Today we packed up our walking sticks and headed to the airport for our next phase of our trip. It is hard to leave Santiago. This was my eighth time to spend at least one night in that beautiful historic city.

In early June of 1980, Jean and I did a swing around the north of Spain after my graduate courses were finished. Jean was six months pregnant with John at the time and had quite a bit of morning sickness so 4 year old Amanda and I spent a lot of quality time together to give Jean some peace and quiet. It was on that trip where we entered the Cathedral in Santiago and we placed our hand under the statue of St James. This has not been permitted for over 40 years now. It was at that moment when I realized that millions of people had placed their hands there. I decided that I had to walk the Camino.

Plans to walk with my children and my brothers in 2020 were canceled due to Covid. We were going to walk the English Way from the northern coast due south to Santiago. Instead we walked the final 100 kilometers from Sarria to Santiago. I was then joined by Merci and Scott Hutchison and we walked 120 kilometers from Santiago to Finisterre and Muxia. This year it was the 101 kilometers from Vigo to Santiago with Joe.

My second trip was in September and October of 2015 when I walked the Camino Francés from St Jean Pie de Port. 800 kilometers over the mountains and all across Spain. I did it again on the Camino Portugués from Porto in 2018 with Dan Ferris and made some dear friends along the way.

In total I have walked over 1,500 kilometers of the Way of St James. I hope to keep my relationship with the Camino as a pilgrim or a Hospitalero. (This is a volunteer who works at the albergues that do not charge for the stay. It is a program sponsored by the Spanish government to keep the Camino affordable for everyone. )

Tomorrow Joe and I will visit the Holy Family Cathedral (Sagrada Familia) here in Barcelona. It was designed by one of Spain’s most famous architects over 200 years ago and it is expected that it will be completed next year. It is very modern and unique and does amazing things with natural lighting. Pictures will follow.