WE MADE IT!

Happily posing in front of our final destination - the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. After 700km, our journey was complete!!! (Now for some new clothes and a nice hotel!)

After nearly 700km and 20 days of walking, we waltzed on into Santiago de Compostela on Wednesday morning ahead of schedule and in great spirits!





It was a fantastic experience, and one I will truly never forget. For both Christie and myself, it was a chance to reflect on where we are at this point in our life and what we dream of for our future. Yes, there were some ups and downs on the journey, but in the end it was a culmination of great new friends, a sense of accomplishment, and a new understanding of the world.

Getting our compostelas!

The Camino brings together all types of people, and it was a joy sharing this journey with them. A retired Welsh painter, a graduate student from Seoul, a French dentist and a Swiss HR Manager - I walked with them all and they all touched my life in some way. Georg the unicycler and a juggler from Madrid, a 9 year old boy and a 69 year old man... everyone was unique. On the whole, there was an above average concentration of thinkers and dreamers, for it is essentially the romantic in all of us that is drawn to this medieval legend. For while we all shared a common path following common yellow arrows to Santiago, each person´s Camino is his or her own, and I am grateful to have had this opportunity.

FINAL DAYS:

Cebreiro to Sarria. 39km - 8.5 hours

Sarria to Palas De Rei. 47km - 10 hours

Palas de Rei to Arco do Pino. 47km - 10 hours

Arco do Pino to Santiago de Compostela. 21.3km - 5 hours.

FULL UPDATE TO COME!!! And please send all nominations for 2009 Forest Gump of the Year Award to REALLY PLAYING FOR PIZZA!!!!