Doin' It (With a Baby)

Our camino was, without a doubt, a unique one compared to most who walk it.  While that is true, in one way shape or form, of most everyone who makes pilgrimage, our version of a unique camino was one we wore on our shoulder.....or more literally, our backs.

Kepa gets some playtime in a field about midway through the camino.  Lots of hand sanitizer after this :)

That isn't to say we are the first people to do this with a baby.  At all.  As we mentioned already, a 4 month old went last winter and a family of 3 (plus 3 donkeys) was doing two caminos back to back this summer. We met a 2 year old and a 9 year old (both doing the camino by bicycle) and we met a family with three kids (ranging 16 months to 6) who walked the camino, but started in Sarria.  There are blogs (in English) of people who have done this with several babies in the past, and an entire section of the Spanish guidebook is dedicated to doing the Camino with children.  A family apparently intends to do this with a 1 and 3 year old (in buggies) next summer.  We were/are hardly trendsetters.

Kepa eats a cracker on the Roman road to Calzadilla de los Hermanillos

That said, while all of that is true, doing the camino with a baby is certainly not a common thing.  Doing the entire camino with a baby is even less common.  And because the nature of the camino means that you run into the same few hundred people multiple times (the people who started anywhere from, say, 2 days ahead of you through 2 days behind you), rather than meeting everyone who is currently on the camino, that means that taking a baby is all the more unique.  And it seems even the more unique to those you meet because most of them have never considered that you could do it with a baby....or, that if you could, that you would.

One of the few times Todd carried him on his back, in the evening around Pontferada

People's reactions to us began skeptical and ambivalent, and we felt the judgement. However, fairly quickly, it turned positive. People's primary concerns seemed to stem from their own worries that the baby would be sleeping near/with them (keeping them awake) and a worry for the baby's safety.  It led to question after question after question.  Upon hearing that we had actually thought (and planned) for most of their concerns, we universally received support and encouragement.  Kepa became a celebrity (averaging 10-20 photographs a day).  Everyone knew who we were.  We often arrived in towns to waiting groups to applaud us as we arrived (and on a couple of occasions greet us with a pre-poured beer).  People became very invested in seeing "the famous camino baby Kepa" finish.  We were, quite frankly, shocked by how much attention the baby garnered.  At times it was flattering, and at other times slightly horrifying.  But it was non-stop.  And we were also shocked by just how invested people were in this.  It came to go well beyond simple fascination and "that's cool" for most people.  Some people got really invested.  One Irish man wept openly in Fromista because he thought what we were doing was so "moving" and "important."  A Spaniard who was walking his 6th camino declared this "the Camino of Kepa" and proceeded to introduce us to everyone he met.  A group of two Basque couples became so invested in Kepa that they are now trying to get us to Skype.  A Japanese man collected over 70 photos of Kepa and cried upon leaving him in Camino (the man cried, not the baby). Kepa was given more gifts than we can count (more on that below).  Time and again, Spaniards called us "valiant" or "heroic".  Others told us how "special" this was.  To be honest, none of this seems to fit.  We don't think we accomplished some great feat by taking him.  As is usual for us, we had a crazy idea that we followed through on.  It brought us closer as a family.  It was fun.  It was culturally eye opening.  And carrying a baby certainly made it more difficult.  But, while we feel a great feeling of accomplishment for having completed the Camino de Santiago in general, we don't feel that our journey was somehow more "important" or a bigger achievement simply because we had a 14 month old in tow.  It just wasn't (for us).  But we are glad that we could engender those kinds of emotions in others.  If our actions could (shockingly to us) engender those kinds of happiness and emotions in others, then that is awesome.

But the most scary question we got over and over was people excitingly asking "I just realized you can do the camino with a baby!".  And that led us to think we needed a post about our experiences traveling with a baby, that deals with what worked, what didn't, and our advice on how to do it with a baby.  Because, more than anything, our answer to the above question would be this.......Yes, you can do a certain type of the camino with some babies.  And that isn't the same thing.

A few things worked to make this work, and they all were essential.  That isn't to say that you have to have the same advantages to make this work, but you had better have at least an answer for each of them, or else we wouldn't recommend doing a large chunk (or more) of the camino with a small child.

