What with having to contend with two weeks of Roland Garros and now the start of the World Cup, it’s a miracle that this blog has kept going for as long as it has! 🙂 For how much longer, especially with the England games starting to kick in, will remain to be seen.
The last eighty kilometres of today’s coastal road puts us on the Way of Saint James – the Camino de Santiago. The humble scallop shell our guide into Santiago de Compostella as we follow just one of the Camino’s many ‘ways’. We pass many pilgrims on route. In awe of the distance some of them would have traveled. Walkers must cover a minimum of 100k. Cyclists 200K. Each humble endeavour adding to the weight of the prayers of all who have walked before. It’s been ongoing since 812AD.
We head into old town and walk the last two kilometres of the Way. Join forces, so to speak. Groups of walkers in front. Groups behind. Some couples. Some solos. All ages. Many in silent contemplation as they complete this last leg. Or is it just sheer exhaustion. Pleased it’s all over? Or sad? We wonder. Proud? No doubt.
Then once the job is ‘done’ all spirits rise again. The square echoes with lively chatter. Facebook is having a whale of a time.
We walk a bit more. Fresh legs. Not quite sure why we decide to pose. It’s what we do isn’t it? Buildings. Statues. Fountains. Seas. Cliffs. Beaches. Monuments. Gardens. Parks. Lakes. You name it and we want something to show that ‘ we were there’ .
These two give us the perfect excuse.
Yes. Can you believe it? We were really there . . .