Myles ...we are here now

After thoughts

My FULL stamp book :)

Pilgrims mass with the huge botafumeira 

Yay .... My Compostela for completing the Camino !

Rick and James ( a neighbor from Fl who biked the Camino this week !

So we did it ! Now I processed all a bit and got a good night of sleep I can actually reflect on all a bit better . This journey for sure met all of my expectations and beyond . Reasons I did this were : spending time away from the usual daily routine . Spending time with my son Tom . The physical challenge (it's HARD!!!) and   Being in Europe . All goals were met :) it is just a very strange existence for 1 month ! All you need to do is walk, talk, eat and drink , stay healthy (sleep enough) and enjoy the ride ! This whole experience would not have been the same if Tommy wouldn't have come along ! What a treat for a parent!!! Words cannot express how special this was for me :) xo . Also it was great that Rick

and Carrie were part of this by sharing our last week with us , thanks !!! Some details : not ONE blister !!! Yay ! Knees hung in (with a preventative knee brace ) 1 toe is bruised from the many steep downhills ! But aside from that all went great due to great gear and all the prep I did ! Now for all of you that are thinking " cool I would love doing somthing like that " .... DO IT !!!! Just do it . And that is my final thought :) 

My Compostela :)

We did it !!! Walking day 23 !

View from my bedroom in Santiago

Not just wiped out , but processing all 

My feet up in front of the Santiago Cathedral 

Santiago Cathedral ! 

Almost there !

Typical path of today 

15 km to go ! 

Today we arrived in Santiago !!! We did it ! 500 km through the beautiful Spanish countryside and cities ! I need a day to reflect and process and .... Rest and wil write my final camino post tomorrow ! For now just this : I'm 300% happy with this crazy journey :) 

And we officially are in Santiago :) 

Walking day 22 !

The entire Camino had beautiful flowers everywhere . 

Only one more day after today :( .... We walked from Melide to Salceda ! It was a 25 km walk in hot weather but on good and nice enough paths . I certainly think the first 17 days offered AMAZING scenery while now it's nice country side paths. Still nice but not stunning . We are staying at a nice albergue for our last night before Santiago . Tom beat me and Carrie by 2 hrs . He must be jogging the trail lol . He must lunch today so was starving at dinner time and are 2 plates of spaghetti, 1 chicken entree and dessert . He's enjoying an after dinner brandy at the bar now 😀! Tomorrow our last 27 km and then we will have reached our final destination of this long hike . I can't believe it's almost over :( . I will post a long post after it's over and I actually processed all . 

Very nice paths through forests today

Walking day 21!

Great Angus burger

Local cheeses and cured meats 

Pulpo with sea salt and olive oil

Zucchini stuffed with Bacon and cheese 

Lunch under Apple trees 

Typical path of today

"The shell" the main symbol of the Camino 

And another of many hamlets we walked through  

Lunch !!! SO good ! We eat most days the Peregrino menu . Every bar/restaurant serves that here . It's cheap and plenty for the hungry pilgrim :) today we arrived in Melide and were very happy with the restaurant we came across . Simply se plastic chairs and tables in the back yard under the apple trees . But great food !  Zucchini stuffed with cheese and bacon, Pulpo (octopus) cooked and sliced and then served with paprika, sesalt and olive oil , great angus burgers , and cheeses and cured meats and grilled vegetables with a aioli/ avocado sauce all completed with fresh Sangria ! YUM. We all had a good siesta after that . We arrived in Melide after a shorter 4 hr walk . The next 2 (and last )days will be long and hard there my feet , as I mentioned yesterday) are starting to truly hurt . But ..... I'm hanging in :) 

Tom and I entering Melide

Melide

Wrapping up shoe change !

Walking day 20 !!!

Breakfast yesterday 

Nice river front dinner ... Too bad the food was "so so" :(            

Long and boring day . We walked 25 km and about 22 were alongside a road :( no fun . The scenery was ok .... We're spoiled with amazing vistas . I hope the last 3 days will be more exciting then today . I only took 1 picture . Of me with my favorite drink (aside from wine lol ) here . Aquarius ! It's a low cal lemon drink . Slightly like Gatorade but way watered down . It's great during the day when it's hot . Ps the wine .... So good and so cheap . I never drink red wine at home but here it's all we drink . At a restaurant you buy a decent bottle for 5 to 8 euros !!! 

We cooked at the apartment... Tom's dish :) 

Walking day 19

And .... Always a climb at the end of the day lol !

Church in portomarin

Even the smallest hamlet has a church and cemetery 

The 100 km marker ! 

We started our last phase to Santiago . It's seems so long ago we started but then again not . Still AMAZING weather . We passed the 100 km to Santiago marker today. It's a lot more crowded now there lots of hikers only walk the last 100 km . Carrie's first day went great . Tomorrow we will have a 25 km day to Palas de Rei .

 My feet are starting to feel sore a bit earlier in the day now . I guess they are trying to say " enough" lol . But they will hang in 4 more days ! Today we are in Portomarin with its nice town square and ... Square church .