Stage 35: The Final Stage! Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela, 20 kms, 4 hrs, 17C, Rain...then sun

We Can't Believe We Are Here!!!!

At a time like this it seems that one should be able to come up with something profound and world changing to expound upon...such as, "this is where we separate the sheep from the goats"' or some other statement which will go down in to the history of man kind. Unfortunately, I don't have a team of writers putting together profound one liners for me. Our arrival into Santiago was a bit convoluted and not at all as portrayed in the movie The Way. It was pouring rain, the road to the cathedral was all ripped up and we were not allowed into the Cathedral noon time peregrino mass because we still had our gear on. Surely we smelled bad enough to be allowed in so they would swing the big incense burner, but alas we have to wait until tomorrow. 

We were so up for the day that we were awake early walking through the forest in the pitch black, jumping puddles and eventually forced to just walk through many of them...it was pretty wet. Didn't stop until we arrived in the square...but we were ok with a non-stop stroll today. Evidence of flooding everywhere.

Concerning our arrival, I'll simply say that we are both presently a bit overwhelmed. The arrival is actually pretty emotional and it gets even better as others you have begun to know along the way show up to welcome you in or arrive as the day goes along. We have just returned from a most memorable gathering at a bar across from the official Peregrino Office. It was just like an old home coming event. Hugs and kisses, congrats all round followed up with endless mugs of beer. You couldn't ask for a better welcome. Truly memorable. And the celebration has just begun as we will head out for dinner with a pretty large group tonight in just over an hour. No curfews so it should be a late night if any of us have any energy left to burn. We are all running on fumes and it wouldn't take much for all of us to crash in a pile and fall fast asleep!

Still processing things and expect this to go on for quite some time. We do want to thank all who have sent us the many encouraging emails and blog messages as we've walked the past five and a half weeks. They had great meaning to both of us and helped provide laugher and support just when we needed a little pick-up. So thank you all for that...appreciated.

We will write more as time permits...perhaps on the 5 hour train ride late tomorrow as we head down to Madrid...fortunately we know the city fairly well so arriving late will be ok, and as we walk up to our hotel we will be looking for TAPAS!!

Here are a few photos from our day...hope you enjoy.

Hotel tonight...old monastery 

Geoff & Annemarie 

Over to Annemarie ....

The Trail In

Todays's trail serves as a metaphor for our journey, and life more broadly

We started in the dark, not completely sure where we were to go, oddly

We asked for directions and a helpful soul got us on our way

We started off in the woods, the trail difficult to see I would say

Last night's storm definitely left it's mark

Puddles and mud and still it was dark

Our Camino umbrella was in place, the rain had stopped

We helped each other find a dry route, around the puddles we hopped

At one point the path was completely washed away

Get wet to our knees or leave the marked path was a choice we had to make today

As usual, we chose our own way, went along a different road

And soon the path rejoined, and on again we trode

For a time the path was smooth, there were no challenges for us to see

But the rain came down, we found shelter under a tree

Then of course the ubiquitous hill appeared

We climbed it happily thinking the cathedral at the top would appear

But that only occurs in the movie there is no hilltop view

One of life's little disappointments, but nothing really new

Our reward at the end is to have achieved our goal

Which really isn't the destination, it's e food for our soul