Come on in - there are a few more pics to look at which have us at the "end of the world" enjoying sunsets and general celebrations.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Thursday, June 01, 2006
0km - the end
Some more photos have been added today - feel free to have a look.
I have some more from the sunset at the cape and the ensuing celebrations to come.
enjoy
I have some more from the sunset at the cape and the ensuing celebrations to come.
enjoy
tme for the party to stop!
Hola from sunny and hot Madrid.
Where did I leave you last? In Finisterre I think. Well, after the last post a group of us walked to the cape and watched the sun set on the Atlantic and we drank wine and took photos to celebrate that we WALKED there to see this ;) We were back in the local restaurant that we discovered the night before and finished dinner around midnight (spanish style!). We continued on to a bar that was recommended and we were still dancing around at 5am when a few of us decided to have one last dip in the ocean!
A bus the next day to Muxia was strange. I had not moved this quickly in over 6 weeks and it f elt very strange. Muxia is a cute town that is trying desperately to jump on the camino wagon and were very accommodating to the handful of pilgrims who make the extra km´s to visit. W slept in the sports hall that night and, surprisingly, it ws the best sleep I had had in a while.
Back in Santiago, we had one more night before parting ways with our Finisterre crew and happened upon the party for thye Ascencion (40 days after easter) and the locals partied LOUDLY until 5am - bands, dancing, marching bands etc, all night. Had every intention of an early night and whil I was in bed early I didnt get any sleep.
A few weeks earlier I had an emal from Phil - ann irish guy who had emailed me some tips for my camino months ago. We agreed that we would try to meet wh ile he is in Spain. So that gave me somewhere to go, because until now, I had no post camino plans. Caught a bus to Salamanca and met up with Phil, his friend Shane and their other new friend Christi from Canada. Despite being exhausted, good manners meant that I must join them on a locals tapas crawl, taking in the best of the best. The food and company was A1 and we had a great night. Tapa followed tapa, nightclub followed bar and then bed followed dawn!!! How did THAT happen?? Slept til midday then meandered around town for the afternoon before meeting up for dinner with the crew again. This time I showed restraint and managed to get to bed by 2.30 (!!!)
Caught a train with Phil to Madrid (eventually - we managed to miss our origional train by a minute!!) and went straight out to see his best friend Paddy play at a bar. I was then introduced to Phil´s tight group of camino friends - Paddy and Esther - who have welcomed me with open arms. I have now spent some part of each day with either Phil or Esther and I have been shown the local sights and better bars/restaurants.
And, as you would imagine, with all of this frivolity, I am now well and truly sick and run down. I have spent the last few days in bed and am coughing and spluttering when I do get up. So, I will go back to bed soon to feel sorry for myself but also happy that its all been for a good cause ;)
Where did I leave you last? In Finisterre I think. Well, after the last post a group of us walked to the cape and watched the sun set on the Atlantic and we drank wine and took photos to celebrate that we WALKED there to see this ;) We were back in the local restaurant that we discovered the night before and finished dinner around midnight (spanish style!). We continued on to a bar that was recommended and we were still dancing around at 5am when a few of us decided to have one last dip in the ocean!
A bus the next day to Muxia was strange. I had not moved this quickly in over 6 weeks and it f elt very strange. Muxia is a cute town that is trying desperately to jump on the camino wagon and were very accommodating to the handful of pilgrims who make the extra km´s to visit. W slept in the sports hall that night and, surprisingly, it ws the best sleep I had had in a while.
Back in Santiago, we had one more night before parting ways with our Finisterre crew and happened upon the party for thye Ascencion (40 days after easter) and the locals partied LOUDLY until 5am - bands, dancing, marching bands etc, all night. Had every intention of an early night and whil I was in bed early I didnt get any sleep.
A few weeks earlier I had an emal from Phil - ann irish guy who had emailed me some tips for my camino months ago. We agreed that we would try to meet wh ile he is in Spain. So that gave me somewhere to go, because until now, I had no post camino plans. Caught a bus to Salamanca and met up with Phil, his friend Shane and their other new friend Christi from Canada. Despite being exhausted, good manners meant that I must join them on a locals tapas crawl, taking in the best of the best. The food and company was A1 and we had a great night. Tapa followed tapa, nightclub followed bar and then bed followed dawn!!! How did THAT happen?? Slept til midday then meandered around town for the afternoon before meeting up for dinner with the crew again. This time I showed restraint and managed to get to bed by 2.30 (!!!)