1) Really this should be labeled thing number 1, 2, and 3. The biggest, most important, non-negotiable advantage we had was Kepa.  He is a happy, amiable, adaptable child who almost never cries, is happy walking 6-8 hours a day in a pack, and, upon meeting a stranger, thinks flirting is a good idea no matter how tired or hungry he is. We did not have a single negative experience with an albuerge or peregrino in relation to the baby........had Kepa not been Kepa, this would have been far from true.  Meanwhile, you can't get fulfillment in doing something like this unless your child seems happy.  Kepa was, and that made it great.  But if he was unhappy it wouldn't have worked.  More importantly, it wouldn't have been fair to him.

2) We had a great pack/carrier for him (Deuter Kid Comfort 2) and we got him used to walking in it for months and months before we left.....to the degree that he was excited to see it.  The couple with the two kids who plan to do this next year plan to do so with buggies/strollers (as did the family we met who started in Sarria).  Straight up, I wouldn't recommend it.  I think it is a no-go.  It would pose a relatively major problem every single day of the camino, and there would be certain days you just straight up couldn't do it.  And even if you could, staying on the road and avoiding the path, you would usually be missing the best parts of the camino.  I just don't think you can do a large chunk of this camino with a buggie.  And before you ask, yes we are familiar with athletic buggies.  In fact we own one (try walking every day on the uneven streets of New Orleans without one).  They are great things.  And it is only because I know how awesome they are that I'm even as positive about not doing it with a buggie as I am.  If I thought you'd try even a single day with a regular buggie I'd laugh out loud.  We are more open about an athletic buggie, but we still just don't think it would work. However, if that is something you want to do, we recommend researching 1) people who have done it and 2) people who have done the Camino with carts and paths the bikes take. Just a personal note: pulling a cart is FAR easier than pushing one.

3) Having an extra adult.  This is not a 110% must, several couples have done it before with one adult carrying the baby and the other the clothes/pack/etc.  But I can't imagine having done it that way.  Kepa plus pack ended up weighing near 30 pounds.  And then, at that point, you have two people (Kepa and the person carrying him) who can't carry their own stuff.  That left us with 2 people carrying for 4.  Tough, but doable.  Try 1 person carrying for 3.  And yes baby clothes weigh less, but add in diapers, food, a toy or two, gifts (you'll get plenty), formula or bottles, etc etc.  If you are still breastfeeding, that would help, but that isn't going to make or break the deal.  Having G-Mom along was a huge, huge deal.  And not just for carrying.  One of the toughest things about doing this with a baby was not just carrying him.  Imagine getting into the town at 4 PM when every other peregrino does some laundry and collapses into a nap.  Maybe has a beer.  Now imagine arriving with a wide awake, just woken up from a nap, happy and roaring to go 14 month old.  Picture it.  That is your reality.

4) Brittany being fluent in Spanish and French and knowing some Basque, and G Mom and I being at least basically conversant in Spanish.  You don't need to speak the language to do the Camino (although it helps), but I can't imagine doing this with a baby if you didn't.  The baby brings in so many specific questions and issues that need explained and discussed.  And you can't make advanced reservations (see #5) very effectively in English.  You just can't.

5) A willingness to make reservations.  Yes, we know the best way to do the camino is to walk until it feels right, without plans, etc.  It is.  It really is.  But you can't do that with a baby.  We never booked more than 2-3 days in advance (allowing us to stay flexible....see #6), but we really felt we needed to know we had a bed.  And in the new bed race that the overly commercialized camino has become, people were getting turned away from albuerges left and right.  Add in that you walk slower with a baby (more weight, more stops, etc), meaning that you get into town later than everyone else, and you'd have serious, serious trouble getting a bed.  We wanted to be able to reserve a private room in a private albuerge (only a couple of euros more than a dorm bed in a municiple albuerge), but even if you think your child can handle a dorm room, and even if you aren't worried he might bother others (or, more likely with our child, be bothered by others' snoring).......you still need to book ahead.  Which means no municiple albuerges, and it means knowing how far you are walking each day 1-3 days in advance.  Not ideal, but with a baby really hard not to do.  And to be honest, you should consider this even if you aren't walking with a baby.  The Camino Frances has gotten that crowded and that commercial.  If you have romanticized notions of caminos past and no plans, then do the Norte or the Portuguese.  But with a baby, the reservations are particularly a necessity.

