LAST DAY: OK Boys and girls if a stranger asks you...

...if you want to take a nap and or bath at his hotel what do you say???

If he's a pilgrim and you are a pilgrim than the ONLY answer is "yes"...choosing the bath over the nap probably.

I woke up in Muxia today at five minutes past six, for some reason that five minutes makes me think I am buying a lot more sleep. I didn't get to bed last night till about midnight. I had a rough night of sleep, it has nothing to do with the awesome accomodations, this auberge can not be topped, but there was a really loud snorer that earplugs could not help, not only did he snore like a champ but he grunted and was just restless. At two thirty I had an escape route already in place and ran out to the sofa in the living room near the kitchen. When my alarm went off I had to get ready quickly as the bus came at six forty-five. Iain(pronounced like Ian),who I met last night for the first time was the only other one up, he would be catching a bus fifteen minutes later, I forgot his destination however mine was back to Santiago to buy a few trinkets that I didn't want to carry in my backpack till the last minute.
This morning was difficult for me, it was not surprising to me, I knew all along I would question if returning to Santiago was the right thing to do. With that said I really had no choice a bus takes you to Santiago and from there you need to get to the airport. I was the only person on the bus at its first pick-up of the day...I never thought to ask how long the trip was and I also assumed this bus went from Muxia to Santiago with no confusing stops in between. About fifteen minutes into my ride the bus stopped and picked up a college aged kid, one of many that would hop on over the fifteen or so stops. I was so tired, it was dark, the windows had condensation on them and i had no idea where I was. At one point half of the bus departed and I asked the disgruntled female bus driver, " where is Santiago?" In broken English, for some reason I feel like people understand me more if I speak English broken up (obviously a false assumption, but like many others I can not break the habit). She motioned this was the stop...I asked where was the cathedral and she pointed up to the left. I hopped off headed up the hill with a good half of my backpack weight being rocks...
I stopped for coffee and a huge glass of fresh squeezed orange juice (man am I going to miss this routine). I would then head back out and get one block to this adorable bar that advertised 'chocolate con churros' that is a thick chocolate milk with some sugar pastry for dipping, I looked behind me to make sure no one from the previous joint would actually see me go one block and reenter yet another place for food or drink (did I say I am going to miss this routine?).
I was inside, chilled but confused as to how to spend my day, it was about nine thirty in the morning and I felt I needed to depart Santiago at about three to be at the airport for my six fifteen PM flight. I honestly wanted to buy my waymark tile with the shell and check myself into a place to sleep. It did cross my mind how fulfilling my days had been for six plus weeks and how here it was ending with me possibly sleeping the day away, I have only napped forty five minutes once on this Camino.
I had a gorgeous window table, old style small round table infront of a pub looking window with stainedglass. I had a great people watching view, and knew instantly that i never gave Santiago the credit it deserved, my twenty six hours here had been in the rain and it only appeared to have tourist shops selling the same thing from each shop. I was now in a part of town that I didn't know existed and it had your typical city flair and trendy shops (think of the money I saved).
Outside passes a guy who I suspect is a pilgrim, I would find out he lost his wife to cancer three years ago and she was sixty six, so I assume he was a very healthy seventy. He was in athletic wear and boots and just looked like a pilgrim. He comes in the door comes straight to my table (backpack shared I was a pilgrim) and he asked if he could join me, I actually was five seconds away from getting up, my drink was done but I said,"sure". We got to talking and I shared that I thought I was going to just check into an auberge and sleep, at which point he shared he was at a hotel and said he would be running errands for a few hours and would be out in the town if I wanted to nap at his hotel, he then shared there was a twenty five year old German boy sharing his room but that he'd sleep awhile longer and that it would be no problem. I was sooooo tempted