Day 30 to Olveira, 33km

Yes, the title is correct. 33 km.

We walked in a thick fog most of the day. Every field we looked across had fog rolling on the edges. In the woods, it was difficult to see the next marker at times. The distances markers that I'd loved to hate/ hated to love do much during the last days to Santiago were not much help because most were missing the distance tag. Did they fall off? Did people take them as souvenirs? Without maps, visibility, and distance indicators, we were floating free in the world. It was liberating. It was relaxing. It was fascinating. It was everything the Camino Portuguese was not. I understood why most peregrinos finish with this.

For lunch I had a ridiculously big bacon and cheese sandwich. Almost too big. Almost too much bacon. Almost.

We had our first perfect day. In the rain.

1 rainbow #52
2 fog
3 bacon
4 too big for one picture
5 cows are happy because I ate bacon

Day 29, Santiago to Negreira

It feels strange to start from the cathedral. We turned our backs to it and headed down the stairs and saw a rainbow shining on the way ahead. Off to a good start. This is going to be a relaxing 22 km I thought.

Surprisingly fast, we were out of the city and walking in a forest. All day, the way alternated between local asphalt roads or farm roads. A shepherd left his flock and walked through a field to talk to us and warn us about the next part.

I misunderstood his first question and replied, "Lisboa", thinking he'd asked where we'd started. He grabbed my arm and called me "hermano". Oops. He thinks I'm Portuguese. We fixed it and explained that we are American and Korean. Then he figured out that we'd started in Lisbon and smiled. We tried to talk more but soon ran out of gestures and facial expressions. He finally got around to the important information.

Pointing to the dirt path leading into another forest, he said, "mucho agua". He pointed to his knee high rubber waders. "Si."

He pointed to our hiking boots. "No."

Then he told us a way around. Muchas gracias!

We have the tradition of yelling, "man down!" when someone has to stop to tue or readjust shoelaces. It's usually Gyueon at least twice a day. It's happened to jh and I just a few times.

Today was JH's turn. Gyueon pointed out like a 12-stepper that it'd been three days since his last time. We congratulated him and he demanded 3 euros. We laughed but I think he was serious. Sorry buddy, you gotta go 30 days to get your chip.

Today was a very pleasant walk with inspiring natural beauty. Green rolling hills, cows, shifting skies. We didn't even mind walking through 9 or 10 rain showers, especially since we were rewarded with a rainbow every time. We started singing, "Ho hum
a-noth-er rain-bow
What-e-ver."

A common expression in New England is, "don't like the weather? Wait 15 minutes."

Here in Galicia, wait 5 minutes.

Gyueon is talking about future adventures. He wants to go hiking on weekends and if he has time this summer. He is also talking about walking the French after high school graduation, five years hence. He was very inspired by all the Koreans we've met.

More Koreans came to the guesthouse last night, replacing the ones who left. Among them was a mother and her son and daughter, who did the French together. For the second time. They looked fine, like they'd just been to the park.

Gyueon is most impressed with Mark. He's independent and fearless. He's fast, too. Gyueon commented on how smoothly Mark walked. JH took the opportunity to point out that Mark had good posture and keeps his head up. I added that Mark is confident, which helps. Plus, he's not addicted to his smart phone (doesn't even own one). Gyueon walks with his head down too much. On a recent muddy day, he literally walked into me several times when I stopped to navigate through mud.

We reached Negreira in the heaviest rain of the day and had trouble finding our first choice of accommodations, a private albergue called San Jose. After a wrong turn, a premature turn around, and help from strangers, we found it. Closed and no indication of operating hours. Of course.

I had a feeling that we should stick to official albergues but JH really wanted clean beds (the bed bug incident was horrible) and all Gyueon wants is wifi. Even after our bad luck, I still prefer official albergues.

We went to a coffee shop to regroup and get out of the rain. On the way, we passed a guest house that advertised €10 bed, €7 dinner but didn't go in. I got bored at the coffee shop and said I go check out the albergue.

JH thought I meant the guest house we'd just passed but I went to the official albergue 1.2 km down the road. It looked pretty good, warm, clean, and had a good kitchen. I walked the 1.2 km back. JH was a little angry that I'd been gone so long. And annoyed that I'd checked out the official albergue.

We walked 1.2 in mostly silence to the albergue. And 1.2 back to the grocery store. And 1.2 back to the albergue. Not an efficient use of our time or energy. We had a good dinner and we're are prepared for a good breakfast. JH and worked out our problem. She's understandably freaked out about bed bugs. I'm understandably freaked out about our budget. I explained that bed bugs are just as likely to be in a private albergue anyway. We're good.

1 rainbow showing the way.
2 One of us is back packing. The other is just out for a walk.

3 a bridge worthy of the name
4 flood
5 nice trail

Day 28, Santiago, day off

Lots of rain. I'm glad we didn't leave for Fisterra today but I feel for Yena and Mark, though I think Mark may actually like getting wet.