6) A willingness to stay flexible.  Twice Kepa took a cab (once we all went with him, the other day just G-Mom...B and I walked).  Both times we would have walked through the weather ourselves.  Both times we had to be willing to be flexible because of the baby.  We were determined to take no electronics....then we spent 180 euros on an out of date iPod touch in Pamplona so that we could use Skype to call ahead and make reservations.  Whether or not the iPod Touch is essential for your camino with baby, the willingness to be flexible and go against our deep seated wishes and plans was invaluable.

7) A baby who sleeps through the night at least 98% of the time and eats everything.  We had both.  It would be difficult if we didn't. Even with this, Kepa still had a bad dream and woke up once at 3 am (oddly enough the night before walking into Santiago--his nightmare was that it was going to end!!!)

8) Research, research, research.  Most peregrinos could stand to do more research before they camino.....but with a baby it is essential.  We bought him top of the line rain gear (so he wouldn't get wet). We bought ourselves super light weight clothing (weight matters all the more when you plan to carry double).  We knew how albuerges worked.  We knew the major towns we wanted to stop at.  We knew how all of the little details worked.  With a baby, this was invaluable.  If you want to know a lot of how we did this with a baby, see our pre-Camino post titled "Wait, you're taking the baby?"

9) A willingness to be gracious about fame, even when it can be annoying.  You are, literally, choosing to make yourself the Paris Hilton of the camino.  Like it or not, you just are.  You are going to be asked a thousand questions (where did you start? does he sleep through the night? how old is he? is he happy? how do you pack his nappies?) over. and over. and over. and over.  You are going to be given tons of gifts.  And then you are going to be asked those questions again (at the end, other peregrinos were asked these questions when people were too sheepish to ask us).  You are going to be given or offered tons of gifts, some of which you may not really want your baby to have and all of which you will have to carry with you.  You are going to be asked to pose for photos many times a day.  And it is going to happen when you are tired, exhausted, climbing a hill.  It is going to happen when baby is napping, or starting to fuss a tad.  And you are going to have to be reasonably ok with all of this, gracious, and smiling.  And never mind the reasons of being gracious because you are in another culture, a guest, etc.  Yes we believe all of that: Tony Bourdain taught us well.  But that ain't nothing compared to the big "because."  You need to accept these gifts, answer these questions, and smile for pictures because these are the same people you are going to be relying on to make your camino a success.  No camino can succeed without help, but that is 120% true with a baby.  Imagine showing up at an albuerge with a baby surrounded by surly peregrinos?  We never had even a HINT of a problem at an albuergue....but that is largely because all of the other peregrinos loved us, would vouch for us, and were genuinely excited to see us.  It also didn't hurt that Kepa is/was a ham and will flirt the second he sees a camera.  You don't have to be a fan of being the Paris Hilton of the camino (we certainly don't like being famous), but you at least have to have a personality that is capable of coping with the fame and attention.

10) Spain is baby friendly.  Lots of parks.  Diapers are cheap.  Milk bottles (though heavy) are a euro a piece for a liter, and don't have to be refrigerated until opened (can you believe that?). Baby food and formula was also cheap (but flavored so we didn't give him that exclusively lest he get used to Maria cookie flavored milk). Yogurt also doesn't have to be refrigerated (but this is only available in the baby section). Also, the best thing ever: Dinosaur cookies. These are fortified cookies that taste awesome. I actually recommend them even if you aren't a kid on the camino: the extra B vitamins are good and it's a tasty snack (we got a few peregrinos addicted: here's looking at you, Double As).

Bri and Kepa enjoy a swing overlooking Hontanas.  Spain has parks everywhere, even the smallest burg.....and most of them have the baby swings (the baskets meant for babies).  The best parks were in Navarra and La Rioja.  Galicia came next.  Castilla y Leon dead last, because baby swings were much more rare there.  But parks galore.

If you have all of those 10 things going for you, or a good answer for why you don't, then you can begin to consider taking a baby.  If it is right for you, then we are a big fan.  It was one of the best decisions of our lives.  Some reasons it is great to take a baby:

1) While we weren't always enamored with the fame, we did like how it caused us to meet and get to know more people than we imagined.  We didn't really think we'd be into the whole "camino family" thing, and we still aren't in terms of the peregrinos that use the camino as a chance to try to make the friends they don't have back home (whole other rant).......but we did surprise ourselves by how much we enjoyed the idea of meeting, getting to know, and seeing the same people day in and day out in different locations.  We'll talk more about this in a future post about rearview thoughts on the camino, but what is relevant here is that we met a lot more people because of the baby.  People's initial reactions ranged from skeptical to excited, but everyone was curious.  And that is a great conversation starter.

