Buen Camino 12: Start to finish.

What a journey it has been. So many memories - plenty of good ones with a few painful ones.
 As is so often said about what is important; he tangata, he tangata, he tangata (it is the people, the people, the people). It is the great fellow pilgrims and their friendship that is most important. Sometimes only meeting once over an evening meal or walking and sleeping together for a number of days.
I am disappointed and frustrated to have blistered so badly - but it gives me a reason to come back next year!
A smattering of photos to follow as a quick overview.

Holding my credential in St Jean.

So many churches with inspiring interiors.

Nice view from my breakfast stop.

So good to see destinations appear after a long day of walking. 

 Happy to stay in Ribadiso again.

 Walking up to the Iron Cross.

 High point of the Camino -over 1500 m.

 Some more well traveled pathways.

 The shell is a symbol for all pilgrims - with a mix of standard and funky designs.

Sunrise looking back over Portmarin valley.

Only 100km to go!

No comment necessary! !

Sometimes the bugs do strike! Not me fortunately and I didn't meet too many pilgrims who had been bugged.

 Foot massage and having dead skin cut off from blisters.

Santiago cathedral. 

I am certifiable - with compostela.

Buen Camino 11: birds and wildlife et al

The variety of wildlife along the way is remarkable. As a lot of time is walking in the country-side this is hardly surprising. Some of the little things have included: slugs  (brown or black), butterflies, various coloured caterpillars, ants by the thousands, snails and a brown snake  (about 20 cm long). The constant amongst these is that you are looking down at the pathway most of the time.
Of course there is the range of farming animals along the way also.

The birds flying around are great as well but the buzzards circling at one point seemed ominous. The cranes in Spain are very religious as they build their nests on any available church.

A number of pilgrims do have difficulty with their boots as shown by the impromptu memorials along the way. 

Lots of interesting houses and doorways along the way. 

Buen Camino 10: People along the Camino

As you can imagine, there are all sorts of people journeying on the Camino. A sample of people I have met or heard about includes (haven't got pictures for all however):
- James from Louisiana, chugging along between 20-25 km a day, his wife passed away last year so he's doing it for her. He is 85 years old!!
- Claude from France, easily walking 25-30 km per day, faster pace than most pilgrims.  He is 80 years old!!
- a lady from Switzerland who has leukemia. She needs to inject / treat herself before she starts each day. She's remembered by those who met her for caring about others; asking how they're feeling and how their blisters are. A Finnish guy was in tears telling me how she moved him so much. He said his blisters and sore legs were nothing compared to her situation but she still cared for how he was. She was only on the Camino for 10 days and had to go back to Switzerland for more treatment!
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Japanese family cycling from Burgos to Santiago (approx 500 km). Dad had youngest on his bike and oldest son (7 years old) had his own bike  (see middle picture with kid's bike at the front). They were in NZ for 3 months last year cycling from Auckland to Dunedin. Dad had older son in a trailer attached to his bike and mother had youngest on her bike! ! Who said children stop you doing active things. 

Alan, John, Paul and Mary-Ellen. 

Walked with these guys, on and off, for a few days. 

- Alan from Liverpool, great accent, Everton season ticket holder for many years. Taught me the expression  (I can't do the accent though) "Koppites are gobshite" - football fans will understand this!

 - John and Mary-Ellen from Georgia. John had really bad blisters but kept up a cracking pace each day. He couldn't stop for breaks because it was too painful to get started again. Finally went to clinic in Leon and rested for a day. When I saw them again he gave me a load of dressings and antiseptic liquid he wasn't using; which enabled me to do the surgery on my own blisters. They had a tight schedule as they were meeting their 6 sisters in Sarria and all doing the last part together. Mary-Ellen was also able to keep up a good walking  pace. All 3 were great people to spend time with. 

Jae-Soo, Sunday, Paul and Marteen.

Tom and Paul  (team uniforms)

Sunday and Paul (bunks at Roncesvilles)

First night in Roncesvilles, bunk mates were Jae-Soo, Sunday and Tom. Jae-Soo is a  teacher from Detroit in an inner city school. Saw him a couple of times on the road after first night. Sunday from Wallah in Washington state. Bumped into her a few times along the way. Her husband was commercial fishing in Alaska for 6 weeks, two kids were with grandparents so she was on the Camino and meeting friends in Leon to do the walk. Tom is a young guy from Germany who is walking the Camino on his own. We shared bunks the second night as well. Bumped into him again in Astorga and Foncebadon. Marteen is a young guy from Belgium who shared the table (pilgrim meal) and a few drinks after on the first night. Didn't see him again though. 

Three mother-and-daughter teams.

Carol (second from right) from Carolina. We were bunk mates a few times and walked together a little. She started in St Jean, met her daughter in Leon to walk together and will meet husband in Santiago and have a couple of weeks together in Portugal after.

As you can gather, there is a real variety of pilgrims that you meet along the way. Some you only see once while others keep getting bumped into. 

While there are real advantages to staying in hostals/pensions  (own room and bathroom, no one else snoring, waking for yourself instead of the early birds starting to make a noise before 5.30!!) you do meet a real community of people by staying in albergue. The best thing is probably a mix of the two - a real nights sleep sometimes and socializing with other pilgrims other times. The lack of sleep is the biggest challenge I have found.