If I'm right about this

and I think that I am, I've been rained on for 17 straight days. Not, "it's been raining for 17 days", I'VE BEEN RAINED ON FOR 17 DAYS. 

That said, I've had more than my share of sunshine too. All in all, the journey and opportunity of a LIFETIME. Every step of it was a gift and a treasure and a pilgrimage for renewal. I hope that I've treated the Camino as well as its treated me. I tried. Some thoughts as I close it down:

Wouldn't have been remotely possible without the encouragement and huge support of the woman I was blessed to have me as her husband. Thanks a million Trix.

My kids too have had to make significant adjustments in their lives too to make this happen. Thanks Lar and G. It meant a lot!

Pam, my sister - always practically helpful, always encouraging with her big heart.

To those I met along the way; Shote-a, Pasquale & Serge - thanks for figuring out how this thing works with me. We did good, Andy - you are one fast smiling Norwiegen - seeing you brought me joy, Tianna you were a great interpreter and you got my jokes,  Ann - we got an introduction to sideria culture, Jim and Charles - good mates to the end - that meant a lot, Dietlif, Ray & Joshua - you guys are too fast for me but thanks for the excellent comradere - wish I could have seen you at the end.

That's it I think for the camino blog. 

Jay out.

Reminded me of an old joke . . .

As all of my clothes were so smelly and dirty that I wouldn't want to be at an airport in them, much less on an airplane, I had to clean them today. While I was killing time at the laundromat, I took a stroll around the block (don't ask what I was wearing). I came upon this in a baby supply storefront (not open).

Remember these prices are in Euros, not Dollars. €1.25 / $1.00. So, the egg high chair is about $550 and the stroller is about $925. 

Anyway, it reminded me of the old joke from the '80s about cocaine: if you're buying it, it's probably God's way of telling you that you have too much money.

But, now I'm being judgmental. It did remind me of that joke though.

France > USA > Spain

In another important metric: that being "the relative intrinsic beauty of the Catholic Mass". 

Leaving aside the very legitimate question of whether this should be a metric at all, I can say that with only the most basic ability to understand French, the poetry of the prayers, songs, readings & gospel are both soothing and inspiring. The staging, vestments, lighting and music are elegant and flawless. 

Masses in the USA have elements of all this but without the . . . I don't know. . .flow I guess.

In Spain the Masses that I went to all were wonderful to be sure, but they all had an element of chaos to them. Strangely. It was kind of like they hadn't done it before.

On my sister's great advice, I went to Mass at the gorgeous St. Andre Cathedral. It was just too dark for pics. Plus I would have felt very awkward taking photos 

Spain > France > USA

In the important metric of "Laundromat Utility". In Spain (top picture) there are clean and simple places to simply clean your clothing. You put your clothes in the machine, you select from one of four wash cycles and you insert 5€. That's it.

In France (second picture), you have to deal with this Godawful mess in a dirty facility before you even get to the washing machine.

In my limited experience in the USA, it's as bad as France except half the machines don't work anyway and the facilities are even dirtier. 

This is what I saw

. . . my very last few steps. That door marks the end of the Camino.

While there . . .

is no real "official" starting point that I know of for the Northern route of the Camino, this is the spot from which  many guides start their km countdown. It's the pedestrian bridge from France into Spain. I retraced my first few hours (probably more like 30 minutes) there this morning. I don't think that I got a picture then, so here's one.

In Bordeaux

The imposing St. Michel church. It is under considerable renovation. But I got to go inside. It was beautiful but nowhere near as ornate as many of the churches in Spain.

"The Man"

Or, I suppose I should say, "L'Homme".

My first encounter with French Security. I was snuggled in to my comfortable seat on the train from Hendaye to Bordeaux. When the police borded the train and asked a few of us for "our papers" - meaning passports and tickets. 

I felt like I was in a WWII movie.

On my way back to France

A convenient way point was Medina Del Compo. So I stayed there for the night. I think it's known for its furniture manufacturing. It was kind of like visiting St. Cloud.

'shroom pic

At noon today

I pulled into the Cathedral of St. James in Santiago de Compestella. 

Interesting Development

An unexpected and significant increase in the amount John Lennon lyrics graffiti in the last ten kilometers. 

Most of it is, of course from "Imagine", a song that's as mawkish as it is pointless.

Pity too, because the man wrote some excellent genre defining pop songs. 

