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Final Thoughts From Home, November 2, 2022

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First of all, I apologize to people who wondered what happened to me, and I will start by going through what I’ve been doing for the last week and a half.  After arriving in Santiago, the weather did not really get much better. Instead of walking another 4 days in the rain to the ocean and the towns of Finisterra and Muxia, I decided to take a bus tour. It was really fun and beautiful. To make it even more fun, every time the tour bus stopped in a place that intersected with the Camino (3 times), I met friends who were walking. Back in Santiago again, I had reunions with more people I hadn’t seen in weeks, finally saw the Botafumeiro (huge incense pot) swinging at the cathedral, toured a couple museums, and made a decision on what to do for the next week.  Instead of going to Madrid as originally planned, where the weather forecast was bad and I didn’t know anyone, I decided to fly to London to visit San Francisco State friends Carmen & Rich, where the weather forecast...
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Arrived! O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela. 24 Km (15 miles). October 21

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I've arrived at my destination, Santiago de Compostela.  It was a total of almost 500 miles (800 Km) of walking from France. I got there about 1 PM in a horizontal rain storm holding hands with a group of friends I've seen many times over the last few weeks. Other friends who had arrived in previous days were there to greet me. It was really fun. I plan to spend a lot of time in the next few days greeting people coming in after me too.  A dog hiking with a backpack and raincoat just like all the other peregrinos. -  The group.  They were all going to get Camino tattoos after arrival.  They wanted me to join them, but sorry, no tattoo for me! The pilgrim office where you get your Compostela, the certificate (in Latin), saying that you made the pilgrimage. The Compostela - Tonight I'm staying in an old seminary complex.  It's absolutely huge.  I have a single room instead...
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Santiago tomorrow. Ribadiso to O Pedrouzo today. 15 miles (24 Km). October 20.

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Tomorrow is the final day of the Camino de Santiago Francès for me.  It certainly comes with mixed emotions. Part of me wants to keep walking. I'm ahead of my schedule and I have the time to walk another 3 or 4 days to Finisterre (the end of the earth) on the Atlantic coast. I'm also kind of sick of walking and I'm ready to relax in a warm dry place for a while. The weather forecast is for the next week to have rain every day. That's making the continue walking option look less and less appealing. I will certainly hang around the city of Santiago de Compostela for a few days, even in the rain, just to see sights and reconnect with friends who come in after me. I will also certainly visit Finisterre, even if I end up taking a bus there.  I didn't take many pictures today, simply because it was raining all day and it was difficult to pull out the phone with wet hands from under my wet poncho.  The rainbows before the heavy rain -  A cou...
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Rain, mud, rainbows, and a 16th century hospital. Ligonde to Ribadiso. 34 Km (22 miles). October 19

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Today was serious rain, mud, cold and generally miserable hiking. Eventually, however, the sun came out, I got to my beautiful destination, had a hot shower, put on dry clothes, met some nice people, had a beer and good conversation, and everything is wonderful again.  Crowds in the rain - Traditional Galician grain drying and storage rooms - Some of the Camino today - New friends Kari & Paul from Australia - After the poncho came off - Under the rainbow at marker 47.28 Km to Santiago - Another cool medieval bridge in Ribadiso - The 16th century hospital turned into an albergue in Ribadiso - Today's walk -
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