Today is our final walk in Spain, and quite an important one at that. We need to be at tha airport by 9.00. So it’s up early and a 6.45 start for our final walk to Santiago’s airport.

Today is our last day of walking the Camino de Santiago. We started off walking alone through mist covered forests, a surreal feeling on the most busy part of the Camino. This however only lasted for the first 1500 meters. As we reached the next village the hords of walkers emerged from their resting holes to join us.

During the day groups if pilgrims passed us , some in quiet reflections, others a constant chatter. I wonder if they ever stop talking.

We stopped short of Santiago as we will be closer to the airport, and after dropping off iur bags and a quick shower we headed off to our final destination.

I found this an anticlimax as we had to walk through the town and find the central square, then turn around to see the Cathedral. I was expecting to have a clear view of this magnificent structure on our walk into town but not so. Never mind I have contributed to saving the dying villages along the way fron SJPP to Santiago.

Follow my leader.

We were just discussing that there were so many walkers on the route that we no longer have to look for the signs, we just follow those in front of us. They of course were following the people in front of them. Hopefully the first to leave today knows which way to go.

Also today we caught up with and Asian lady we saw while we were on our bikes. She was walking with a day bag on her back with a bedliner in bag dangling from the outside. We walked with her for a while a d found out that her aurline had ‘lost’ her bags and she was left with nothing but the clothes she was wearing. Her attitude was you don’t need things and had bought a few clothes so she could go on her walk.

Her bags did eventually get found and are awaiting her return.

It’s all about the timing.

Jo had decided that as we were going to be walking 30km today we would need to leave early. She also wanted to see the sunrise.

So alarm set for 5.30 for a 6.00 start. The time that some restaurants were starting breakfast.

Unfortunately it took me longer to get started so it wasn’t untill 6.15 when we finally set out.

We passed the cafe serving breakfast as the queue was already 20 deep, and we were on the road again. Not first to leave as there were already people ahead of us.

As we walked along the track a cruch, crunch, crunch behind us got louder. I turned around to see a group of 60 students catching us. However they paused to regroup after crossing a main road. A couple of km later a murmuring started behind us, the noise grew louder and louder until it was nearly deafening, and 6 Spanish people passed by. How come 6 people can make so much more noise than 60 students.

We passed the students resting several times throughout the day and I guess they passed us while we took our rest breaks.

The walk today was very pleasant mainly on gravel paths and through woods although the times without shade were grueling in the heat.

The thing about timing is that with our start time and the breaks taken during the day we found ourselves in the troughs between the waves if walkers, and had the road to ourselves for the majority of the day.

As we left town this morning and started our descent out of town, all the walkers where spread out like a line of ants in front of us, or were they sheep.

The route is very busy now and walkers pass us in waves, and we have to be careful that we are ot swept along with the tide.

With a bit of careful planning and strategic stops we manage to remain in the trough between the waves for much of the day.

Not much to say about today so some photos instead.

For a day that was meant to be downhill there certainly was a lot of uphill.

Today we started out in glorious blue skies, but as we descended we walked into mist.

But as we got even lower we again had clear views with the clouds now above us.

Along the way we not only meet interesting people we also come across some interesting places.

Well last night a storm rolled in just as we got back to our room. All the people who were swimming and sunbathing were caught out. It blew a gale, hailed torrential downpours, thunder and lightning.

The aftermath a tree didn’t survive.

There was a lot of road walking today as we approached a possible alternative route away from the road a very nice lady explained to us that the track was bad and impassable and we should take the road. Well that’s what I told Jo.

Luckily that saved us a couple of kms.

Although the walk started off cool it soon warmed up and was preparing for some more thunderstorms. We made our usual stops but as we got closer our pace increased. We made it safe and sound in the dry, we even had time for a shower and siesta.

Having eaten out for the last 26 days we decided to find the local supermarket and make our own dinner tonight. The impending storm still hadn’t arrived. However on our way back the drops of rain started, but dudn’t come to much, so far.

Having said there was a storm last night it was however the first rain we have seen since the Pyrenees, some 3 weeks ago.

A big day ahead today, so it’s up and breakfast at 7.00. Still not away until 7.45 but at least we tried. Today was a slow up and then a quicker down. To save us from some of the steepest downs we took to the road, only to find ourselves on the track at the steepest point.Never mind we made it to our lodgings safe and sound. After a freshen up it was a beer by the river, that turned into dinner with wine. Back safe and sound to iur room before the thunder started to roll in.