2) We got to better appreciate the local culture.  One of the biggest negatives of the Camino (IMO) is the disconnect from the culture peregrinos walk through.  They talk to an international consortium, but rarely a Spaniard (and even more rarely a non peregrino Spaniard).  They eat mostly crappy versions of Spanish food at albuerges (though occasionally the food is great at an albuerge) and they don't even know about the culture through which they walk.  Now, granted, we were always going to have a better situation with this by virtue of having traveled to Spain beforehand, B being a spanish professor and knowing the culture, our research, and being foodies.......but more than any of those advantagous was Kepa.  We got to meet, talk to, and interact with locals more than any other peregrinos did.  In fact, we often spent more time getting to know the locals than we did peregrinos.  The Spanish adore babies (Richard Wright got it right), and Kepa is a major door opener.

3) Far and away the biggest advantage was time together as a family.  Everyone talks about the advantages of the Camino being a slower pace of life, getting away from technology, forgetting the real world, embracing your experience, etc etc etc.  Now imagine doing that with your baby.  Kepa came 2 months early amidst a major kitchen renovation followed by a lot of drama at our jobs.  The first year flew by.  We loved him and loved spending time with him, but it flew.  The Camino changed that.  24/7 with the baby and nothing to do but spend time with him while seeing him discover great and new things.  Priceless.

4) Kepa's personality.  While I don't believe the numerous peregrinos who were convinced he would remember this, and while I don't necessarily believe the numerous peregrinos who claim he achieved some kind of divine blessing by having done this (although I will say him reaching out and touching St James unprompted was purty darn spooky)........We do firmly believe this will have a lasting impact on him.  He may not remember what he saw and did, but this trip expanded and cemented his personality traits of being happy and adaptable, of liking interactions with strangers, of eating a massively wide array of foods.  This trip didn't create those traits (and couldn't in any baby) but it sure as heck expanded and and cemented them.

G-Mom and kepa meet a Galician horse

And, in honor of Sofia Coppola's film The Bling Ring, lets talk about the bling.  Be prepared to be a major celebrity.  As people that abhor celebrity culture, this was a bit surprising to us.  I mean I guess on some level we knew it would happen to a degree (if what we were doing wasn't somewhat unique, why keep a blog?) but we just never remotely imagined how big it would be.  Kepa was, quite literally, the most famous baby in northern Spain for a month.  People whom we had not yet met came up to us knowing his name, age, and that we were professors from New Orleans.  Multiple people whom we met when Kepa was with another one of us, proceeded to go apesh-- crazy when they found out, yelling "OMG you're the baby people, everyone is talking about you!."  Multiple friends openly cried when we made it to Santiago.  Kepa is on at least 50 facebook pages, probably more, including the pages of people we never even met.  He was given gifts like you wouldn't believe.  In fact, lets list them:

1) At least 20 chupa chups (Spanish suckers).  We think more.
2) 3 different times he was given an entire bag manzinetas (a name we invented), kind of like a baby puff.
3) A walking cane in O'Cereibro
4) A Scallop shell from Finessstarre
5) A pilgrim's cross necklace that was found on the ground by another peregrino (he felt it was divine intervention)
6) A stuffed dog which we named Estella (after the city)
7) A stuffed polar bear that played Christmas music
8) A fancy white-chocolate sucker
9) twice he was given free bowls of ice cream
10) On one occasion he was greeted by the cafe owner with two beers (we assume they were for us?)
11) Milk for his bottle (whenever we tried to buy some from a bar, they always insisted we take it for free).
12) A miniature lobster pot with lid (to quote the shop owner in broken English, "babies like to go bang bang")

And most of these gifts came from Spaniards, mostly shopowners.  One guy at a shop turned away other customers so that he could spend more time with Kepa.  He made it on several facebook pages for stores and hotels and bars (advertising that he had been there).  It really was (and is) insane.

