19 kms to go!!!

We have made it to day 5 and have walked 92 kms - no blisters, sprains or strains in friendships - we are all still talking to each other.  We are currently settled into a lovely old hotel in Rua (a very small village outside of Santiago, Spain) enjoying a cervesa in the sunshine.  The days seem easier - we head out about 9 am (it does not get light until 8:30!) take a late morning coffee break and lunch around 1:30 or so and them make our way to our lodging anytime after 3:30 to 4:30 - depending on the ups and downs of the camino.  What seemed so daunting on Monday seems quite easy today - 1 more day and 19 kms to go.  We aim to arrive in Santiago mid-afternoon on Saturday and hope to obtain our certificate that day as well.  In Sarria we picked up our passport and you must obtain 2 stamps per day and travel at least 100 kms by foot or 200 km by cycle in order to receive the certificate so we have been searching for the stamps along the way.  They are at each hotel, most churches and many cafes along the camino.  It is fascinating to see some of the other people's books with many, many stamps.  We met a couple from Nanaino, BC who have been on the camino since Sept 26.  We asked if they would do it again and the man said you would have to be crazy to do it again and the woman said you are crazy to do it once (hmmm...).  I am glad we are just doing the last stretch of the walk and we have been told by a couple of groups that this part is the prettiest - whew!!

Here are some photos...

Pilgrims Dianne, Barb, John and Jan on our first morning of the walk - heading out...

the long and sometimes lonely road

more of the path

This is one of the markers - (half way for us).  They mark every half km - they were very slow to come on the first day but amazingly much faster by day 5.

a descent... hard on the knees

a lovely home along the camino - many of the homes especially the old ones are made of stone

This is a stand along the trail that had fresh raspberries, figs, walnuts and more - all on the honour system - they even cracked the walnuts.

we share the path with cows coming from barn to the field

one of the views along the camino

Pilgrim Dianne on the trail

Pilgrims on the camino among the eucalyptus trees.

I find it hard to believe how fast the week has gone and how good we feel in the mornings (we feel better in the evening after a shower and adult beverage...).  We also think we don't huff and puff as much on the steep hills - not sure that is true but it feels easier anyway.  Onwards to Santiago...