Left O Pedrouza at 9:15 am. Arrived Santiago de Compostela at 5:05 pm. 13.65 miles walked.

Today I left our hotel with the lightest my backpack has been since we left Raleigh. I have thrown caution to the wind – no medical kit, jacket, scarf or water.

I do have two snack bars and portable batteries, passports and money. It’s going to be hot so I want as little on my back as possible.

We are in good spirits – it is, after all, our last day of walking on the Camino. There is just a tinge of sadness in the air.

I sensed it as we sat in the cafe for breakfast. There was no excited chatter or laughter, no checking maps or fidgeting with shoes. It’s the quiet acceptance of a journey coming to an end.

We walked in contemplative silence a good part of the day. Stopped a few times for refreshments and lunch. The last stage of the Camino has plenty of places to stop so we didn’t go hungry.

I think we were both ready for the walking to end. My feet are tingly. Caleb’s big toe needs attention. We aren’t exactly the walking wounded, but a rest is eagerly anticipated.

Since it is our last day, we were in no particular hurry. It was mostly easy going with a few stretches that took our breath away, but not bad.

We both remembered different parts of the last day into Santiago from two years ago. However, the route has changed a bit, as we did not get the great view coming into town from a lovely grassy knoll this time. This is probably due to new development, but we couldn’t help being disappointed.

We saw the two ladies from Canada today, the siesta-taking Spanish couple, and the chatty bus driver. We snuck past him as he regaled others with stories.

Nope, we stopped one more time for smoothies and they were delicious.

We decided to go to the tourist office for our certificates before checking into the hotel. As it turned out, that was a good idea because our hotel is nowhere near the square.

We plan an early night as we’re being picked up at 6 am to get to the airport for our flight to Paris.

I’ll continue with our 4 days in Paris, so be prepared to enjoy food, wonderful architecture and shopping for a couple of days.

The Camino is one of the most interesting adventures I’ve had. If you ever decide to do it – I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Caleb and I are planning to do one more Camino trip next year, beginning in Sarria. That is the last hike that provides you with a certificate of completion. We will then have all four of the major Camino walks.

Thank you so much for sharing this time with us.

Hope you join us in Paris.

Good night.