Kepa checks out his new walking stick in O'Cereibro

A few examples of where you can find Kepa's celebrity on the interwebs.....

The blog of two welshmen we saw from Laguna de la Castilla onwards, one of whom kept a blog because he was walking for charity.

The blog of a man from Houston who we saw the first week of the Camino before we got out ahead of him (and, apparently, before his wife had to abandon the camino).

The Facebook page of the store in O'Cereibro where the owner gave him his walking stick.

And the Kepa fascination crossed boundries, from Spaniards to peregrinos, from young to old.  Spanish men are just as into the baby as women (a big cultural difference from the US).  A 15 year old Spanish boy was the most inquisitive at all early in the camino.  Some of the peregrinos who began the most skeptical, ended the most enamored.  Joan, our Andorran friend, treats him like a grandson to this day.  I honestly believe that, had we succeeded in getting Kepa baptised in Santiago, we would have had fifty or so peregrinos turn out for the ceremony.....and that is with no good way to advertise it.

Kepa getting denied his compestella.  You have to be old enough to answer a question or two and write your name to get one.  But they did add his name to Brittany's

Speaking of which, we came really close to the baptism.  Brittany's Spanish led us to be directed to the most amicable of priests, who was very open to doing it.  We had been told that other pilgrims had attempted and failed, but we came really close.  And the one who succeeded was a Spanish lady, so I think language is a big help.  So is the paperwork.  All the paperwork you need is -->  A letter from your parish priest giving permission to be baptized elsewhere (this can be faxed) and the baby's birth certificate.

For all of the talk on camino forums of people not being happy to see a baby, we did not have a single negative comment or experience, with the exception of the Dutch Evangelicals who run the albuergue near Montjardin, and their problem was less with the baby and more that we planned to sleep in the same bed as the baby......which they deemed too unsafe to let us do, while continuing to repeat "it is your camino".  Well, it obviously isn't our camino if you are saying we can't do it-----which is fine, but don't try to act like you aren't saying no when you are.  But that is ok, not being able to stay there caused us to take the high road over Montjardin, which was easier and more enjoyable anyway. But, literally, other than that we did not have a single adverse reaction to our face, nor a visible indication that any were going on behind our backs.  Peregrinos and albuergue owners alike were exceedingly helpful, kind, gracious, and happy.  Some (not many) had baby beds and/or high chairs.  Ask.  You'd be surprised.  It probably helped that we had the 10 things going for us listed above, and it definitely helped that we booked ahead (allowing them to choose where best to put us, often in the attic room, or the lone room downstairs, etc).  But people were helpful and excited, not negative and doubting.  Universally. If you are one of the many people who helped us along the way, and you somehow find this blog, thank you, thank you, thank you. Gracias and Eskerrik asko, while we're at it. We couldn't have done this without the help of so many.

If you are planning to do this, we found the following albuerge's particularly helpful with a baby --->
 ~Albuergue Camino del Perdon in Uterga.  This woman actually called ahead and upgraded our albuergas the next three days based on what she knew and how it would be for a baby.
 ~Pension Parque del Edro, a private pension (but reasonably priced) with a beautiful baby set up
~Albuergue Via Trajana in Calzadilla de los Hermanillos, on the roman road option after Sahagun
~Albuergue la Escuela in Laguna de la Castilla (this was our favorite albuergue experience of the whole trip, baby or not btw.  And you are just short of O'Cereibro, meaning you'll catch it early in the morning sans tourists instead of spending the night in Galician Disney).

Kepa hangs out with his new friend Oscar in Laguna de la Castilla.  Oscar gets to meet peregrinos every night, but not usually his own age.

To end, we thought we'd also share some of the items we loved, didn't use, wish we'd had on this trip.

1. We lost the sling in St. Jean--turns out, we didn't miss it. We carried Kepa and set the pack down at dinner. If you want to do luggage transport, you could send along a small umbrella stroller for the evenings. We didn't use the transport service because it took away our flexibility (we had to follow our luggage). 

2. I would have LOVED a fabric high chair thing that attaches to chairs (see here). High chairs were not common in Spain, and I would have gladly taken the extra weight.

3. We bought baby bug spray and never used it.

4. We brought a sippy cup and never used it. He wanted the bottle, and the camino is not the time to try new things. We needed at least two large bottles, and the Spanish company Suavinex makes these little tabs that dissolve in water and sanitize anything in it. This item would be great for sanitizing hydration bladder valves. You can buy bottles and these tabs at any pharmacy.

