Camino Day 33, Tuesday, July 7: O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela

Camino Day 33, Tuesday, July 7: O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela

Numbers: 12.46 miles per Garmin GPS. 32,833 steps, 120 floors, and 262 active minutes per Fitibt. The Garmin data for today's walk is here and yesterday's walk is here. Total miles on The Camino Over our 33 days: just short of 500.

So, yes, we made it. And, here's proof.....our multi-stamped peregrino passports with Deb holding a Compostela - certificate of completion (we actually each got two...one that has our distance traveled). As an added bonus, the certificates are individualized with our Latin names on them. Deb's is Deborah and Dave's is Davidem. I have no idea what they do with names like Chelsea and Tiffany.

And, we only had to wait in line about an hour

Dave's voice:

The last waltz and an easy one except for two rotting plank bridges. Who knew people would actually be walking on them? (Note from Deb: Bridges can be my Achilles heel. Not all bridges. I'm cool running over the Golden Gate Bridge, for example. But, I almost went into cardiac arrest on a swinging bridge in China, and a wooden plank bridge earlier on this trek almost brought me to a halt when it crossed over a freeway 500 feet up. Dave said it was only 30 feet above ground, but I knew better. Having two plank bridges less than 3k from our finish here was not my favorite thing. At least it wasn't high up).

We cruise out in the semi-dark at 6:30 and make our way along a good track under eucalyptus trees, seeing some familiar faces (New Zealanders, two young Japanese guys who always rushed past us on uphills, then lagged on the flats) and lots of newbies with clean packs and white legs. In the old days (I.e., pre-Sarria) we saw Germans and French, too, but now it’s almost all Spanish. The Germans seem to always feel they have to go through Belgium on their way anywhere West. The French have decided that the bread’s not good enough here, the whole idea of walking is meaningless and, after all, the French invented cheese and sexual perversion. The Italians were last seen getting excited about anything and everything: “Dental hygiene is important!” “No! It is very important!” “You’re both wrong! It’s very, very important!” “You’re crazy if you think that!” “NO! You’re crazy!” “Let’s argue at high volume!” “No! Let’s argue at very high volume!” “NO!”

The Spanish often seem confused, thinking they’re either Italian or French. Or both. Most in the small towns and countryside have been polite and sympathetic. Here in a cosmopolitan place like Santiago, a town that would wither to a pueblo were it not for the “tourigrinos,” we are greeted by no one and our “Buenos Dias” is unanswered. Bolly. We’re here for it, not them, and we’ve gotten everything we hoped for and more.

We weave through the Cathedral district, getting our certificate of completion (Yes, there is such a thing. And, yes, the sucker will be framed.) and finding our hotel, a nice reward. Old habits die hard, however, and we’re soon off to lunch, laundry, and mercado before settling down. There are old churches to look at, museums to visit, and a practice walk to the bus station to try, but all that can wait until tomorrow. Today is about what we’ve done, not what else there is to do.

Who knows? Maybe a hot game of Scrabble later. Soon, it’s off to Malaga to dump all that weight we were supposed to lose during the last 33 days.

Perhaps more narrative another day. For now, a few pictures....and...for those of you who have followed our trek: thank you!

Yes, I'm excited to leave our hotel this a.m. I just don't show it.

One final picture of Dave ahead of Deb

Final coffee stop

10K to go!

Getting closer!

And closer

In the city!

And the Camino continues....

And, a taste of the city...more when we are rested

We took the Camino Francais...there are many Caminos to Santiago

Posted with Blogsy