to take him up on this offer...but then he shared they were celebrating a gals 60th birthday at tweleve thirty and invited me. While I was tired I knew this was the best thing to do on my last day, and it kept me in pilgrim mode for another day, I would of course know no one...I had arrived to Santiago ten days ago, these folks were clearly another wave, little to no chance our Venn Diagrams related. he needed help making signs and had negotiated with a restaurant for a special meal price for this fellow pilgrim, I don't think there was any romance involved I just think this guy, David from England was a super nice guy to do this for the gal. He then offered, " do you want to take a bath in our hotel room?", with a reminder he'd be out in the town and that his twenty something walking partner didn't come in until eight this morning so he certainly would not be waking up. UMMM no thought process involved, I've had two baths in almost seven weeks and I teared up for both they felt do good...I screamed," yes".
The water was hot, the hotels soap was glorious and they had this "thing" that blows out air and dries your hair (who would have imagined such a thing existed :)). That was a Camino first...a blowdryer.
I went downstairs where David (funny I started with a David from England and it appeared would be ending with a David from England)was finishing up some last minute birthday party details. I was in awe and always will be on his thoughtfulness to do this for a fellow pilgrim. He walked thru the town looking for a birthday sign to hang up and then negotiated a birthday menu at a place his group liked there...I was just floored at his willingness and attention to detail to celebrate a fellow pilgrims birthday. While downstairs the elevator door opens and there was Ben who started his Camino in Paris, Ben who almost always sleeps outside here in a nice hotel. We hugged eachother and bless his heart a hotel with shower did him good. I had seen him two days earlier in Finesterre and he shared his parents were due in that afternoon...he and two others had enjoyed a cafe con leche and then the next stop was Brandy alittle before ten AM. Ben is one of the younger crew that I ran into often and for some reason I just really liked him, I think because he Skyped with my kiddos one day and he had the same leather hat I had bought for the trip. I was shocked to see Ben, Santiago no longer seemed to contain my pilgrims which was why I didn't really wantvto reenter it. I assumed he was the last of the last I would see from my days (folks were either home having arrived a good ten days before or possibly lingering at the coast). Father (the priest) would be walking back to Santiago with an arrival date of Saturday so I would miss him by one day. I was thrilled though for the opportunity to broaden my horizons and meet this new crew who started more than a week behind us.
David and I went to the cathedral to meet "his gals" an adorable group of three women, I know two were American. He and I got lost in the different alleys trying to find the restaurant, I was of no help as my time in Santiago was all rain and limited to a small section of the city. It was important to him to have his banner up. As we were lost I kept passing stores that I wanted to shop in...I was down to my last four hours of my Camino. I was in wonderful company and felt fortunate to be included in their lunch (pilgrims include but remember I wanted to sleep my hours away as I missed "my" crew so.)
I have had a wish over and over for weeks now...in fact I have said if I could only see Big Bear and Little Bear one last time my Camino would be complete (John and his son Johnnie from my first week), it was all I felt I needed.
At half past noon heading to the restaurant with David I glance to my left and there I let out a loud gasp ...there angled facing right at me was Big Bear and a delightful injured friend I had heard he was hanging with from Boston. They joined us at the restaurant for coffee but I made the decision to forgo the party ( but did get to meet the happy birthday girl) and to spend my final hours with Jim and John over lunch and shopping. We don't know where Little Bear is, I suspect the coast but they will reunite at the airport Sunday.
My Camino came full circle and It exceeded all expectations.
Sunday I will update the coast days AND POST PICTURES...I know the ladies want to see my cute Burgos police officers above all else.
I am in the Paris airport sleeping here for the night (should be easy with my adventures) and I catch a plane out at seven in the morning for home.
I miss my home and family!!!!!!!!!!