5. The tie on strings for toys were indispensable. Best thing ever. Todd only had to walk back to get something (his stuffed dog) once.  I can't imagine without this item......

6. We did not bring an infant travel bed. But, if you have a baby that needs continuity and is smaller, this travel bed would be great.  We didn't think it was worth the weight (at all).  But if your child really needs the continuity of the same bed every night, or if you are even more scared of the idea of co-sleeping than we were (which is saying a lot), then this is a good option.

7. The splat mat. This is one that would be great for non-baby Camino use. It weighs nothing, is a good size, and is great for picnicking, putting food on outdoor tables, etc. 

8. All of Kepa's REI clothes were great. They washed well and dried very quickly. 

9. A light weight muslin blanket. We used this to shield him from the sun when napping, a light blanket at night, etc. 

Farewell and Adieu You Fair Spanish Ladies, Farewell and Adieu You Ladies of Spain

So, we're back. After a 4+ long days of travel by train, plane, and car.  Long days of Kepa losing patience with nonstop travel (he seems to prefer camino-ing to traditional travel) all while teething.  All of this in an effort to end (and return from) one of the best trips of our lives.  Suffice it to say it has been a long few days.

Sunday June 30, Donostia to Madrid

6+ hours on a train, make it to the hotel, take a nap because everyone was exhausted, then dinner at Botin's.....a bit of a splurge, but the last night in Europe isn't the time to save ten bucks.  Botin's is (arguably) the world's oldest restaurant, and they are famous for their open wood oven.  Their two most famous dishes are roasted suckling pig and lamb. This is also the restaurant that Jake and Brett go to at the end of The Sun Also Rises, so it has gotten a bit touristy. But the food is still good and the service exceedingly traditional.....and if you manage to get reservations in the wine cellar (the oldest part of the restaurant) you won't mind the tourists.  Afterwards we knew we should get to bed early, but it was our last night. So we wandered to the main square for a drink, a snack, and watching Europe turn dark.  One of only 3 or 4 times the entire trip we even saw "dark" because a) it doesn't get dark there in summer till after 10, and on the Camino you tend to be in bed before 9.

Outside the famous Botin's.  Not a bad way to say adios to Spain

On the left, Mary and and Brittany descend down the stairs under
the bar and into the cellar.....the best spot in Botin's. Above, Kepa
chews on a cookie given especially to him by the waiter while
wearing a new outfit purchased in San Sebastian

The Plaza Mayor twinkles as the sky turns to night.

Monday July 1, Madrid to Woodstock Virginia
Alarm set for 620, 2 hour flight to London, 3 hour layover, then an 8 hour flight to DC, get to the rental car, and drive two hours to a hotel.  Fun, fun, fun.  Not.  Kepa did pretty darn well on these flights, but by the time he got in the car in Virginia he was DONE (and screamed for two hours).  He loved the Camino, but he doesn't seem as much of a fan of the getting there and back.  Join the group!  We told him when we hit London that he'd heard his last "hay que guapo, hay que rubio, hay que simpatico", and that he was no longer "The Famous Camino Baby Kepa".  I guess we all take the end of our stardom hard. But we all have to learn when it is over:

A bath and a real baby bed helped make things better though.  He only had his own baby bed 4 or 5 times on the Camino (not counting the vacay in San Sebastian).

Check out the hair!!

July 2-4.  Woostock Virginia to New Orleans Louisiana

We helped move my mom's stuff out of one storage spot to another, picked up our car in Lexington, ate a quick lunch at Lexington House Restaurant (of course!), and headed back to New Orleans over these days.  A long trip home, and only to find that it had rained more than we expected and our back yard is a jungle. Plus all of the normal just-back-from-a-trip house work (multiplied because we were gone so long).  Plus my summer course has already started, so I'm already back to work (yeah!).  Someone's gotta pay for all of this somehow!

