I’m not going to try to put the pictures in any order. When I try that, everything gets messed up. Anyone reading this will have to guess which picture l, if any, pertains to which written content. Think of it as a game.
The certificate gives me credit for 828 km for the pilgrimage from Irún to Santiago, about 500 miles. My pedometer shows about the same. I’m sure that’s my best month since September of 2014 finishing the PCT. The hike continues now from Santiago to Finisterre. Some signs, and maps, show Fisterre. I’ve been assured it’s the same place.
Walking today I came across two tour buses with people standing around and looking at a nice river and bridge. I heard an American accent. A group of seven women, from Chino Hills, California and one guy, one of their boyfriends were in the group. They had done a 100km, fully guided and planned (and PAID for) pilgrimage finishing up enough of the Portuguese Way to get a certificate. Now the group is touring. Comparing and contrasting our experiences was funny! I don’t know what their trip expense was, but, I guarantee it was many, many, many times greater than mine:). And I like mine more.
Chino Hills is very near to where I grew up, and one of the women went to Montclair High School, where I learned to swim as a youngster. She went to Serrano Junior High, I went to Vernon Junior High. She remembers my old Kingsley Elementary School…we all had a lot of fun while they waited to get back on the bus and see in one day what it will take me four or five to see:)
I love some of the signs here:)
Nice scenery and rural farms and ranches with small towns. There were some stretches of gravel side roads, which were nice for a change. It seems to have been quite a lot of pavement walking lately.
One pilgrim showed me a website that shows how many pilgrims get a certificate each day on the Camino. It averages about 2,000 per day, going down significantly in the winter. So, yesterday’s zoo at the cathedral with all those people is pretty much a daily occurrence nearly nine months a year.
I have significantly cut down my distances the last two days. My feet seem to like the slower, shorter pace.
Albergues are all different. This one is funky. It’s old, remodeled apparently without any building codes, unique. An old, significant older than me, couple is running this. I’ve paid for dinner (sometimes dinners come with the room) and I have no idea what I’m getting. This is far enough out of town there are no restaurant options. No problem, I have a lot of energy bars if it’s inedible.
At the rate I’m walking I’m still two days away from Finisterre. Spending the night near Vilaserío, Galicia, Spain, listening to thunder.