Three days ago, JH started getting mysterious bites that we confirmed as bed bugs. Yikes. I think we can never go home. We shouldn't be staying in a guesthouse either probably. She's definitely suffered the most on this trip and is eligible for the MVP (most valuable Peregrino) award. Neither Gyueon nor I have been affected. JH is very sensitive and bugs seem to live her. In the summer and fall, I rarely get bitten by mosquitos because they seem to prefer her.

So we closely examined everything washed everything in machines. Hopefully there will be no more nibblings.

We didn't do much sightseeing because of the rain and laziness.

We reorganized our stuff. For the finale, we are packing light. No extra 'town clothes' or shoes. Minimal equipment. JH will not carry a pack, just a shopping bag and an umbrella. My pack will be at 75% weight. Gyueon's, less than half. We have some long days to do and a lighter load will definitely help.

We're definitely going to Fisterra, to the lighthouse at the end of the world but were still undecided about Muxia and it's quiet beach. I'm excited about finishing and walking a quieter way.

The finish in Santiago was a bit anticlimactic. Hurry through city streets. Hurry up to mass, hurry up to get the certificate, hurry up to check in, hurry up for free dinner. No time to reflect upon the trip.

We have no maps for this route but we hear it's very well marked. There is also very little information other than a 4 sided printout of places to stay and eat. We are not worried. We have experience and confidence. Everything will be ok.

We start finishing tomorrow.

Day 27, Santiago, part 2

After mass, we went to the Peregrino Center to get our official certificates, after showing our fully stamped credentials as proof.

Yena led us to a guest house she stated at after she finished the French route. There were 7 other Koreans there who all just finished the French route. Some looked like they'd just returned from war. I wondered if we looked the same to them. They'd almost all started individually but ended up at the same place mist nights. Among them were two recent high school graduates, doing the trip in winter before university starts in March. Gyueon was very impressed by them. I was too. I don't think I would have done that at that age. Others had recently completed their compulsory military service. They did it in the winter because they figured if they survived Korean military duty, they will have no problem with the French camino in winter.

We found out that a luxury restaurant next to the Cathedral feeds 10 peregrinos free. It sounded shady but Mark had three meals there last year. We took our hungry selves and our new certificates and went to the basement parking lot of the restaurant to meet the man in charge if free found. There were already 7 people there (including Mark, who was doing his own thing), we made 11. One German guy had started 5 months before from Germany!

There was some discussion about how to settle this. Three more people showed up. The German guy suggested that whoever had eaten here should step aside for those who hadn't yet (peregrinos can get three free meals). That disqualified him and 3 others. Problem solved. Free food guy came, gave a voucher and led us outside, through the main entrance, past the well-dressed patrons and posh tables, through the back, down a hallway, to a back room, totally our of sight of paying customers.

We went up some stairs to a private kitchen where a chef prepared cafeteria type food for us. We put it on trays, grabbed wine (and stuffed our pockets with fresh fruit) and enjoyed a nice meal back downstairs. I counted. Somehow an eleventh pilgrim had snuck in.

After, Mark stopped by our guesthouse to have a glass of champagne. We toasted to new friends and adventure.

But we did not toast to the end.

Traditionally, most pilgrims, seeking closure and a peaceful end to the journey continue to the sea, to Fisterra or Muxia, or both (adding up to 111 km and 5 days of walking).

Mark and Yena (individually) were leaving tomorrow, going to Muxia then Fisterra (4 days). We were taking a day off then walking to Fisterra (3 days) and possibly Muxia. We didn't realize at the time that we'd see Mark and Yena in Fisterra.

Day 27, Santiago!, part 1

It's raining.

Boots are dry enough. Mark left early. I hope we see him in Santiago. We got ready fast. Spaniards are still sleeping. I wonder how the game was.

This was a nice walk, one of the prettier ones despite the rain. I didn't put my hood up today because I wanted to see everything.

We stopped for a quick breakfast. Quick wasn't so quick. Someone ordered an extra coffee and got on wifi.

"C'mon, we can't be late for mass! Did I really say that?" Left the cafe at 10, with 9.6 km to go. Our past history would indicate that we'd never make it, but today was special. JH said, "if we miss mass, I'm gonna kick someone's ass!"

5 km to go, I don't even feel my feet touching the ground. Yena, who has been dragging all morning, blows by us. I draft off of her. The stone markers that kind of annoyed me before, seemed to help today. 4.124 one said. Then, I swear only 6 minutes later, another said 3.229, making me feel like Flash Gordon.

Then, there were no more. I still felt like I was flying but I had no sense of distance remaining. We expected to see the cathedral and thought perhaps we'd gone off course (at nearly 9kph it's difficult to make tight turns) in the city streets but people were pointing or nodding the right direction. They were getting out of our way too. Perhaps they've been hit by a Peregrino traveling at Mach 1.

