed for each one of you on my email list. Today I broke down in one of the churches and couldn´t stop crying. Cleansing tears!
I also pray and sing as I walk. Two days ago we passed the 100 km mark and the whole experience changed because the pilgrims quadrupled. You need to walk or limp the last 100 km to get your Compestela, which is a big deal. If I don´t get mine, I´ll throw a fit!!! At any rate, it was difficult for us to lose some of our quiet walking time but by today, the crowds are all spread out along the road and we again had our quiet time in the woods. Also, we are spacing ourselves so we overnight in the tiny hamlets to avoid the big city crowds. For the third time this week we are the only people in the outback albergues.....and this is the busiest time of the year.
Above is an Italian youth group marching to Santiago.
Because of all the interested feedback on her status, we asked the Toe to write this edition of the blog but it turns out she is much to shy. Here is a picture showing her muchly improved. Thanks for your attention and concern!
This next picture gives an idea of the weather we had before we hit Galicia. 40 degrees equals 104. But now that we are here we have Irish weather: cool and misty with a countryside to match.
The following picture is me with a sculpture of a pilgrim on top of one of the many passes we´ve trudged over.
Spain is a country of marvelous scupltures everywhere!
Happy summer!!
I also pray and sing as I walk. Two days ago we passed the 100 km mark and the whole experience changed because the pilgrims quadrupled. You need to walk or limp the last 100 km to get your Compestela, which is a big deal. If I don´t get mine, I´ll throw a fit!!! At any rate, it was difficult for us to lose some of our quiet walking time but by today, the crowds are all spread out along the road and we again had our quiet time in the woods. Also, we are spacing ourselves so we overnight in the tiny hamlets to avoid the big city crowds. For the third time this week we are the only people in the outback albergues.....and this is the busiest time of the year.
Above is an Italian youth group marching to Santiago.
Because of all the interested feedback on her status, we asked the Toe to write this edition of the blog but it turns out she is much to shy. Here is a picture showing her muchly improved. Thanks for your attention and concern!
This next picture gives an idea of the weather we had before we hit Galicia. 40 degrees equals 104. But now that we are here we have Irish weather: cool and misty with a countryside to match.
The following picture is me with a sculpture of a pilgrim on top of one of the many passes we´ve trudged over.
Spain is a country of marvelous scupltures everywhere!
Happy summer!!
Camino: Duro o suave???
¨Duro o suave¨ means hard or smooth. It is difficult for us to describe which it is because we have both every day. With our weary feet we have to work hard at our 13 to 16 miles a day but when we stop our lives are blissful: privacy, showers, time to nap, read and write, homecooked meals and interesting international discussions when we feel up to it.
This first picture was snapped on the sly of one of a larger group of French people who are wheeling crippled individuals the last 100 km of the Camino. Many people walk the Camino hoping for a chance in their lives or condition. I´m not sure who will be effected most by these laborious efforts.
We made it to the 100 Km left mark as you can see above as we pose with James, a seminary student from Louisiana. Best wishes to all of you! We are going to make it, God willing.
This first picture was snapped on the sly of one of a larger group of French people who are wheeling crippled individuals the last 100 km of the Camino. Many people walk the Camino hoping for a chance in their lives or condition. I´m not sure who will be effected most by these laborious efforts.
We made it to the 100 Km left mark as you can see above as we pose with James, a seminary student from Louisiana. Best wishes to all of you! We are going to make it, God willing.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Done with Indiana
Charlotte at Cross of Iron, this morning at 6:30.
Two days ago at Astorga, Gaudi´s Palace.
We made it across the meseta (Tierra Del Campo) which was mostly flat, very dry and somewhat monotonous. It is about the size of Indiana. Now we are back in the mountains (three huzzahs!!) which has made me delirious with delight. I LIKE being able to see long distances. Tomorrow we will be within 200 Km (roughly 120 miles) of our goal. Both of us are suddenly being more cautious with our legs, muscles, etc. because if we have to give it up within spitting distance, we will both be very disappointed.
Carla´s toe is still bad. Even with a whole rest day in Leon, it is healing very slowly. It might be because she dreams about the road all night long. How restful can that be? The first night in Leon she thought she was eating up the asphalt literally. The next night we woke to horrific sounds that seems as if the street crew had decided to remove the street at 3 am. The delightfully happy Spainards are on a whole different time schedule than the rest of the world.....giving me another reason to appreciate the villages. They are have been very loudly enjoying their ascension in the World Cup trials. Sunday is the finals: Spàin vs. the Netherlands. We will be in the outback but will likely be able to hear the excitement no matter where we are.
I don´t know if it is a rule of the Camino but everyone has been wonderfully kind to us: fellow pilgrims, hospitajeloros (sp?, Alberge volunteer hosts) and the Spanish people. This is amazing considering the river of peregrinos (pilgrims) that extends 1000s of km from all directions toward Santiago. We´ve bonded with many different walkers, some of which we see again in a few hours, some in a few days, some in a few weeks, and some never again. (We hope they haven´t joined the five or six pilgrims that die in their boots every year.)
The hardest part right now is the 30 degree plus heat. We can´t drink enough. Generally we wake at 5:30, walk immediately and stop for the day about 2 ish after 20-25 km.
Blessings be on all of you,
Love, Charlotte
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