Imagine someone else trying to sing that song. It's not easy even if you try. Glenn Campbell couldn't do it, nor Dionne Warwick, not REM or Elvis Costello either.

You'll have to refer to a prior post to even have a chance to appreciate that reference - I'm not sure that I can recommend that you expend the effort.

This is a

considerably atypical/luxurious start of the day for me, but I thought I deserved it. 

Spanish bakeries are the only thing open before 8:00. This one in Arzua had the basics down perfectly: cafe con leche grande, toastas, fresh squeezed OJ

At the monestary in Sobrado

you can attend a service where the brothers sing their prayers three time a day. I did. It was hypnotic.

This morning

A happy thing to see

Shrine inside the tree

Tree

Typical path lately

Vilaba might have been the coolest "old town"

that I've been through. A lot of narrow winding stone streets

You'll notice the absence of sun

in recent photos.

. . . . me too.

This is Carmen's hippie Alburgue

Just past Mondonedo. Oddest place I've stayed by far. But it was cool in a back to nature kind of way. And she was cool too - a disillusioned EU development worker, who is also a graduate of Kansas City North High School.

A rare inside the church photo

Just enough light to pull it off.

Sometimes

The path nearly vanishes. As it does here just past Villanova

Villanova was a beautiful town

These old church squares look so romantic in the rain

People obsess over the elevations charts

I'm in Sabrado now

The weather turned

Heat and sun have been my nearly constant companions since I started in Handeye over 3 weeks ago.

That changed yesterday. Rain and cold are here for the foreseeable future. Despite my best efforts, most of my stuff is wet. 

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Weather.aspx?location=SPXX0222

Not sure what I'm going to do about that.

Beautiful church in Pinera

We stayed in an annex building 

She has that affect on people everywhere

Spotted in Rebadeo

This bridge into Rebadeo

is not for the feint of heart. Good cross wind too

On an unusually cool morning

This is Joshua and Ray starting the day

This how it felt like I was moving today

It's a slug 

Sometimes the path nearly vanishes

As it does here just past Cudillero

Horror house or albergue

You be the judge 

Food and hospitality were exceptional though. A lot of good soups around here. This was a few days ago in Cudillero.

Traveling companions

The Have so far included:

Shote-a from Japan 

Pasquale from Switzerland

Serge from Quebec 

Tiana from holland

Ann from Washington DC

Ray from Latvia 

Antoine from France

Charles from France

Joshua from Germany 

Jim from the UK

Andy from Norway 

Dietlif from Germany 

Nobody tell PETA about this

The town seal of Portugalete. I thought it was cool

These guys

are apparently beating apples out of trees with sticks. Not sure how Spain's economy is going to fare in the 21st century. 

The veneration of Mary here in Spain

is quite something to see. No icon of her can be too beautific, no halo too bright, no gown too resplendent, no crown to ornate. This is an address tile on a country house.

This guy followed me

for a kilometer or two yesterday 

This is the exact spot

where the Camino splts. The left goes to the "primitivo", the right goes to the "coastal". I went coastal . . . not postal.

Just before the long walk

out of villavicicosa

Also, apples are huge here

I mean the amount of production of, not the actual fruit itself. Much is turned into a lightly effervescent, lightly alcoholic cider. It's served in the many "siderias"

It's quite good and the serving and consumption of it is highly ritualistic. I only grasp the basics of it, but it involves this odd contraption.

Lots of eucalyptus forestry all through

northern Spain. From what I gather, it's quite controversial- in that it's an aggressive, water gulping tree, that is harming the traditional farming economy. Apparently the answer is to plant more. Here are some bundles that will ultimately become high quality paper.

This is pretty typical

Surf, turf and cows in Caravia

Hawkeye fans in

Ribadesella

Difficulty getting the wifi machine to work

Here's some catch up pics

Nice little babbling brook

Nice little Saturday farmers market

in Toriello. Worked for me for lunch. Kind a cold puff pastry calzone. And local walnuts 

Strange little shrine.

I thought it was a dog house at first. 

There were a number of smaller churches along the way that were open today to reflect in. Saturday schedule I guess. 

Up and at 'em in Llanes

Don't see too many sunrises. Enjoy even fewer of them. This was an exception. And it was exceptional.

Last night's accomodations.

Looks nice. Rude hostess and cold showers. No thanks

On the way out of comilles yesterday morning

Wow.

Comilles was a neat town

I had dinner there with Charles from Lyon. He looked just like my cousin Tim, but with a ponytail .

Typical road from Santillana to Comilles