STAGE THIRTY ONE: To Santiago

Today is the day we arrive to Santiago...the real threat of rain looms everywhere. The three of us are not use to hopping up and walking within seconds IF GIVEN THE CHOICE, but we are a powerhouse and we do know what we need to do to pull something of...we needed to be out by seven to assure a noon mass. The threat of not making mass would hang over us for this walk, however we knew we could make it tomorrow and leave for the coast after, we also knew making it tomorrow would have us arrive with our party group from last night.
A Spanish buddy who I call "The Ambassador" would come by and stir us to assure we got up, at six thirty we were up and packing while everyone else around us slept.
We did stop for a quick coffee and didn't know how to gauge our stops in fear we would arrive to mass late. What is confusing is there are signs that say Santiago is twenty kilometers away BUT you have to factor in how far the cathedral is as I think these reference the city perimeter and I think that the cathedral is an additional five kilometers. Our walk we were told would take about five hours. We were so eager...

We passed the last auberge that our group from the night before would be staying at tonight for "the big party", they described it well as it was really on top of the hill right before you get into the city. We all agreed we would never regret our decision to press on. There was a nice park there with so many people relaxed knowing this was their destination tonight, we had the exact opposite energy going on within us as we felt we couldn't stop. Even my usual conversations with every dog and cat were stunted today. Once we hit the city limits of the city we were on full charge, everywhere you walk in Spain the cathedral or church is the first thing you see...not in Santiago...infact I was convinced there wasn't even a cathedral in this city. What on Earth were these pilgrims walking to for a thousand plus years? Not a cathedral in sight AND keep in mind we were standing on top of a hill five kilometers out that overlooked Santiago...what kind of pilgrim torture was this? Were we even in Santiago?????
We meandered thru the streets and had pilgrims walking past us the other way, all smiling for it was clear they had reached their destination possibly days before and were just lingering, they'd throw us a bone, "you're near", "almost there", "about two more kilometers". Then with no cathedral in sight still and suspecting it was about ten minutes away it started to rain...a huge decision to make, do we just go for it and get drenched or pull over and gear up. Gearing up involves covering your backpack and pulling out your rain gear that should be at the top of your bag on days that you might need it. J and M would use nice rain ponchos that cover them and pack, I would use a jacket and the backpack cover (this is one of the biggest questions and decisions that one must make when planning their purchases). We would make the correct decision to pullover and batten down the hatches. We were full steam ahead when around a corner we see a church wall and approach to come around the cathedral, we had fourteen minutes till mass, the courtyard was semi clear as folks had moved in and J and I got emotional. I suspect had there not been rain combined with seeing familiar faces in the courtyard on a sunny day that the tears would have really flowed. We high fived eachother and hugged eachother so proud of our accomplishments.
We tried to enter the cathedral from the main entrance and were motioned to walk AROUND it to another door. I think we were disoriented and just wanted entry, it wouldn 't be till later we would find out why...but thanks be to God as that instruction would be the cherry of my Camino. This is a rather large cathedral...we would walk to this other door and walk into a packed, standing room only mass, we had been motioned to go around because the main area was full. It might sit a thousand but I am going to guess it was at atleast twenty five percent of what it sits standing. The obvious choice was to enter through that door and to stand in the back where all others were, we were minutes if that before mass was to start. A nun was up at the alter speaking in Spanish and I instantly noticed some pilgrims ip front before the first pew. I caught the