Santiago

I woke up with all my possessions strewn all over the room and a school full of children happily and noisily entering the school yard behind the hotel. If it hadn't been for them I would have way overslept.

I chose to get a bite first and look at my plans as I am quite confused now. My shin acted up last night while walking a bit in town. So I need to stay on the bike. Finisterra first, Michel showed me some of his pictures last night, it's a must.

Lovely cafe, I wrap up still confused but just plain happy to be alive. I grab my credencial and head to the pilgrim office to get that last stamp and the Compostela. Then to the hotel and I make a bag of items to leave there, took out quite a bit of weight actually. Simple is always better.

Then I head out on the bike and go by the cathedral plaza first. It's slightly sunny and nice. People are hanging about, tourists, peregrinos and locals. I just sit there watching the energy flow. Peregrinos who have accomplished their task. All the emotions are showing and it is joyful to watch.

I turn to have a last look and I see two cyclists and I hear a loud yell; Wouter! It is Henk and Magda who just rode in. It's unbelievable timing. Three times we have fortuitously run into each other and it's always a great laugh. We tell our stories, as they had taken a train and I had put down heavy metal over the past three days. This completely made my day and the sentiment of arriving in Santiago now is completely satisfying.

It is going to rain again in two hours. I chose the closest albergue on the way to Finisterra and set out at 2pm. I poke along again in a feeling of love and peace completely unattached to any object or person. I suddenly find myself forgiving those who I felt had wronged me over the years. Quite an unexpected emotion.

I arrive at what is easily the best albergue in all of Spain and treat myself to yet another coffee and torta on a veranda with a view as buckets of rain drop from the sky. I could not be luckier. Ok, I'm by myself but that's alright.

Communal dinner tonight. I might just have to take an old man nap first. I sat with Laura and Reidvard from Latvia and we had a deep yet very funny conversation that went on for two hours. They have completed the Camino Portugues and had also met Michel who I had dinner with last night. Small world this Camino.Read more