Caught a train with Phil to Madrid (eventually - we managed to miss our origional train by a minute!!) and went straight out to see his best friend Paddy play at a bar. I was then introduced to Phil´s tight group of camino friends - Paddy and Esther - who have welcomed me with open arms. I have now spent some part of each day with either Phil or Esther and I have been shown the local sights and better bars/restaurants.
And, as you would imagine, with all of this frivolity, I am now well and truly sick and run down. I have spent the last few days in bed and am coughing and spluttering when I do get up. So, I will go back to bed soon to feel sorry for myself but also happy that its all been for a good cause ;)
Monday, May 22, 2006
end of the world as we know it
what an adventure the last few days have been.
the minute I logged off from my last post I decided to catch the bus to the next town. I t seemed rediculous to walk in the rain when I have the start of a cold, a stomach bug and little sleep....... Then while I was waiting I felt that this was an opportunity to channel my Japanese amigo, so packed my bag, put on my waterproof gear and headed out with a final "buen camino" to those waiting for teh bus.
I was wet within a few minutes but my body stayed warm and I let my wind wander and the km´s went by. My body felt ok - if weary - and after a few hours, I stopped for breakfast /lunch and saw the only other person I would talk to that day. After 30 mins I walked on and felt amazingly peaceful. I didnt "marcg" once and kept a calm and even pace - not very fast but effective enough. I took one more stop in another 2 hours for a hot chocolate and kitkat then kicked on. I started the countdown with 10km to go and found it passed quite quickly. Whenever I felt anxious the time would drag and it reminded me of the earlier lesson of mind over matter - when happy , the km´s flew by!
I finally dragged my legs into town and had a welcome shower. Finally found my comrades in the bar (of course) and I received a cheer and pat on the back for my efforts. Some had assumed that I had caught the bus or bailed out and the one I have spent the most time with said "no, Kel´s tough - she´ll stick with it"
We had a great night - the hospitalero cooked us soup that we all shared then sat around singing songs with some German´´s, French and English. Wonderful atmosphere and felt elated from surviving the day that could have been so difficult had I let it.
The next day we woke to pouring rain and whipping, gusty wind. I didnt feel ready to tackle this day alone and stuck with teh others but my mind wass et in the right place and it didnt get to me. About 20 minutes into the walk the wind was so fierce that the waterprrof cover on Mark´s bag blew off and flew into the brambles. I leapt in after it and landed in a hole full of water . Our shoes had pools of water and we were tilted into the wind to move ahead. Soon we were all in histerical laughter at how ridiculous this was! What are we doing this for??? After a long lunch where we rung out out socks and soaked up as much water from our shoes as we could we started out and the sun eventually broke through and we were able to dry a little.
In the afternoon I was aware that I felt completely peaceful. Despite what was external to me, I felt a complete peace inside. It didnt come from the sun, or the flowers or the birds - but was just there. I don´t ever recall this feeling before and it was so beautiful to meet it! what a great gift from this long long road!
The hospitaleros in the next town were really gorgeous - they had met 2 weeks prior on thier camino and while from different continents, were spending their final days together before going home to their "other" lives. THey gave me a hug goodbye after a lovely chat and wished me well. They had found some peace too - you could see it in their eyes.
Today I arrived at Finisterre - the end of the world and after 40 days of walking. When we made it to the beach a few of us stripped down to shorts and t-shirts and leapt in to the cold Atlantic. Im not a big fan of cold water but it was invigorating and cleansing and perfect. Walking alone the beach with our boots hanging from our packs and our bare feet in the sand was such a fitting end to this walk.
We shared a seafood lunch and tonight will walk to the Cape to watch the sunset and leave behind the shells and items that we carried with us from home. It is also traditional to burn something that you have carried. I have thrown out the things that I didnt want anymore but bought some insense to burn when I reflect on all that has been and all that will come.