attention of J and M (I'm always the opportunist) and urged them to follow me. The emotions and the feeling of anything is possible poured from me, we were soaking wet and high as a kite with enthusiasm, I later would describe it as the feeling a Super Bowl winner must feel as they funnel into the locker room after the game. There was something very powerful entering that cathedral seconds before mass right off the trail and surrounded by tourist there to witness the mass but not having the vested interest we all did. We were dripping wet as it had just started raining ten minutes prior others were dry. We marched up to the front where several people were grimacing that we can't do that...we smiled and pretty much had the attitude that we would do it till authority told us otherwise. We sat there infront of the pews but did swell into the nave area so I felt we would be told to move but I already had a plan B up my sleeve, an escape route that kept us ip there IN THE FRONT but just not exactly where we were. More than a thousand people in this cathedral and we were right up there in the front. The huge incense canister hung from its usual position and I hoped it would swing today, it would have just made the arrival perfect. Security did come thru and told us we needed to keep the aisle clear and i must have had a lapse in my typical opportunist way as I surrendered and started walking to the back of the church. As I did i made eye contact with one person in the muddle section of the pews, it was Bond (from my first days, who had to go home due to a bad blister infection) but had returned to Santiago for mass and to walk to the coast. Ever the gentleman he gestured for me to take his spot in his coveted seat and that he would go back and stand, there is no way I would have taken him up on that but the gesture meant the World to me. I gestured back I was soaking wet and couldn't squeeze in there without getting everyone wet around him. I then glanced back to see J and M were not behind me, I jumped for joy at their rebellion and put my nose in the air and walked right back up to the front of the church and just squished in to try to stay out of the aisle.
J and M had not met my Irish crew of Father, Tom and Mary but they knew they meant a lot to me and I so imagined that I would share this moment with them as well.
THEN two rows of priest walk in robed and stand up behind the main priest and I let out a gasp...there at the alter is Father!!!!!!! Who had arrived the day before literally facing where I was standing...this meant the World to me to see him there. We gad a few other interactions with the professional/appropriate security guard but managed to keep her happy enough where we were allowed to stay. Towards the end I saw someone in a maroon robe grab a shovel of sorts with some kind of paper on it... I turned to M and said, "it's gonna fly...they are lighting the bufermerio". The handlers of it took their place and the beauty of it swinging thru the cathedral can never be described. I don't know what they were singing but it sounded like our American song about the Statue of Liberty that references "I lift my lamp beside the golden door" (now I question if I have that songs association correct but I remember being in Germany as a child and learning that in second grade).
I have had the PERFECT Camino...nothing not one second of it would I change...I feel so blessed.
When mass was done Father came down and joined us and many friends gathered around for pictures, he got us to our auberge, simple but clean and we exhaled.
I has heard about a great restaurant to get their thick hot chocolate, my kids were waiting for this moment...and we were thrilled with our meal there.
Tomorrow we would go to the cathedral welcome friends in and leave for the coast. We of course had the chance to do mass again but I could not dare after the perfect experience today.
It would continue to rain while in Santiago just drizzles but enough to not really allow us to investigate every nook and cranny. I might not be describing it accurately because of the rain but Santiago is no Burgos or leon...I'm just seeing tourist shops of items made in China. In otherwords after welcoming in pilgrims tomorrow I'm ready to hit the coast, which has always been my main goal. To do it with J and M is icing on the cake.

