Almost there!

Monday September 30

The slight crescent of the moon shone through scattered clouds as we left our room this morning.  It was so good to see it again!  After a little toast and hot drink, we started down the dark road again towards Santiago.  I am pleased to report that the last morning of walking in the dark I now have a bright light again - new batteries work every time!

I am glad because the other day I stumbled over a dead branch that leaped out into the path and went down on my hands and knees.  Luckily, I have knee supports on both legs and we were on soft ground, so no skins.  I only fell one other time and that was as I was getting out of bed one night.  The velcro on my sleeping bag was stuck to my shirt and pulled me back, I lost my balance and crashed to the floor.  I have no idea how many people I woke up!

Our walk today took us through some nice oak woods full of moss and ivy covered trees, corn fields and the wonderfully smelling eucalyptus forests.  We began to see vestiges of the suburbs of Santiago - small villages with detached homes, all with beautiful gardens that usually included a fig tree, grape vine and an apple tree.  We also saw a robust kiwi vine today - none of the fruits were ripe yet, however.

    

I loved our walk today, although it was overcast, the sun peeked out periodically and we only got drizzle while we walked.  We are relaxed and don't have to push so hard, so we stopped for refreshments and pit stops several times and had ham and cheese omelets at a delightful cafe.  We finally got the story there about why people put coins in the stone walls in some of the cafes and bars we've been in.  It is very much like Tivoli fountain in Rome.  People leave them because they leave something of themselves and will have to come back to retrieve it.  Of course, we left coins this morning.

We came to Monte de Gozo which is above the city of Santiago and made our way through the recreation area to the pilgrim statues to get the full view.  Looking down, it is amazing that just a little over four weeks ago, we were starting out in France and have walked this far.

                                  

Along the way, we passed the Santiago sign and stopped for a photo op.  Santiago is a little like Philadelphia.  We are in the city limits, but there is still a way to go.  We've stopped at an albergue that is about 4 k from the Cathedral.  We plan to walk in tomorrow morning in time to go the the pilgrim's office to get our certificate and then attend the pilgrim mass at noon.  It will also be good to see some of our fellow pilgrims who arrived today.

We are in an albergue tonight and I don't think I've shared the variety of accommodation available on the Camino.  Many towns and villages have municipal hostels and we've found that in the larger cities they are very well run and are usually large.  There are hostels run by local or provencial governments; convents, monasteries and churches often run hostels; there are association hostels that are managed by volunteers from Camino associations in other countries like the German one we stayed in.  Finally there are private hostels which range from converted homes to new beautiful places often with food services.  Many of these places have private rooms in addition to the dorm accommodations. At the top end are hotels and Casa Rural places that are boutique-like bed and breakfast places.  Apparently, there is a governing organization that approves these accommodations and inspects them.  Many are beautifully decorated and always the hosts are welcoming and helpful.

The beds always have pillows and sheets - sometimes throwaway ones.  We sleep with our sleeping bags on top and most albergues have blankets since it is getting cooler.

    My bed on the bottom.

I think on this Camino, we have stayed in all of these types of accommodations.  Almost all of them have a place for people to drop off their poles near the door and boots are lined up on shelves so dust, mud or anything else doesn't get into the sleeping areas.

                                  

My favorite boot managing system was the one in Burgos.  There was a pull-our shelf for each floor!

                               

Have you ever seen anyone carrying everything on her butt?  Poncho swinging, hat, poles, water, camera, snacks and money - what else would I need?

 

    Another way to carry one's gear!

My angel card today was 'spontaneity' and after much thought, I think much of the past four weeks have been pretty spontaneous.  It was difficult to plan or predict what each day would bring, so everything has been rather 'in the moment' from finding a place to eat and who we would be sitting with to what each day would bring.  Probably one of the most spontaneous things we did was one day when we missed the trail and ended up on the road. When we figured out where we were, we realized we were on a fairly dangerous stretch with no shoulder.  I asked Diana if she wanted to hitch hike and put out my thumb as the first car was passing.  A wonderful man stopped and took us a few km up the road so we could continue walking.  

As I was thinking about this today, I realized that spontaneity can't happen unless one is present - in the now.  The Camino  has very much been about being present. I intend to keep some of this spontaneity in my life when I return.

                            

                                 One way to dry laundry

Hildy update:  John reported that one of the nurses said that Hildy smiled at her this morning before her surgery.  The shoulder surgery went well and they expect her to start feeling better with less pain.  Apparently, it has been shattered and there were bone shards all over.  Having it cleaned up and rebuilt will certainly reduce her pain.  This is a milestone and we are so pleased with her progress.