The clock was striking 12 when we arrived. We sat, shivering, through a 40 minute mass. We spotted 10 or 11 other peregrinos from other routes and Mark.

We'd made it!

Day 26, almost done!

Since Tuy, we've seen new markers, large 10x10 cm stones, about 100cm high stuck in the ground, indicating distance left to Santiago, accurate to three decimal places. I noticed the first one at 114.476 but didn't see another for a long time. At first, I liked knowing the exact distance remaining but sometimes it was annoying.

Sometimes they appear too often. We saw one at 29.924 and celebrated. Soon we came to 29.576 and were a little demoralized. "What!? We've only gone…348 meters since the last one!?!"

Sometimes they are too far apart, which is disorienting because we stopped looking at the guidebook when the countdown started.

It's common practice for peregrinos to carry a rock and place it on the next marker. I did it a few times, on 46 for my sister's age, and on one of the three 44s for JH and I. I had something special to place on 39, Derek's age when he died, but there were no markers until 25.

After the day I nearly cried about Derek, I thought of what to do. On our trip to Jeju Island just before the camino trip, JH and I picked up two scallop shells (the symbol of the camino) to carry with us, not really knowing why. A few nights ago, I wrote Derek's name on one and put it on my pocket thinking I'd know what to do with it when the time came. I guess I'll think of something else.

The markers made me think of counting down to the new year, resolutions, and new beginnings. I've done well with my little project from the early days if the trip-- listening carefully and patiently. New beginnings: Gyueon and I definitely know each other know.

I imagine the markers as counting down to launch the rest of my life but it doesn't really work. My life will be pretty much the same.

The markers could be seen as time running out. How much time do we have left? Can you afford to delay doing what you really want to do? Why wait to take that trip? Why wait to say, "I love you." Why wait?

We walked past a church with a cemetery. The bells were ringing the most mournful tones I've ever heard.
Do- (I took 12 steps)
Do- (18 steps)
Re- (22 steps)

Over and over. We heard this for the next 20 minutes. Sometimes the sound was lost in the wind or the trees or the turns in the road but it found us again and again. I guess that inspired my thoughts on time running out.

Today was a long walk, 28.2 km but it was worth it. Now our walk into Santiago tomorrow will be just 14km and we'll make the noon mass.

We made it to albergue Teo in the dark. Our clothes and shoes are wet and may still be wet tomorrow but we don't care. Tomorrow we'll be in Santiago.

Mark is already here. And the Spaniards. I finally find out Fernando's real name- it's Valentino. Of course it's Valentino. There are seven of us here but we have taken up all 24 beds, drying stuff out and organizing. The floors are heated so we laid our clothes out under beds to dry.

Dinner, we all wanted to go together but the Spaniards have found poisoning and are just going to eat rice porridge. Yena walked to the restaurant with us but suddenly felt sick and left. The remaining four looked at each other, wondering who would be stricken next. Dinner was a success. We walked back in the rain, getting our dry clothes wet.

Back at the albergue, the Spaniards were getting ready to go to a local bar to watch the big match, Real Madrid vs Real Barcelona. Knowing Gyueon is a big football fan, they invited him. Then they found out he is a Real Madrid supporter and rescinded the offer.

One more sleep.

Day 25, part 2

JH and Gyueon had one of their usual afternoon talks but I had Yena to talk to. To see her, you would not think she was a walker because of her physique. She started out following in her sister's footsteps, almost literally. Her sister walked the French camino in the fall and suggested that Yena do it as well. Yena had a rough start but persevered. She gave up on her first day but another Peregrino, a Korean, pulled her to her feet, took her pack, and gave her walking sticks. Her 'angel' walked with her for quite awhile, carrying two packs, until she recovered. When she finished the French, she decided that she wasn't dive and start the Portuguese from Porto. I am impressed by her.

We stopped at a little diner for lunch and Mark was just finishing. He left and we still weren't sure if we'd see him again.

In the morning it wasn't raining and I boldly packed my rain gear. Mark looked at me with a smirk, "Field of Dreams?"

"Yep, if I use it, it will rain."

You know what I'm going to say now. Let's say it together. Very soon thereafter, …

It rained most of the day and we thought we were lost for a long time but it was a good walk. We easily found our accommodations, a cafe/ private hostel. Actually, it was suspiciously easy. The girls took one room and Gyueon and I took another. Gyueon, who had already gotten attached to Mark (sick of me?), was worried about Mark. Just as we got settled, Mark showed up, so Gyueon and I moved to a room with 3 beds to share with Mark.

We all went out to find food. We found a place in record time and it turned out to be one of the best meals of the trip. The woman in charge was very kind and patient, explaining the menu until she was convinced we understood. She clearly takes pride in the food and wanted us to eat well, which we did.