STAGE THIRTY: Ribadiso to Arca

More rain in the forecast...we had been so spoiled. There is so much excitement in the air...Santiago is about forty four kilometers away and I have thought we should push through it and go there directly from here. Galacia is so beautiful and all of the farm animals and shepherds tending to them and stone homes shouldn't be rushed. I come and go with thinking we should press on. The famous pilgrims mass is at noon so there is no huge advantage into getting into Santiago tonight. We have pushed ourselves to guarantee a walk to the coast for J and M and I think we are all thrilled we did, I love their company. Today I would be accused of being a "taxigrina" ( vs a pegrina/female pilgrim), one of the young kids W from Wales is questioning how I could possibly be ahead of him, anyone who knows me knows I'm not a taxigrina but i do find the word hilarious.
We had no idea where we would end up today, we wanted to make sure we were only about twenty kilometers out of Santiago so that we could arrive intime for the pilgrims mass at noon. This is an amazing celebration known for its HUGE flying incense that is controlled by about five men as it swings thru the air. Evidently this grande event is not the norm anymore...I don't have my hopes up to witness it but sure would do anything to witness it, i'm wondering if we pull off two masses if our chances would be slightly higher of getting to see this. in my opinion they should always offer this to the pilgrims, if you youtube pilgrims mass you will see what I am talking about, it is spectacular.
We would pull into Arca and see many people we have bonded with, i personally am rejoicing as these are the people that I will be surrounded by as I approach the cathedral. I can't explain the emotions i am feeling and how these dear people mean so much to me. We arrive with a lot of time to kill, a wonderful opportunity to just sit around and catch up or even sit around and meet some people who you recognize but have never really gotten to know.
I'm thrilled when I see Mary approaching, she shares that Father and Tom have gone on to Santiago, they should arrive about eight at night.
Almost everyone is here all in one place. I am super glad to see my young crew back from my Tossntos days...Ben who started in Paris, Paul and others.
The youngters share they are having s party tomorrow "on the hill" five kilometers before Santiago, they will not arrive tomorrow to Santiago, thry will walk less than four hours to thus huge auberge that sleeps five hundred, party and come on into Santiago the next day. They invite us, and a few others chime in they too are going to join them and we decide we can still make the coast and do this. I honestly think it sounds like a lot of fun and we decide to do it.
EVERYONE is excited, the anticipation is huge, I am surrounded by people most of who started where i did but some who started in Paris and one who actually started in Rome at the Vatican...his first stamp in his pilgrims passport is from the Vatican.
I'm getting ready to go to bed when i hear bagpipes...J knows what I am thinking and also thinks John or Johnny is here and i go running out the front door to see where they are... Outside of the auberge is another building where the noise is coming from and in peek inside and it clearly is not them, I suspect this was a local but many of us thought he was never going to stop playing...
The auberge was partying pretty hard this evening, drink was flowing and Paul from France offered mecsome brandy, I've never been a Brandy drinker but enjoyed the time with these pilgrims tgat I have gotten to know over the five plus weeks and tried to enjoy my cup of Brandy. We were all damp, our claustrophobic municipal auberge put on the heat so we could dry our socks and as I was getting into bed I felt a huge desire to go onto Santiago tomorrow and miss the "huge" party, mostly because tonight's atmosphere felt like a party to me and while I loved every second of it I was not convinced I needed two nights of that, J and M agreed.
We needed to wake up and be out the door by seven to make it to mass, almost everyone was sleeping in so we would be in a different situation than normal as we would be the early risers packing in the dark.
I would sadly realize today that i had lost my precious wine glass, tempted to ask Steve to get me another many are telling me to hold off that almost everyone would know it was mine and the chances are high someone just might approach me with it. I actually think I lost it two nights ago in Ligonde.
Our auberge is extremely claustrophobic feeling...and as of tonight I have seen more men in just their underwear than I will ever want to..........

STAGE TWENTY NINE: Ligonde to Ribadiso

We got up from Ligonde later than most, a lot of the folks staying at our place were early risers. Funny thing is this auberge was built pretty much on top of a hen house and the roosters were up nice and early. We would go across the way to have out typical coffee, orange juice pastry and start our day. Rain would be in the forecast off and on for the next few days.
Today would be my most stressful day, I knew it would be...it involved going thru a town called Melide known for its octopus at restaurants, I imagined some quaint town with restaurants everywhere serving the dish. I've eaten octopus several times before and had just had some a few days before so that was not a huge deal to me until a few weeks back when I was in Los Arcos. I was at a table with Christian from Canada and shared how I thought this town was going to stress me out, he then added how the octopus at many of the restaurants are alive and they kill them right in front of you and I instantly panicked. There is not much that would disturb me more than that, then in my attempt to just want to avoid the town I could see some fiasco in actually making the whole situation uncomfortable for anyone stuck with me there. I have prepped everyone as to how stressed I am over this...at the time I semi joked to Christian that if I see an octopus about to be killed I know me...I'd offer to purchase the whole thing right then and there throw a pink bow around it and show up at the airport with a new pet. Have you ever seen the youtube video of the precious octopus carrying around a coconut to use as a home? They are fascinating creatures...none the less I certainly don't want to witness one get killed.
It seemed EVERYONE we chatted with was going to stop at Melide for the night, it was a lot to ask J and M to press on thru there, I really tried to appear sane as I was trying to express how difficult this could be for me.
We get to the town and it is far from quaint, M quickly tells me not to walk further as a restaurant is showing off pulling an octopus out of a stew pot, not such an issue as long as i don't have to see it alive one second and dead the next. We get ourselves thru town and run into everyone and I thank them for understanding for we were sll tired and had to press on because of me. J spoke up and also said she had no desire to stay in this town, personally it just felt like death to me. We did hit a grocery store and stopped for soup, we feared as we approached the end of a formal stage that we might have trouble getting a bed but it also appeared everyone was staying in Melide. We walked on and as it was turning dark went over a beautiful bridge with a gorgeous bridge, there in what looked like a small village of beautiful stone homes was a municiple auberge...complete with kitchen and an attached bar/restaurant. The doors were painted robin egg blue like our place near the coast and it was the perfect place to call it a night. I'm really glad we had walked on and was so happy for their understanding. I had walked from Melide with the additional weight of a half of melon which we threw some curd ham on and enjoyed with a bottle of red wine. We would all sleep well as there was good spacing in our auberge with the bed placement, a huge difference between last night and tonight.