So this is the end and the begining - what a strange and exciting place to be.
the minute I logged off from my last post I decided to catch the bus to the next town. I t seemed rediculous to walk in the rain when I have the start of a cold, a stomach bug and little sleep....... Then while I was waiting I felt that this was an opportunity to channel my Japanese amigo, so packed my bag, put on my waterproof gear and headed out with a final "buen camino" to those waiting for teh bus.
I was wet within a few minutes but my body stayed warm and I let my wind wander and the km´s went by. My body felt ok - if weary - and after a few hours, I stopped for breakfast /lunch and saw the only other person I would talk to that day. After 30 mins I walked on and felt amazingly peaceful. I didnt "marcg" once and kept a calm and even pace - not very fast but effective enough. I took one more stop in another 2 hours for a hot chocolate and kitkat then kicked on. I started the countdown with 10km to go and found it passed quite quickly. Whenever I felt anxious the time would drag and it reminded me of the earlier lesson of mind over matter - when happy , the km´s flew by!
I finally dragged my legs into town and had a welcome shower. Finally found my comrades in the bar (of course) and I received a cheer and pat on the back for my efforts. Some had assumed that I had caught the bus or bailed out and the one I have spent the most time with said "no, Kel´s tough - she´ll stick with it"
We had a great night - the hospitalero cooked us soup that we all shared then sat around singing songs with some German´´s, French and English. Wonderful atmosphere and felt elated from surviving the day that could have been so difficult had I let it.
The next day we woke to pouring rain and whipping, gusty wind. I didnt feel ready to tackle this day alone and stuck with teh others but my mind wass et in the right place and it didnt get to me. About 20 minutes into the walk the wind was so fierce that the waterprrof cover on Mark´s bag blew off and flew into the brambles. I leapt in after it and landed in a hole full of water . Our shoes had pools of water and we were tilted into the wind to move ahead. Soon we were all in histerical laughter at how ridiculous this was! What are we doing this for??? After a long lunch where we rung out out socks and soaked up as much water from our shoes as we could we started out and the sun eventually broke through and we were able to dry a little.
In the afternoon I was aware that I felt completely peaceful. Despite what was external to me, I felt a complete peace inside. It didnt come from the sun, or the flowers or the birds - but was just there. I don´t ever recall this feeling before and it was so beautiful to meet it! what a great gift from this long long road!
The hospitaleros in the next town were really gorgeous - they had met 2 weeks prior on thier camino and while from different continents, were spending their final days together before going home to their "other" lives. THey gave me a hug goodbye after a lovely chat and wished me well. They had found some peace too - you could see it in their eyes.
Today I arrived at Finisterre - the end of the world and after 40 days of walking. When we made it to the beach a few of us stripped down to shorts and t-shirts and leapt in to the cold Atlantic. Im not a big fan of cold water but it was invigorating and cleansing and perfect. Walking alone the beach with our boots hanging from our packs and our bare feet in the sand was such a fitting end to this walk.
We shared a seafood lunch and tonight will walk to the Cape to watch the sunset and leave behind the shells and items that we carried with us from home. It is also traditional to burn something that you have carried. I have thrown out the things that I didnt want anymore but bought some insense to burn when I reflect on all that has been and all that will come.
So this is the end and the begining - what a strange and exciting place to be.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
the big test on the road to finisterre
not in a very happy place today. feeling a little sick so slept badly and now it is pouring rain - the worst since that horrible day into Los Arcos.
i guess i can now test out if ive learnt any serenity!!
That was 18km and this is 35km!! But now that I have finished the main camino im not too proud to jump in a taxi....... but ill see how i go
stay tuned
i guess i can now test out if ive learnt any serenity!!
That was 18km and this is 35km!! But now that I have finished the main camino im not too proud to jump in a taxi....... but ill see how i go
stay tuned
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Peregrino Competo
Hola from and very grateful and satisfied little peregrina!
After the last email I met up with a few new people and have had a wonderful few days on the approach to Santiago.
I walked the final 3 days with Jose and had lot´s of laughs and I had to try to explain english words thaht I was using to someone who used english as a fourth language!! Think we covered off "weirdo", "creepy" and "dag" before going for more high brow terms!
We left on the last day at 5.30am as Jose really wanted to walk in the night once and the sun doesnt rise til 7am so we got a few hours of dark in. I wanted to have a siesta under a tree one day too so squeezed that in on the second last day. Otherwise pretty much did everything else I hoped to. The last day took us through a few eucalyptus forests which smelt amazing and felt very comforting. The few aussies around all had to become flora experts overnight though to explain the intricate details.....
