Stage 19 to Santiago de Compestela

11 kms. We made it. Santiago at last. We made it about 10:30 am, walked past the cathedral, then found our hotel for the next two nights, Roots and Boots. We have a 6-bunk room, showers and toilets down the hall.
We went to the pilgrim office and got our official paper indicating we finished the pilgramage. Now for a couple of days of rest before heading to Madrid, then home.

The gang before our final day of walking on the Camino. 

We have arrived.

The St. James Cathedral 

Paella and wine for lunch

The pilgrims waiting for their official credential 

Stage 18 to Lavacolla Igresa

17 kms. Short walk, a couple of big hills. A couple of 200 meter elevation changes up and down. The Camino goes past the airport that we will leave from on Saturday.
Made it to our hotel by 1pm.

A memorial to a pilgrim who died at this spot only 27k from his final earthly destination.

A snail pilgrim on the Camino. I'll make it to Santiago before she makes it across the Camino. 

The 12 miles to Santiago marker.

Lunch?

Stage 17 to Salceda

24 kms. Just walking, setting the stage for a short day tomorrow and an even shorter day on Wednesday into Santiago.
Our alberque didn't have a restaurant so walked a 100 meters to Cafe Tia Teresa. I asked our server who was Aunt Teresa, it was his wife the cook. We all went inside and called her out of the kitchen and gave her an ovation.

The church on the way out of Meride.

Cows on the Camino 

Dinner at Tia Teresa's 

Stage 16 to Melide

30 kms. This time Jenny and Geraldine took our packs with them in the taxi, and Randy, Adriel and I walked with only day packs. A long walk, but a beautiful day and lots of pilgrims on the Camino. Jenny and Geraldine are sharing a double room, with private bath. We're in bunk beds, but few others are at this alberque.

Only a little over 52k left. We will be in Santiago on Wednesday.

Randy and Adriel in front of Casa Domonic. It would be a Mexican restaurant in Texas.

Lunch time on the Camino. 

Stage 15 to Ventas de Naron

22 kms. This was the first we all slept in bunk beds in an alberque. We had the 6 bottom bunks in the room, other pilgrims had the top 6. We all agreed if was an ok experience.
Bill, Randy, Blanca and Adriel started of from Ferreiros about 7:50 am. Jenny and Geraldine took a taxi, about a 30 minute ride.
It was almost 9k to the first big town, Portomarin. We crossed a wide river, up many stairs into town, then put Blanca into a taxi so she could make it to Santiago, then catch her morning flight home so she go back to work.
We 3 continued on another 13 kms to our alberque for tonight,  Casa Molar. There was Jenny and Geraldine waiting for us on the patio. They have a double room, the rest are in the 10 bed bunk room. Both double rooms and the 10 bunks share two bathrooms with shower.

A guide marker along the Camino.

Only 96.083k left

Adriel just before we go up the stairway to the town

Blanca and Randy, just before she's off to Italy

The bridge at Portomarin

Bill and Randy on the Camino

 

Jenny and Geraldine at our albergue

Stage 14 to Ferreiros

13 kms. Grandson Adriel, Randy's wife Blanca, Jenny and our niece Geraldine joined us in Sarria. The three women decided to take a taxi to the stop while the rest of us walked. We started walking about 8 am, and got to the very nice Casa Cruceiro about noon. The women arrived about 15 minutes later. We thought we had reservations for 2 double rooms and 2 alberque beds. A failure to communicate. Our reservations were for yesterday. So we ended up with 6 beds. The other 18 bunk beds quickly filled up. Facilities include 2 private toilet and 4 private shower rooms.

Stage 13 Sarria to Samos, and back

30 kms, going the opposite way on the Camino, then returning to Sarria. It's not easy to stay on the Camino because the arrows don't always show up, even looking back. I got lost twice, once on a steep hill that I had to go back down, once onto a highway into Samos because I missed the shorter cutoff.
Samos is famous for its 6th century monastery, one of the largest in the western world.
My new hiking sandals performed great, ready for the last 111 kms to Satiago de Compostela.

If this dog had let me know, I wouldn't have missed the turn

A very old pilgrim in Samos. 

The monastery

Almost back to Sarria, but I had to Try this bacon sandwich.

Stage 12 Sarria continued

Monday June 11. I bought new hiking shoes, then I tried them out by hiking to Barbadelo, 5 kms to the north of Sarria. A pleasant walk, with one big, long hill.

My new shoes. Keen Newport H2 closed toe hiking sandals

I bought the shoes at peregrinoteca, a Camino equipment store, on the right in the picture. In the center of the picture is Escalinata Maior, lots of Camino stairs as I entered Sarria.

A cemetery, as you leave Sarria.

The medieval Ponte Aspera 'Rough Bridge' over the Rio Celeiro, leaving Sarria.

