Santiago De Compostela, Spain: Official end of Camino del Norte 2019

I’m sitting here in Santiago de Compostela Cathedral main square staring at the cathedral and the pilgrims and I feel nothing … even with the scaffolds down from last year.. I feel no emotion no focus on the cathedral, no tears, no sadness. My thinking is pretty clear but I am perplexed.
So many people yet I feel nothing, in fact I have a headache, and the crowds make me uneasy. The sun is shining and the cold breezes blowing and I still feel nothing.

This time in Santiago I booked an apartment outside the main area just above the cathedral but I believed the hype. No more albergues and hostels for me. I need a quiet area, private they said … I liked the apartment but unfortunately it was surrounded by 2 bars on either side. The apartment was comfortable but it was like a small cardboard box with thick windows and prison bars you can’t open. At night loud music thump thumping away and cars or people sitting at tables stuck up against my window on the ground floor which was 3/4 of the way blocked with window frost so I could only see thru the top quarter only if I stood on a chair. So this was the bad… the good was it had a nice comfortable bed, was immaculately clean, decent bathroom with a small kitchen/ living room and washing machine.

The ugly… well the morning I was leaving instructions said leave the key in the box so I exited the apartment door put the key in the box and pulled at the front door.. damn it’s locked! What???? For Four days this door was unlocked from the inside locked from the outside so I had no reason to think otherwise but now the damn door was locked. I have 15 minutes to get to the bus stop at 5:30 in the morning I don’t have time for this. I had to get the key back out of the lock box.. I had no choice but to pry it open or I would have to call the landlady. I tugged and finally it came loose. It wasn’t broken so I left it and followed the street sweeper down to the bus stop. What a lovely way to leave Santiago. Somehow this all made sense but I was trying to ignore the meaning.

It’s been quite hot here this year in fact, all four days were over 25C/ 80F … stifling heat with no clouds in the sky, beaming off and amplified by the stone streets. Add to that endless amounts tourist shops all selling the same things, uphill and winding tiny stone streets, beggars, drunk people but hey it wasn’t all bad. Yes I know I sound jaded but there is some good here. I did some shopping for souvenirs and two days before this I drove to a beautiful waterfall about 30 km outside the city and what an amazing day. It was beautiful and serene and seemed a fitting way to end the Camino but coming back into to Santiago I am reminded of the true commercial nature of the Camino. I still wasn’t feeling it. I sat in the same place I sat last year watching the pilgrims but still felt nothing but a bad taste. I was ready to go, somehow it wasn’t the same as last year. I didn’t really expect it to be the same but I thought there would be a familiarity with pilgrims. I ran into a few people whom I had seen before and said goodbye to Daniel a good friend and pilgrim from Germany, but the moment was fleeting then I dropped off the rental car taking the bus back to the apartment. I went to sit at the normal spot had dinner got bored then found my way back to the apartment.

Summary:

The Camino Del Norte was great and not so great. Beautiful coastline, lovely villages, wonderful seafood but too much road walking and french fries and not enough spirituality. The spirituality part I expected but not to that degree it was more of a long but beautiful coastal walk across Spain . I didn’t see the inside of many of the churches all were closed requiring you to ask ten people to get a key and a stamp. I stuck to getting stamps from bars, hotel (albergues) or tourist offices. Will I walk again in Spain? Maybe, but not next year. In fact I don’t know when… I’m just over it at the moment and I will see what fate has in store.

I’m on the plane going to Zurich/Geneva, am I excited? Some place I never thought I would see so I am not sure how i really feel in this moment. The person I was uppose to meat had a delay so Geneva is damn expensive for an unexpected unplanned stay, but can’t turn back now. As far as my feet, well they hurt and in fact hurting right at this moment. Heelsperricus is taped up and cyborg turtle is bandaged and braced up. Five full days in Geneva and then I was just told a 2 hr steep climb in the mountains to 1600 meters which is about 5,000 feet. After this is a possible steeper climb to 2300 meters….so much for preparation. Let’s not forget i must carry my full camino pack and food due to no electricity and facilities on the mountain in Mex. To be honest I feeling a little apprehensive after all I’m not a mountain goat. Well then again maybe I am, there were some goat In me afterall …well ok definitely sheep moments on the Camino. Not sure my lungs will handle the altitude but we will see. I have 2 inhalers hmmmm hope that’s enough. The soon pilot announced we are passing Paris out my window and just announced we are approaching Zurich wooohoo!!! I’m in Switzerland