Bill Grabert's Camino de Santiago - 2022

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...

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...

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 -

It is now less than 100 Km of walking before I arrive at Santiago de Compostela.  That mark is significant because it is necessary to walk at least 100 Km in order to receive the certificate at the end. Lots of people walk only the last 100.  That means that there are tons more people on the Camino. From what I've seen, they seem to be mostly middle aged Spanish folks.  Today, it seemed like there were an extra hundred people on the Camino. I have no idea where they went though.  They must all go to big towns. The last two nights I've been staying in tiny villages in between the towns and NOBODY is there. I miss people. I think I'll walk an extra long day tomorrow so I can get to a town with people in it.  Today's sunrise - Some other scenes along the way - Passing through the town of Portamarin - Drying laundry on my pack as I walk - The crowds - Today's walk - ...

I finally got to break out my poncho today. It's been raining a little at night and threatening in the last few days but today it actually broke into a heavy sprinkle.  It was not cold, so it was pleasant walking.  I've been fending off a cold for a few days and last night after a 20 mile (32 Km) day, I was exhausted and feeling sicker than ever. I was thinking that it might be time to hold up for a couple of days. This morning I didn't feel much better, but somehow after a couple of aspirin and a couple of cups of coffee I felt better and better for the rest of the day. It reminded me of backpack traveling when I was younger. I think I was some kind of sick about half the time. Unfortunately, it's probably inevitable with this kind of traveling.  A local patrolling the Camino - Morning mist - Only 119.934 Km to Santiago de Compostela. Tomorrow I cross the 100 Km mark - Moss and ferns on an ancient rock wall...