Day 30...SANTIAGO

Hello Everyone...We´re here in Santiago!!!!

I can´t believe we are here! Our walking days are over...our feet and minds don´t know it yet, so I think there may be some withdrawal symptoms.

Today when we got our credencials, a man who was giving Yvonne hers asked, ¨How did you know when you would arrive?¨ She showed me her Pilgrim Passport and she wrote in June 27, 2008. I looked at mine...June 27, 2008! I remember the man asked us to fill it out in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port...30 days ago on May 27, 2008! We´ve seen an entire world in those 30 days. Rain, lots of rain! Mud, lots of mud! We loved every bit of it!

We left our Albergue this morning at 7:30 ish, later than I wanted, we had 22 km to get to Santiago before noon mass. We arrived inside the church at 11:58 am in true Camino fashion, hustling our butts through the streets of Santiago.

We still had lots of climbing to do today even though the elevation was lower. We walked through dirt paths, surrounded by eucalyptus forests with their distinct lengthy trunks and bark you can strip away, and then...there is the aroma. I love eucalyptus. We traveled on asphalt roads, not my favorite, it´s very hard on your feet and legs. The sky was very grey when we left this morning with a strong breeze. I´ve been walking quite some time now with my shorts, the pant portion tucked away in my pack and a sleeveless top. If we stopped we´d get shivers until we started walking again and work up a good sweat.

I felt a natural pull towards Santiago as once again I was in its presence. And knowing that mass was at noon...really gave me a push. Laughing, hustling, seeing the Pilgrim´s all rush towards the Cathedral is so much fun for me. It´s emotional, to know how far you´ve trekked across this country and at the same moment...it seems as though you´ve never done it.

Yvonne and I stepped into the Cathedral staying on the steps so we could have a good view of what was going on in the center with the priests honoring the Pilgrim´s, naming each country that was represented. It goes straight to your heart. Here were Yvonne and I, exhausted, standing with our packs on and trekking poles in hand for an hour...it was emotional for the Pilgrim´s. There were also many tourists inside the church, looking at us as they entered the church.

There was an older nun with the most beautiful singing voice that whisked me off into my childhood in the Catholic Church in Erie, PA. I was that little girl once again loving the angelic singing by the nuns in our parish.

After Mass, we walked outside, still high above ground when one by one, friends we´ve met on the Camino came up and said, ¨We wondered where you two were.¨ That´s the way it happens once you´ve arrived at the Cathedral, it´s the gathering place for the Pilgrim´s.

We found a nice little room next to the Cathedral, a favorite place of mine. Leaving our packs in the room we discovered how light we felt. We´ve never gone anywhere without our packs, at least not for long. Today, we felt lighter than a feather. I took Yvonne to my favorite little Italian (yes, Italian) Restaurant for Pasta. We both love pasta!

Afterwards, we came back to our room to take showers and have a little rest. It seemed as though my mind knew my body was finished walking the Camino. While Yvonne showered, I laid down curled up in a fetal position and dozed off. I was tired, we both were tired. We went out into the village area again so Yvonne could see some of the stores and then we made telephone calls to our sweethearts. Only a few more days and we´ll be home.

There was another joyful treat for me. In 2002, I was dancing under the archways with my japanese friends (Kaz & Yukko) to some wonderful Spanish music. After calling Marc, I went back to our room and Yvonne was sitting next door at the bar, drinking a cafe con leche and a large group of men with instruments and dressed in black & red capes, black stockings with black shoes, white shirts all drinking a few beers before starting their Entertainment for the night...Under the archways, just as in 2002!!!!! I´m sure it was different people, but the very same group! It is now 11:45 pm, they will play until midnight. I can hear them as I type and my feet are wanting to Dance. I must go to bed.

Tomorrow morning we will take the bus to Finisterre and dip our feet in the ocean. I will bury my feet in the warm sand and listen to the ocean waves, just as I have done before. Even though I won´t be walking the three days to reach Finisterre, this is my Camino. It wouldn´t be complete if I didn´t go to Finisterre. We will walk up to the Lighthouse and touch the last Camino marker.

Good Night to all my Family and Friends, I Love each and every one of you.

Living With Passion...AriZona, on the road in Spain (for the moment).