The good news is that we did make it back to NOLA in time for the fourth of July fireworks on the Mississippi River.....a family tradition every July 4th (at 9 PM) and New Years Eve (at midnight).  A very solid fireworks display in one of the best settings for it in the world.....dueling barges parked in the middle of the Mississippi.  You can't beat that.  It was a little melancholic to be back suddenly for the 4th of July.....not because of any negative American feelings (at all).....its just that when you are already a bit melancholic about being back from a great international trip, it is hard to suddenly get up for the most American of all American days.  Some beignets and fireworks helped.  The K-man was mesmerized

The fry man can, the fry man can.  A batch of beignets being dropped. Yes please!

Kepa staring at the fireworks to the left as the fireworks to the right go off in the background.

Today we get back The Piv, who has been having a gay old time with C.  Apparently weekly trips to the riverbend to play with Golden Retrievers, almost-weekly trips to the Fly, and a house full of college age girls.  Piv was living the dream.

So, it is over.  Hard to believe.  In the end, it was one of the best trips we ever took, and definately one of the most important.  Part of it was the challenge, and the sense of fulfillment in accomplishing something so difficult.  Part of it was getting to see parts of Spain, a culture we love, that we'd never otherwise get to see.  Part of it was being able to be gone so long (without a Camino, how could one ever afford such extravagant length?).  Part of it was getting to meet so many random people you'd never otherwise meet, and then see them day in and day out without staying in one location (and we enjoyed that aspect more than we imagined we would).  Part of it was getting to immerse ourselves with so many local Spaniards (a luxury created by Kepa coupled with Bri's language skills, I actually think many peregrinos feel very isolated from the culture through which they walk.  Sadly, many of them don't mind that).  Mostly, however, it was having so much time to spend together as a family, removed not from pressure and struggles (there were plenty of those), but removed from the types of pressure and struggles that make up our normal, day to day life.  We felt like the first year with Kepa flew by and disappeared.  This Camino really gave us the chance to slowdown and enjoy our wonderful child.  We may not be "baby people", but we really love our baby.....and we are only getting one crack that the baby stage (since there will not be a Kepa 2.0)......so the ability to slow down, savor, and remember this fun stage is priceless.

We have a couple more blog posts coming before this blog gets officially retired (middle of July).  So stay tuned (or, if you have good taste, you already stopped reading months ago! :)  ).

Basqing in the Afterglow

Monday June 24, Santiago de Compostela to (near) Gernica Basqueland (Euskal Herria)

Having finished our camino early, mostly because we allowed extra days for the baby that never got used, we headed to the airport to pick up a rental car.  Kepa does better in carseats than trains, and meanwhile there is no direct train route from Galicia to the Basque Country.  We left early and drove like a bat out of hell (I should say Mary and and Bri drove, since Todd doesn´t drive stick) to try to get to Bilbo to have plenty of time to see it and eat dinner.  Everything went great until, 30 minutes shy of Bilbo, near the Basque border, the car inexplicably broke down on the interstate.  It was a very scary spot to sit for an hour plus, and the car company still can´t figure out what went wrong.  Eventually they sent a taxi after a local called for us, got us to Bilbo, and gave us a new car.  But by that point it was 6 PM and we still had to make it to Gernika.  So our time in Bilbo was hurried and no dinner.  But we enjoyed walking along the river and seeing the old town.  B and T had been to Bilbo before, and we quite like it.  It reminds us of Pittsburgh only even better, a city that had been industrial and on its way majorly down well into the 90s, then saved itself and made itself anew in a REALLY cool way.  Bilbo manages to be sleek and modern while preserving a sense of the past, modern yet green, and intensely Basque.  A great city we hope to spend more time in soon.  AFter that we drove to Gernika exhausted.

The Guggenheim in Bilbo (designed by Frank Gebhry).  Love it or hate it, it helped rebuild and reshape Bilbo.  We always thought we´d hate it till we saw it.  In the end, we love it.  Frank Gehry may be overrated, but this structure is not.

A bridge crossing the river in Bilbo.  Bilbo is the Basque industrial hub, yet its riverfront is now beautiful.  Filled with schoolchildren in kayaks the night we saw it.  Puts Cleveland to shame.  Never mind, Des Moines probably puts Cleveland to shame :)

Tuesday June 25, Gernica to Ondorraria

We got up in the morning and went to downtown Gernika and toured the Basque parliament (where women have had a vote since the middle ages), what is left of the oak tree (the ancient seat of Basque government), and many tributes to the tragedy that happened there in 1937.  If you don´t know anything about it, google it.  Franco asked his friend Hitler to practice carpet bomb his own people, all the while seeking revenge on the Basques who had been on the wrong side of the Spanish Civil War (and who still refused to see themselves as Spanish, maintaining a foreign embassy in Paris and Washington DC until 1945).  They bombed on market day killing thousands.  Picasso´´s famous painting (named after the town) depictst the tragedy.  Afterwards, we headed to the coast and drove half of the coast, seeing Elantzobe(population 450, hanging on cliffs over the Bay of Biscay), lunching in beautiful Leketio, and spending the night in Ondarroa.

