Santiago

Yesterday we decided to push through to our final destination. We got here late in the afternoon. It was a beautiful day for walking sun mixed with cloud and a little cool.

There were many people milling around the cathedral square. We tried to get our compostela but there was a long line.

We found a tourist office and located a hotel where we went to get cleaned up.

In the evening we went back to rhe old city and got our compostela. We went into the cathedral and joined a mass.  Then we celebrated by having paella at a restaurant.

Today I attended the pilgrim mass. The place was packed. Unfortunately I didn't see anyone I knew.

Arzua

We have now joined Camino Frances at this town. Our Cech friend has pushed on ahead and plans to arrive at Santiago tomorrow.. Jerry from Calgary is with us in a full municipal albergue here and also plans to push on the 40 kms to Santiago tomorrow. 

We will take it a little slower and do the same as the last couple of days doing up to 25 kms tomorrow with the remainder on Saturday.


Again the weather started foggy today only burning off late in the afternoon.  Pretty good for walking.

Apples are pretty good here, very sweet.   A lady offered use a handful from her garden.

Just learned that daughter Isabel eloped and married her beau, Michael Lambert on October 2nd.

Quite something that Steve Jobs is gone, a huge figure in personal computing. I doubt Apple will ever be the same.

No pictures today; am using an internet pc.

Sobrado

The monastery we are staying in is great. We just finished hearing the vespers service in the chapel, about 15 monks. A sung service.

The Camino de Norte finishes tomorrow when we arrive at Arzua.

We are now in an informal group of 6; us, a Chech, a Spaniard, a man from Calgary on the road since early July, and a fellow our age from North Carolina.

We were in an English albergue last night in Mariz. So nice to have our own language.

It was very foggy till noon. I thought it might rain but the sun came out.

About 3 more days to Santiago.

Baamonde

It is early afternoon and we are having a cervesa at a bar by the albergue.
We are now about 100 kms from Santiago. This has been a very different walk from the Madrid route. The geography is quite different but more importantly there are other people we see every day and sometimes eat with.
We cross our fingers, rhe weather continues to be fine.
This is the first wifi I have found in a few days.