We arrived a little late for the midday pilgrim mass so sat at the back of the impressive square before the cathedral, kicked off our dirty boots and lay on our packs looking up at the cathedral of St James. This was Jose´s fantascised end to the walk and was actually really perfect. We lay there in silence for about 2 hours, mulling over all that we had done and achieved.
After the adrenaline of arrival wore off we could have a few private tears. Mine were mainly because i wasnt really ready for this little wolrd to come to an end. By getting my final pilgrim stanp and picking up my compostela (certificate) I would be letting it all be over, so I procrastinated for a while to soak up my final moments as a dirty pilgrim. A few well dressed coach tour people had us in their photos I think as we looked very tired, dirty and smelly lying on the ground - but also looked very happy.
Then the friends started coming in - one by one people that I had met or talked to came out from mass, retunred from Finisterre (the fast walkers!) or arrived into Santiago for the first time. What a wonderful reunion with people with such interlinked, but unique experiences.
Splurged on a nice room last night and today had lunch with 14 people that are now like old mates. The FA Cup is on tonight (Barcelona v Arsenal) and its a fiesta day so its a great atmosphere for celebration.
Today it has started raining so that means that in my 5 weeks walking we only had 1 day and 2 half days of rain! Almost unheard of for this time of year so feel very lucky.
Off to meet up with todays arrivals and a celebration cerveza! Love to you all and thank you so much for your encouragement alone the way. The time has really flown by and I will miss this journey very much but I know that it will all stay with me for a long time and I hope you have enjoyed the view from home.
Lots of love from peregrina kellie
After the last email I met up with a few new people and have had a wonderful few days on the approach to Santiago.
I walked the final 3 days with Jose and had lot´s of laughs and I had to try to explain english words thaht I was using to someone who used english as a fourth language!! Think we covered off "weirdo", "creepy" and "dag" before going for more high brow terms!
We left on the last day at 5.30am as Jose really wanted to walk in the night once and the sun doesnt rise til 7am so we got a few hours of dark in. I wanted to have a siesta under a tree one day too so squeezed that in on the second last day. Otherwise pretty much did everything else I hoped to. The last day took us through a few eucalyptus forests which smelt amazing and felt very comforting. The few aussies around all had to become flora experts overnight though to explain the intricate details.....We arrived a little late for the midday pilgrim mass so sat at the back of the impressive square before the cathedral, kicked off our dirty boots and lay on our packs looking up at the cathedral of St James. This was Jose´s fantascised end to the walk and was actually really perfect. We lay there in silence for about 2 hours, mulling over all that we had done and achieved.
After the adrenaline of arrival wore off we could have a few private tears. Mine were mainly because i wasnt really ready for this little wolrd to come to an end. By getting my final pilgrim stanp and picking up my compostela (certificate) I would be letting it all be over, so I procrastinated for a while to soak up my final moments as a dirty pilgrim. A few well dressed coach tour people had us in their photos I think as we looked very tired, dirty and smelly lying on the ground - but also looked very happy.Then the friends started coming in - one by one people that I had met or talked to came out from mass, retunred from Finisterre (the fast walkers!) or arrived into Santiago for the first time. What a wonderful reunion with people with such interlinked, but unique experiences.
Splurged on a nice room last night and today had lunch with 14 people that are now like old mates. The FA Cup is on tonight (Barcelona v Arsenal) and its a fiesta day so its a great atmosphere for celebration.
Today it has started raining so that means that in my 5 weeks walking we only had 1 day and 2 half days of rain! Almost unheard of for this time of year so feel very lucky.
Off to meet up with todays arrivals and a celebration cerveza! Love to you all and thank you so much for your encouragement alone the way. The time has really flown by and I will miss this journey very much but I know that it will all stay with me for a long time and I hope you have enjoyed the view from home.
Lots of love from peregrina kellie
Saturday, May 13, 2006
65km to go!!
well, its down to the final few days and can hardly believe that I am within 3-4 days walk from Santiago. Some people are speeding up to finish it off and a few of us are slwoing down and starting to unwind a bit.
