Casa de Casar, Lestedo to Santiago de Compostella 13 km

Last night we had a delicious meal; zucchini soup, stir fried mixed vegetables(!!!) potato and Jamon  croquettes, and fresh salad followed by fresh strawberries. It was a treat not to have lomo(pork) and chips or all the other rather limited permutations of the pilgrim's menu.

After dinner we played cards in the living room and crashed about 11:00 pm.

We rise as per usual and get organised so we can make a quick get away after breakfast at 7:00 pm. We head down to where we ate dinner but there is no breakfast! Andy is a bit miffed so I try to make espresso coffees for everyone,  but have to go to the bathroom to get enough water for the three cups. The noise of coffee making should rouse our hostess! She puts her head around the corner to say breakfast is in the dining room downstairs. We are faced with a wonderful spread of cheese, meat, Apple Danish, lemon cake, yoghurt, cereal, toast, coffee and hot milk as well as fresh juice and fruit. We feel embarrassed at our uncharitable thoughts.

We tuck in and enjoy this expansive spread. All up, the bed, breakfast and dinner cost €38 each and included wine. Our most expensive night but well worth it. 

The walk into Santiago brings us together with Anna Rose and Swift as well as the Aussies. They stayed at the Xunta Albergue which was very nice, nearly empty, a bit cold but the Hostalaria cooked a meal for them. They stop at a bar for breakfast and we push on. We walk up the road and the music of the Camino resounds:  tap, tap(sticks), woof, woof( dogs barking as you pass), cock a doodle do( roosters crowing), tweet, trill( little birds singing).  This will be over soon. 

There is a beautiful silver grey horse at the bus stop and saddle on the bus stop seat. It seems the rider is chatting in a car nearby. Must be in for a long talk to un-saddle the horse. Next there is a fancy float loading a beautiful chestnut horse. What is going on we wonder?  We keep hearing bangs like guns and think there might be a hunt on.

There are a few steep hills but soon we cross a railway bridge adorned with flowers and rosaries, notes and personal items. It is an informal shrine to the 30 people killed in a train accident here in 2013(?)  It reminds us how lucky we are.

We crest the hill and see the Cathedral. It is impressive from here but there is scaffolding around the front towers and a Ferris wheel! That is very different from last time.

We wend our way into the old town and I think this is a much nicer approach than the Camino Frances. Also we are literally the only pilgrims on this street. When we get close to the Cathedral we are surrounded by pilgrims from the Camino Frances. What a difference. We do see a couple of VdlP veterans who we know and get to take a group photo.

 Peter and I decide to get our final stamp and Compostella as soon as possible. Andy isn't bothered. We find the pilgrims office and the queue is not too bad so we wait. The Aussies turn up but decide not to bother at this stage to get their stamp etc. It takes an hour to go through and some pilgrims grumble but I think what is an hour after 7 weeks? People are in all states, injured, shoes taped up, exhausted, fresh faced, packs on, packs off, happy, tired, all speaking different languages. We speak to a French guy who has been doing the French way 2 weeks at a time. He manages a concrete construction company. He has learned that he likes walking and will continue to do it in his spare time. He marvels that we have walked for 7 weeks at one time. He has walked mostly on his own and when I ask him if he got new ideas about his work, he said he mostly thought about his past. It is interesting how your mind wanders over your life or over the ways of the world when you have space to do so.

What is reinforced by this gathering is the relative solo nature of the VdlP and the less known walks. Few pilgrims walk these routes and as we have found, you might not see anyone else all day sometimes. You are far more in your own head and emotions. Even at the end of the day when you come to rest there may be fewer pilgrims and many who just need to rest because they are doing large distances every day. The Frances by comparison was a party. 

Once through the pilgrim office we have a quick coffee and then head to the station to catch the train to Karen at Illa de Arousa where she has been staying while we finish walking. 

This is the hotel Lyn and I stayed at last time. We stop for coffee in the sun but it starts to rain and we retreat hurriedly to inside the very little cafe .

Andy has had to wait for us and is impatient to get going. The train is lovely and we are soon at Vilar de Garcia where we get a taxi. The apartment is rather cute and overlooks the bay which is filled with fishing boats, mussel barges, and rowing boats. This is a mussel growing town but boasts the best beaches in Galicia. It isn't very touristy. 

We are starving by now and Karen has prepared a vegetarian feast. The supermarket didn't run to champers so Karen bought fizzy Lanbrusco to celebrate our arrival. We also finally drink the eucalyptus liqueur from the monastry at Oseira. Rather tasty. 

When Karen arrived here her hosts collected her from the station because it was raining. They were also going to a concert that night and invited her along. It turned out the performer was an amazing famous Galician singer who had the whole audience stamping feet and clapping hands and singing the chorus of songs. It was a spectacular evening. Karen's hosts are vegetarians also and so have generously been including her in their meals. There is a tradition here of wooden fishing boats( similar to our couta boats I think) and there is a move to restore and preserve them. Under the local library there is a workshop to this end. Karen's host, Debra and Xavier invited her to join them on Saturday. The common language between Karen and her hosts is French and Spanish. They mostly speak Galician which is a dialect. Karen was therefore not entirely sure what she was being invited to. As it turned out she was kitted out in overalls and handed a paint brush and became part of the community restoration project. She had a great time. Her Camino has been about discovering the generosity of the Spanish people.

This has been a different arrival and I am looking forward to returning to Santiago on Tuesday for a longer stay. The crowds are a little unsettling, so village life here will be a nice gentle re- entry to the nonCamino world. A few things are different. You cannot enter the church with a backpack now, they have an English mass in the side chapel at 10:30 every day, and they have a pilgrims prayer vigil at regular times. You can get a certificate of distance too.

I can't quite believe I have finished. I have made three new friends who were like angels when they appeared on my journey. That we should meld as we have done is a gift I really appreciate.