So with the family safely on their way to the train station for their return trip to Sarria and on to Madrid, Scott and Merci started out on our Camino Finisterre. The Hutchison’s are unfamiliar with the Camino and Spain so for me, they are a new audience and I have a chance to tell all my stories all over again. Unfortunately, this version of the Camino is all hills and telling the stories of the history of Spain require that I take a breath from time to time.

We started our day at kilometer zero in front of the Cathedral in Santiago and found our way out of town and the welcome yellow arrows that show us the way. Stopping for 1st breakfast only about 2 Km in, we had our classic cafe con le he and a nepolitano. Our first climb took us through very old trails (pictured) and a look out where we could look back at the Cathedral where we started. Continuing on we watched the numbers in the kilometer markers get smaller and smaller. When we came out of the eucalyptus forest to a street through a town we found a cafe for second breakfast only to discover that we were only a Km from our destination. I had purposely made reservations at an Albergue only about 15 Km from Santiago because I knew we were having a late start and I needed the rest after my last week of walking. So we had an early lunch and then walked in to our Albergue.

When one makes a blind reservation at an Albergue there is always concern that it will be straw bales in a barn somewhere. I did not want to have my classmate and his wife sleeping with the livestock. When we found the Albergue it was magnificent. Brand new and sparkling clean. It is modern with plugs, USB ports, reading lights over your pillow, washers and dryers. It is amazing. Just lucky I guess

The family made it safely to Madrid and checked into the hotel and are likely now having tapas in the Mercado de San Miguel. All is right with the world. Rain is expected tomorrow and for the next four days. Boo