Santiago Day 2 - Always a Pilgrim

Leischen did not have to wake up at 6:00 this morning, but she did have a breakfast date with her Danish friends.  She toured around the city and took a ton of pictures ( all with the "other" camera)

We toured the cathedral today and it was crazy with people.  We went to mass for the second time and there were over 1500 people in attendance. We watched them swing this huge incense burner over the crowd and it covers all the pilgrims with the smell of incense.    Then we walked around the city and ate.   It was fun to watch all the people we have walked the trail with as they arrive into the city.  The coolist part was to be a part of the city and share their entrance with them.  Tomorrow there will be a whole new group and I will know no one.   It has been amazing to be here.   I have made so many friends.  It is such a gift to share this experience with them.

I feel so incredibly blessed.  This has been such a trip full of "hard things to do", but also so many new experiences, sights and new friends to share it with.  I came by myself, but the Lord provided all the friends I needed to share it with.  

 It has also been a lesson on "when there is no stuff" what is it that really matters to you? 

I have learned how much I love people, and how well God really does provide.   I feel so full.


I am having dinner with friends for the last time tonight  and then I am taking the night train to Madrid.   I have a bunk so I can at least sleep on the way.   I don't have to pay for a hotel room, but at least I can lay down between the two cities.  (the internet says it is about 5.5 hours by train)

I think Leischen will  forever be a pilgrim.   It is an experience that she will never forget, but will always carry in her heart.  As she leaves Santiago and finds her way to the city where she will fly home, the reality of her "other" life will start calling.    It is always fun to see your children so happy.   She says she feels full.    I am full because she is so happy.

Santiago - I Made It

The Day has finally come.   780 kilometers are behind me and I am standing at the front of this beautiful Cathedral ( Which is covered in scaffolding as they repair the front of it).

We went to the Pilgrims Mass at Noon, and I was able to receive my certificate for 780 kilometers.  It was very exciting and emotional.   I did it!!!

 I talked to Leischen later in the day and asked if she had started being a tourist yet.   She said that she didn't have time yet but  - She did seal up all her hiking clothes.. she was done with those for the rest of the trip.   She had gotten her train ticket to Madrid for later this week and had gone to the church of St. Francis for a special certificate for pilgrims that is only available this year.   She then went off to have drinks with friends and said hello to the other pilgrims she knew.   

It was a fun night.  You get to be reunited with all the people you have traveled with.

Comments:

Gretchen - Congratulations Leischen

 

Lacacolla

Leischen is so close now.   She is only a couple hours from Santiago and plans on walking into town before the Pilgrim service at noon.    She walked 30 kilometers today and said that she actually could have gone all the way, but thought how nice it would be to walk in to town and straight to the Cathedral  just before the ceremony.   She is in a hotel tonight because the Albergue's this close to the finish line are very, very large. (average about 400 beds each).  

We skyped for only a short time this morning.    I think Leischen had time, but we were expecting guests for Brunch after church and were not quite ready yet.    She was waiting for Nancy to arrive and they were planning on sharing a hotel room.   Nancy is a late riser, so they don't normally start on the trail together.

Octopus

Leischen sent this picture of her dinner last night.  
 We had a great dinner last night.  Octopus, a regional delicacy.  It was delicious.   I also learned that paella is different by region here. It is a little more moist than in other regions.   It was quite good.

The Grandfather of my Jersey friends is from this region.   He is along and recommending things that are quite good.   It has been fun to try these new things.



I am looking forward to tomorrow.   It is hard to

Paella 

describe this pilgrimage.   It is different for each person who makes this walk, and very hard to put into words.  It certainly is something I will never forget.

Arzua

We only have 39 kilometers to go!!
  

We are going to do a long day tomorrow of 30 kilometers.  If we do that we will only have to walk 10 km into Santiago on Monday.    The Pilgrims ceremony is at noon, and we don't want to be late or  too tired when we get there.
















This is a picture taken by my Danish friends.   It seems that I am always the one serving meals.   Mom says that it is a holdover from my Applebee Days.   I say that "a good person takes care of people".







As you can see we have been walking through a lot of farm ground here.   It is much different from the wheat farming.   Here there are many cattle and the hills roll with fields and trees.













There were not a lot of pictures of the city of Arzua, but there were about 100 shots of cheese.   There were quite a few of cattle, and a lot of pictures of melted cheese on assorted foods beautifully displayed.

It looks like a beautifully lined path that Leischen is walking on.

San Xulian

I am in San Xulian.  It is a small town outside of Palas del Rey.  All the tour groups stop in Palas Del Rey so we went 3 kms outside.  It is a quiet little village and there are no groups staying here.   The Albergue is very small with only 12 beds ... but all my camino friends ended up thinking the same thing and here we all are.  It is amazing how it all turned out.  Nancy from Portland, The Danes the Hungarians and my two new American friends from Jersey, also Lois from Germany.

The crowds who have joined this journey are just incredible right now.  There are two groups of 150 participants each, all walking the camino with us today.   One group is all adults and one is all children.   Add to that the many many school groups as well and small groups of adults.   The traffic is insane.   I like to believe that it is God reminding me that the real world is soon coming back  and I will have to keep my Camino in my heart even when the outside world is crazy around me.   I can hardly believe I only have 69 kilometers to go.  I will be there in two and a half days.  The time is going so quickly now, but it wasn't always that way during the wheat field days.

This little town also has a monastery.  I thought the pictures of the crusades on the walls quite interesting.   It really is small and the pictures don't share a lot.

Leischen is totally missing the movement of farm animals on this trip.   This town also uses the street to take their cattle to market.     I am going to look through her camera shots, but she has never mentioned any of these farm events as she has traveled across Spain.

Portomarin and less than 100km to go!

I am now in Portomarin.  It is crazy full of pilgrims.  So many young Spanish kids.   The place is nuts.

With all the new people have you seen many of your camino trail friends?

Nancy met me when she got to town three hours after I arrived.   I spent the day with a nice couple of 26 year olds from New Jersey.  They were both music majors.   A really nice couple.  I also ran into my priest friend,Chema, and my German friend Lois.

I got the best compliment from my German friend, Otmar.  He said " Leischen, you are friends with everyone on Camino"  I was very pleased.  It is all possible by walking with many people on the road.  Talking for awhile and then moving on at your own pace. 

How are you doing with all the extra people on the road?  More Housing? more variety in food?

There is more variety in housing but we were turned down at 4 arbergues before we found one to stay in for the night.

Do you have to leave earlier to arrive earlier in the next village to get a room?

I am not getting up earlier.   I am just seeing what I can find and if I run into too big a problem, I am getting a hotel room.  People are leaving the albergue at 4:00 a.m.   It is craziness here.  The guide book says you have to have a sense of "detatched compassion" from here on out.

Well, I don't know about that... but I can see the area is very pretty.

San Mamed del Camino

I made it to San Mamed del Camino. It is the last town before before Sarria.  The camino is going to change drastically tomorrow as Sarria is the last town to start in and still earn a Compostela  (Certificate of walking the Camino)  It becomes more of a tourist thing and large groups come in and talk loudly on their cellphones and things.  The group I am traveling with today all wanted one last day of "real" camino before the craziness starts in just 4 kilometers.   This is a nice place with another communal meal.   I will enjoy spending the evening with these new friends.

Comments:

Mike - Tell her to walk slower. I love reading these each day!