Stage 12 Sarria

225 kms on the train
So I had a nice visit with son Randy. It rained most of the night, and most of the day. Got to Sarria about 1:15 pm. Checked in to nice hotel, did some laundry at the laundromat down street, and bought some groceries so I don't have to go out again, in the rain. As I returned to the hotel, 30 Americans in a tour checked in.

Train in Monforte de Lamos.

I can only hope that my 8 months in Spain on a contract with Renfe, the national railroad of Spain, led to this great service and on-time trains. 😊

The view from my hotel

Sarria is ALL uphill from the south

Stage 11 Leon

200 kms on the train. Met son Randy, and we're staying in a nice apartment tonight. Tomorrow I'll take a train to Sarria, continue to heal, buy some new boots, do some day hike to break them in, and wait for the rest of the family to arrive on June 14.  

Had to say goodbye to cousin Esther in Bilbao. She doctored and fed me for 4 days.

And I had to say goodbye to Nani the dog

Leon has a large cathedral

Stage 10 continued Bilboa

Thanks to the incredible nursing of cousin Esther, my feet are recovering. On Saturday she was so concerned with their condition that she had an ambulance (No siren) take me to the local emergency room. The staff determined that since I had walked over 200 kilometers in central Spain, then came by train to Bilbao, that it was not an emergency. I could go to the clinic the next day if I needed attention.
So Esther got out her medical supplies. She's a senior caretaker, and has medical training.
I walked a couple of kms this morning, and feel no pain walking this afternoon.
I will travel by train on Thursday to meet son Randy in Leon, then he'll keep walking while I use public transportation to go to Sarria. I'll recover there, buy some new boots and break them in. Then the whole family arrives on the 14th and we all head off to Santiago de Compestela on El Camino.
Buen Camino.

Stage 10 Bilboa

150 miles. What! Yes, by train. I went to the doctor yesterday, she cleaned up my blisters (owie), and said no walking for a week. So, thanks to my son I have relatives all over world. Aunt Esther will take care of me, I will recover, and rejoin the Camino in a bit.
Bien Camino.

Stage 9 to Puente Duero

24 kms. Travel to the first town, 15 kms, was pretty easy along unpaved farm roads. Valdestillas has 3 streets but they are 2 kms long. Just in time for lunch, steak, eggs and fries. Walking to Puente Duero was hard, up and down on a rocky road.
The Greyhound Story
I see a jeep coming. About 100 meters away, he stops and starts blowing the jeeps horn. Que pasa I say to myself. Then, from different directions come 4 greyhounds. They had been chasing rabbits. He puts each on a leash that is hanging on the jeep. I approach, holding up my picture of Jessie. We have a nice conversation, then he slowly drives away with the greyhounds trotting along beside the jeep

Stage 8 to Alcazaren

18 kms. No towns in between, so just walking, got to town about 1pm. Had lunch at Bar Real. Brazilian pilgrim joined me, Wim and Josette arrived just as I finished. Bought some groceries then went to the alberque. Took the last bottom bunk. Washed some clothes, took a nap. The life of a pilgrim.

Don't mess with the Camino

Alcazaren

Stage 7 to Villeguillo

17 kms. Like a walk in the park, except for the one downhill over a river, then uphill in shoe deep mud. Made it to Villeguillo before the rain.

Beautiful interior of the Church in Coca

Halfway to Sahagun on the

Camino de Madrid

Lunch in the Villeguillo bar

Common room of the Villeguillo alberque

Stage 6 to Nava de la Asuncion

23 kms. Up and down, mostly down but alot of flat. Through a forest the last 10 kms. Rained off and on all day. Staying in hotel tonight.

Dinner last night at the only bar/restaurant in Ane. With 2 pilgrims from Belgium. Made arrangements as dinner not usually served.
Nice alberque (dorm) in Ane, with one room for 4 people, and large room. Pilgrim in background from Slovakia, little Spanish or English, but here he is.

I missed lunch at hotel in Nava de la Asuncion today, it finished at 3:30, I arrived at 3:20 but needed to get dry and a shower. Hotel bar had beer and tapas, a perfect lunch for me. Dinner at hotel at 9pm, if it stops raining I'll try somewhere else. Now for a nap.

Stage 5 to Ane

21 kms. Took me some time to get out of Segovia. Some pictures

Hot air balloons over Segovia

The road goes on

Wild flowers everywhere

Stage 4 to Segovia.

31 kms. First 8 kms all uphill over boulders. Camino part of an old Roman road. The next

A Camino marker.

The rocky start road 

23 kms mostly downhill. While I was eating lunch, the French couple passed me. I passed them later while the were eating. A few casual hikers, then the bike race took up the trail for the last 5 kms. The also took up all the cheap hotels.

Stopped at the first bar in Segovia, had beer and tapas, asked about a hotel. One of the customer got on his phone, made me a reservation, then drove me there. Checked in then went to a washateria and grocery store. Too tired to go to dinner ate bread, cheese and an orange in  my room.