Camino 2014: Day 27 Palais de Rei to Ribadiso (James)

ICamino 2014: Day 27 Palais de Rei to Ribadiso (James)

Miles today: 16.4

Miles total: 444.1

We are currently at an albergue situated along a peaceful river some 25 miles or so from Santiago.  The town has no store, but a restaurant is nearby.  Two weeks ago this would have been an idyllic setting, but now that we are so close to Santiago, it is a different story.

In order to receive the Compostela, the certificate of the completion of the Camino de Santiago, one needs only to do the remaining 100k.  While this still takes an effort and a few days for most, what happens is that the trail we have been on for 450 miles now swells so much that there is rarely a moment all day without the clamoring of new pilgrims.  It is a literal train of people.  It has been a bit shocking for everyone.  Because these late arrival pilgrims are only out for a few days at most, they tend to approach the trail differently and can sometimes cause a bit of consternation from those of us who have been out for a while.  For instance, and this is indicative of the quiet that can accompany you on the trail, we have been startled by ringtones and loud conversations by those on cell phones.  Others are heavily perfumed and after a month or so of not smelling that stuff, it can seem overly chemical.  Even the peaceful river I now sit at is choked with new pilgrims more interested in tanning and drinking beer.  Perhaps the best example of this new trail we have found ourselves a part of is the strikingly quick willingness of those new pilgrims to take taxis to their destination, seemingly unaware that pilgrimage and vacation were two different words.  The look on the girl's faces when they first witnessed pilgrims flagging down cars was priceless.

This is all unfortunate because the trail is great through Galicia.  We climb and descend gentle river valleys, nothing too steep that our conditioned legs can't handle.  In between, we find ourselves on level, shaded paths lined with eucalyptus trees.  It is really quite pleasant so long as you don't run into the back of another new pilgrim who abruptly stopped to light a cigarette.  

The girls are taking it well, though.  On too little sleep, they are plodding through the early morning darkness to ensure we can secure a bed by the end of the walking day.  Emily's legs are still limiting her stride, so she is slow, but incredibly determined.  It is quite inspiring and it is a reminder of how impressed I have been will all of these kids.  Everyone of them has had to deal with aches and pains that can distract you and make an otherwise pleasant day absolutely miserable.  Everyone of them has in turn put one foot in front of the other, regardless of what was bothering them.  

In two days, that way of life, one foot in front of the other, will have us arriving in Santiago, the end of the Camino Frances, where 95% of pilgrims complete their pilgrimage.  We will take a day off, enjoy the sights and the symbolic end to our journey.  However, our legs will began to churn once again and for three days we will walk to the ocean.  It is there, looking out over the Atlantic ocean at a place called Finisterre (end of the world) where we will officially end.  It is with mixed emotions you greet the end of trips like this.  On the one hand, it will be nice to not have to wake at 5am and began a 6-8 hour walk, but on the other hand, we all intimately know that this was way more than just a walk.  In between the hypnotic rythym of our feet striking the ground, we found simplicity in life, peace in our hearts, and learned to quiet our minds.  We will strive to bring some of this home.  

I sincerely hope those of you reading from home have enjoyed the blog posts and pictures.  We have worked hard to post them in a timely fashion, so many apologies if you became addicted and we didn't post for the day.  More often than not we were limited by Internet availablilty and sometimes by sheer tiredness.  It is impressive to watch these girls turn out 20 mile days, but it is a whole other thing to watch them pecking away at the iPad at late hours in the night.  That being said, hopefully this will be my last post for awhile.  The teacher in me is way more interested in what the kids have to say anyway and more than likely, you as well.  

Cheers,

James

Special thanks for the day go to:

Kevin Kerns, Patrick March, and Paul and Ruth Westlund.

Many thanks to our mile sponsors as well!

Patrick March, Todd Wiese, Jan Cornelius