STAGE TWENTY EIGHT: Mercadorio to Ligonde

I'm not certain if that spelling is correct, I have alit of proofing once I am home. I have finally figured out hiw to turn off the word recognition with the ipad and my words shouldn't be changed now.
We are battling the rain some, atleast it is not wind and rain but we have bern spoiled thus far with no rain. I continue to walk with J and M and love them dearly. The countryside we are seeing is beautiful, loved animals are everywhere...grass is s lush green, hydrangeas are in bloom everywhere and just about every turn is worthy of a postcard.
We walked thru a neat town today called Portomarin that had the most fabulous bridge, I am running into many old faces and am so happy, no sightings of J and Big J ( Little Bear and big Bear) and from the sounds of it Big Bear is walking with a guy who is injured and might be a good day or teo behind us. We did a killer kilometer day yesterday and would do a normal stage today, slightly off the popular book starting point and end point. The place we stayed in last night was incredible, though we would not to totally enjoy its courtyard etc it was a fabulous place to be noted by anyone reading this and planning their trip..
It is a huge gift getting to walk with J, a mama who has/is raising three children, two out of the home one a successful athlete in highschool. I have been so inspired by the relationship she has with M, last night she was asleep in the bed bedside me and he was one bed over from her (we had a room to ourselves) and M stayed up journaling and his mom was asleep . I was done blogging (too tired actually to blog any longer) and he turned off the light but without going over to his mom (asleep and oblivious) and gave her a kiss. He reminds me of my oldest , R, who I thought might do the same.
We didn't have a destination today and Squiddly Diddly would be out infront of an auberge when we were not totally ready to call it quits. Since we start later than others we do joke that we need to walk further on eachnight so we are walking with them the next day , as they catch up with us.
J and I would talk about everything, i don't think anything and everything, yesterday a lit of the conversation was about my kiddos, family and life today was an awesome opportunity to learn more about J. She shared how one of her best friends had died of cancer sometime back, a mom featured on Oprah for making videos when she knew it was the end for her daughter. WE both choked up, I remembered this show and remembered a mom who also did midnight snacks of cheerios with her daughter. I assured j that her friend has influenced my parenting, my kids enjoy "midnight snacks" of Oreos and i have never served them without thinking of thus show and these wonderful mothers. J wrote a book that she is going to share with me once home, the topic interest me so much. We spoke of death of loved ones (which she has so much more experience than I do with) but the weirdest thing happened while we talking about a sensitive topic...I for some reason notice everything on the ground, infact wanted to write a blog post on that topic alone. But I notice the ants and anything in my path, and have taken great care not to step on them as in my eyes they are on their own