Been VERY lucky and still have not had any more rain during the day. In Galicia (region) that is known for its rain and we have had beautiful ,c lear sunny days that are quite hot. Sat in the sun with three lovely people from Holland and had lunch and walked with them the final 8km to Palais del Rei. Nice to find people who also enjoy the slower pace and basking in a bit of sunshine rather than racing to the albergue each afternoon!
So at this stage I am looking at arriving in Santiago on Tues afternoon or Wed morning (depending on how I time it) and may catch a few friends before they head home. Will have a night or two in town then walk out to Finnisterre - so named because before Chris Columbus it was considered the end of the world. Will be nice to reach the coast.
The mountains that we have passed through were really spectacular and I realised that I really like being up high - everything about it is different and it uses a whole different group of muscles. Climbing O Cebreiro involved 8km of uphill climbing that took about 3 hours. Strenuous but very beautiful - wound through little valleys and forect paths til coming out the top to an amzing view behind of the smaller mountains that we had traversed without realising. Following the ridge line to the top.
Thinking that was the worst for the day I was pretty unahhpy to find a surprise hill in the afternoon that came out of nowhere and nearly killed everyone. I had a little tantrum over that one and needed a little beer to console me. Thankfully everyone else felt the same so we ended up with quite a little party. Appropriately the town name was Alto de Poio and is now known amongst our little grouap as "Top of the Poo"!
The people I know on the walk are all quite scattered but I think we should all meet up at some stage in Santiago this week and that is such a lovely part of this trip. Every new town that you walk into, you are guaranteed to run into a dozen or so familiar faces at the first bar and there is a knowing nod passed amongst peregrinos - identifiable by the sandled feet and slight limp as we shuffle to the nearest restaurant. There is something comforting about this community and something that we will all miss when we are back to being unknown and faceless in the big city.
Hve some funny stories to share and some more`pics so stay tuned - this blog will continue when the walk is down so if you are bored at work I can do what I can to keep you amused for a few minutes at least.
Ciao for now
kel
Been VERY lucky and still have not had any more rain during the day. In Galicia (region) that is known for its rain and we have had beautiful ,c lear sunny days that are quite hot. Sat in the sun with three lovely people from Holland and had lunch and walked with them the final 8km to Palais del Rei. Nice to find people who also enjoy the slower pace and basking in a bit of sunshine rather than racing to the albergue each afternoon!
So at this stage I am looking at arriving in Santiago on Tues afternoon or Wed morning (depending on how I time it) and may catch a few friends before they head home. Will have a night or two in town then walk out to Finnisterre - so named because before Chris Columbus it was considered the end of the world. Will be nice to reach the coast.
The mountains that we have passed through were really spectacular and I realised that I really like being up high - everything about it is different and it uses a whole different group of muscles. Climbing O Cebreiro involved 8km of uphill climbing that took about 3 hours. Strenuous but very beautiful - wound through little valleys and forect paths til coming out the top to an amzing view behind of the smaller mountains that we had traversed without realising. Following the ridge line to the top.
Thinking that was the worst for the day I was pretty unahhpy to find a surprise hill in the afternoon that came out of nowhere and nearly killed everyone. I had a little tantrum over that one and needed a little beer to console me. Thankfully everyone else felt the same so we ended up with quite a little party. Appropriately the town name was Alto de Poio and is now known amongst our little grouap as "Top of the Poo"!The people I know on the walk are all quite scattered but I think we should all meet up at some stage in Santiago this week and that is such a lovely part of this trip. Every new town that you walk into, you are guaranteed to run into a dozen or so familiar faces at the first bar and there is a knowing nod passed amongst peregrinos - identifiable by the sandled feet and slight limp as we shuffle to the nearest restaurant. There is something comforting about this community and something that we will all miss when we are back to being unknown and faceless in the big city.
Hve some funny stories to share and some more`pics so stay tuned - this blog will continue when the walk is down so if you are bored at work I can do what I can to keep you amused for a few minutes at least.
Ciao for now
kel
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
New Photos
Here are some new pics for your viewing pleasure. Click on this photo to go to my Flickr page. None are captioned or rotated yet so please excuse me...... will get o that in the next few weeks
Cheers
Kel
Cheers
Kel
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