FOREWORD: I completed the El Camino de Santiago – an 800km spiritual pilgrimage across Spain in late Summer of 2009. I journalled and photographed my trip, and as a final completion I agreed to publish my journal and pictures a year to the day of my journey.

STATS: Walked 7kms (4.3 miles)

I completed the Camino de Santiago today and am now lying in bed in a hostel in Finisterre. I feel well, a little weary and perhaps a little shell shocked and quiet and very contented.

As we left San Marcos early this morning, and made our way down the hill into Santiago I was very tearful, mainly just overcome with the reality of each footstep I took now culminating in my arrival. It was a lot. Truly Beyond Words. The photos we took of me this moring, I love. They are not the best pictures but I can see something different in myself, a peace and weary calm which I cherish now.

It was a lovely walk with mum and such a wonderful feeling when we got there. I was very happy and in high Spirits. The irony of walking through this profound rite of passage almost and then entering this town, where for each of these residents it is just another busy day, and yet such a remarkable and profound day for so many of us. And this continues day after day. There were very narrow side walks so it ws very hustly ad bustly, but lots of fun. I bumped into many many friends which I had not seen in weeks. It was really awesome. Many pilgirms stay in Santiago for a couple of days to catch all of their friends. I was hoping to catch up with Milton and Michael. The destination in Santiago is the Church so we followed the pilgrims in that general directiion. Along the way there was a group of men with their raincoats on. They were running amuck spraying water on each other. They, like me, had not encountered any rain, and wanted to use their rain coats at least once. It was a lot of fun. We then entered the church area and it was spectacular. And filled with many pilgrims standing and just taking it all in. Ironically about 5 minutes after we got there Luis came in, which was so cool. He had walked all night to get here today, so he was shattered. It was awesome to share this with him.

After many photos and lots of fun, we made our way to the Pellegrino office to recieve our certificates. They checked all my little stamps in my Pellegrino Passaporte to verify I had walked more than 100 km’s. I got my certificate! Yay! trundled it up safely in my bag, and then ambled aorund the town. It is customary to go to the noon service to officially be cleansed of your sins, and the reason why the pilgrims make the journey in the first place. Mum and I decided to postpone the service until we came back from our trip to Finisterre. It mainly was a decision becasue of logistics and bus schedules.

The shops were awesome, particularly this amazing chocolate shop. We stocked up, and then boarded the bus to Finisterre. The trip itself was horrendous as the bus tore around these windy coastal roads, but the views were spectacular, just breathtaking. I felt very sick. Finisterre itself is completely mind-blowingly amazing. It is so gorgeous, this quaint little fishing village. We will be here for 2 days. I am so happy.

We had an early dinner and are now in bed. I feel very peaceful and happy. And while a lot of my decisions are not resolved, and nothing is really different, I feel so much in the centre of who I am.

The peace that is in my heart is the culmination of the journey. And I profoundly understand that here, at the end there is not much to say, except that it really is not about the destination but in fact the journey.

What a blessing. Thanks be to God.

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