Again, I digress into the personal.
It’s my blog; I’ll write what I want.
My friend Michael completed his pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. This is a pilgrimage route that has been actively used since the middle ages, and he took it into his head to walk the bloody thing.
He took 31 days. Covered over 850 km.
Today, he arrived at the end and received his Compostela at the cathedral. Tomorrow at noon, he attends noon mass, which is apparently the official end of the pilgrimage.
If you like, you can read the details in his pilgrimage blog here, complete with all his trials, tribulations, and triumphs.
I am in awe of his achievement. I could never do it, and he’s older than me.
Way to go, buddy.
Look forward to welcoming you home.
Hi Rick,
Thanks for the kind words, but I have to correct your number.
I didn´t walk 850 as I had intended. I missed 100 km due to tendinitis. The doctor gave me the choice of rest days or not completing the Camino at all. Also, in the end I decided it was more important to me to met Sandy and the kids early in Madrid (instead of later in Granada as I had originally intended) than do the unofficial walk from Santiago to Finisterre. However, if I can I´m going to take a day trip to see the Finisterre.
So, my total is actually about 660 km, not 850km.
Again, thank you for the kind words, it really does means a lot to me.
Cheers,
Michael
That is an incredible distance to cover on foot. You have impressed and inspired me.
Any miraculous conversions or burning bushes on the way?
No miraculous converstions. However, it has given me a lot to think about. It helped that one of my fellow travellers is a minister int eh United Church. She was a great sounding board. As for burning bushes, not exactly. However, I was dazed and confused when I walked to Pamplona, I pnly had 12 dried apricots to eat all day and was a bit confused when I got to town. I did encounter a cool optical illusion in a forest clearign that caused teh clouds to move at a unnatural rate. That was cool.