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| Sunrise at La Cruz de Ferro, Camino |
So... I didn't really get to writing any more blog posts while traveling. This is a big one to sum it all up, with lots of pictures!
I spent an amazing week in the Taize community, singing songs in different languages and sharing meals and conversations with a lot of lovely people. On my first day I met Song, from South Korea, who was also heading to walk the Camino after her time there.
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| Song, me and Nelly, Taize |
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| Front of eglise/church, Taize |
After Taize, I took an overnight train (which Song happened to be on in the same compartment, even though we booked our tickets before meeting!) from Paris to Bayonne, and another to St. Jean Pied de Port.
After two days in St. Jean, I started a nearly 900km journey walking the Camino de Santiago/Way of St. James Trail to Santiago... and then on to Fisterre, mile zero; finishing my walk in the small town of Muxia.
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| Me and Song, Day One, Pyrenees Mountain Range, France |
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| Emalie, Theo, Bernadine and Wout, Kayola cabin, France |
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| Hannah and Floriane, entering Galicia region, Spain |
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| One day biking 20km, O'Cebreiro to Triacastella |
Days along the Camino were fairly routine. Wake up around 5:30/6 a.m., light first breakfast, walk, snack break, walk, elevenses, walk. I did about 20km a day, sometimes less, the most around 30km. Finish by 1 p.m., check into special pilgrim hostel's called albergues, shower and hand wash clothes. Eat lunch and have a rest, dinner around 6/7 p.m. and then bed usually by 9 p.m. Wake up the next day and repeat. For 39 days straight from St. Jean to Santiago. Slower "rest" days, or to go to a cool by donation "donativo" church or sing-for-your-supper stop.
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| Singing nuns, Carrion de los Condes |
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| I slept in the tiny church in the distance, San Nicolas |
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| Burgos, Spain |
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| Tosantos, communal dinner and floor mats |
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| Vino/wine fountain |
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| Less than 100km to go! |
By the time I got to Santiago I was ready to have a break. I splurged with two girls I was walking with, and we got a little apartment for two nights near the cathedral. Rooms to ourselves, (first time in almost 50 days for me) and we had a place to invite people over to celebrate each night.
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| Monte de Gozo, last hill ~3km before Santiago |
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| Cathedral, Santiago |
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| Swinging incense, pilgrim mass |
Then we got our completion compostelas, and walked another four days/87km to Fisterre, "the end of the earth", for another two days of rest and celebration. We dipped our toes in the Atlantic salt water, had a beach fire, and watched the sun set.
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| Pilgrim passport, a stamp for every stop |
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| Joyce and Hannah, Fisterre, Spain |
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| My shell, from St. Jean to the Atlantic Ocean |
A short two more days/28km, ended my walk of this path, in Muxia.
Started: May 11, 2016
Finish: June 26, 2016
Distance: ~895km; 45 days
I bussed back for an overnight in Santiago, then took a day train to rest and recover while visiting my cousin, Nadia, in Barcelona for a week. Then a week visiting a Camino friend (Hannah) in Oxford/London and seeing all the Harry Potter inspired places, before spending my last week back in the Netherlands visiting Laura and her family, having a reunion with the great (mostly Dutch and one French) people I met at Taize, visiting my cousins... and flying home on July 21st.
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| Barcelona |
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| Christ Church, Oxford, England |
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| Inspired the Great Hall in Harry Potter! |
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| Reunion - Me, Ilse, Wouter, Nicolas, Nelly, Gerco, Bernard |
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| Dordrecht, Netherlands |
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| Cousins - Gera, Joost, Ronald, (me), Peter and Pepin |
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| Last night in Europe; with Laura, Nick and Katelyn |
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| View from 17th floor apartment, Rotterdam, Netherlands |
I met so many amazing people from all over the world along the trail (and during my whole trip!). I was blessed by strangers offering me an ankle brace, or buying me lunch, or just walking and talking with me when I was having a low day.
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| Pilgrim sculpture, Alto del Perdon, "Mount of Forgiveness" |
The people you meet along the Camino are much more than just travel buddies, they are family. From Song to Emalie (Denmark) to Wout and Bernadine (Netherlands) who I started walking with in France; Edwinus (Lithuania) who I spent a week with to Burgos; my Victoria Camino parents Zosia and Bryan; to Floriane (Quebec) Joyce (Ireland) and Hannah (England) who got me through the last few weeks, and I probably couldn't have continued on without.
And to so, so many more people who made my day and helped me get to the end, just by being there with me, either physically on the trail, through emails and messages, or keeping me in their thoughts and prayers back home. The Camino Trail, the way, showed me the beauty of the smallest things, the importance of taking one day at a time, and how extremely blessed I am.