The view down at Elanxtobe.  We walked down and back up.  After the camino it twasnt a thing.

The view up the Basque coast.

Kepa enjoys a walk around the sea wall in Lekeitio

At the end of the pier in Leketio.  Yes, we bought a stroller (in Gernika).  Long overdo after 500 miles of carrying a baby on their backs!!!!!   Lekeitio is beautiful btw

Wednesday June 26, Ondarria to Donostia-San Sebastian

Spent most of the day driving to Getaria, failing at an attempt to tour a Txokoli winery, picnicking on a hill island overlooking Getaria, then dropping B and Kepa off at the hotel in San Sebastian, driving to the airport (well up the coast), dropping off the car, and taking a bus back to San Sebastian.  But that night we had some Pinxtos and all was well.  San Sebastian has more Michelen stars than any city in the world per capita, and I have never eaten so well.  Even the cheap pinxtos (Basque versions of tapas, but so so much more....tapas are a bite, pinxtos are a composed plate but small bite) are heavenly.  Suffice it to say you can eat well for cheap or for expensive.  On night one we went relatively cheap and it still looked like this:

Quail wings with caramalized veggies.

Ravioli stuffed with Duck and Foi Gras with a Balsamic drizzle. 3.50 euros (4 dollars).  Wowz.

 Thursday June 27, Donostia-San Sebastian

The same place for more than one day?  Kepa says whaaaaaaaat?  San Sebastian is, literally, our favorite place in the world.  It is what started our Basque obsession-----which we always think we have overromanticized, till we return back to Euskara and realize, no we love it even more than we thought we did.  It is just......... Our place.  Our culture, our location, our food, our lifestyle.  Family friendly without being family obsessive, believers in their ubiquitous saying a little bit often (words to live by btw), and people who take great pleasure in simple things.  Also B enjoys practicing her Basque.  On this day we took Kepa to the beach, did some baby clothes shopping (European baby clothes are so much nicer than in the States, where we seem obsessed with dressing our children like little adults), and ate dinner at the fisherman´s wharf. 

La Concha.  Yep.  It is pretty.

We saw this.  We didn´t go in, but we thought it funny.  It reminded us of the street  singer in Santiago who dressed like a 25 year old Dylan, hair and all, even though he was 60, and sang Dylan songs in Gaellego (the choruses in English).  May he remain forever young.

Kepa happy to be at the beach with his newly purchased bucket, shovel, and watering can set.  Or maybe he was simply staring at the topless ladies behind us :)

 Friday June 28, Donostia-San Sebastian

Among other things, we went to the Aquarium, which mixes a history of Basque fishing and sea exploration with one of the best sealife exhibits in Europe.  Kepa was mesmerized the entire time.

Kepa checks out a shark.  He was wide eyed for 2 hours.

Kepa hanging out in his stroller at a pinxtos bar around 11 pm.  In the States this would warrant a call to child protective services, but in Euskal Herria he was one of 3 children under two at the pinxto bar (which is totally a family space in Basqueland).  On the way home immediately after this we stopped for a swing and had to wait in line for the baby swings because they were so busy.  It is amazing how quickly Kepa adapted to Spanish time.....I guess it doesn´t hurt that it doesnt get dark here till almost 1030 pm, and really sleeping into 9 or later, doing something fun, taking a late lunch, then a siesta, then staying up late......isn´t such a bad schedule for a little guy.  Not one we can replicate with our work schedules at home however.  Still, withing 24 hours of leaving the Camino Kepa was 100% on Spanish time, and happy about it.  One night he looked at us from his baby crib (they had one in Donostia, only our 5th of the trip!!) with a look of, bed, already?  Ya´ll must be gringos!   PS: He isn´t sucking his thumb, he´s licking grease from the drizzle that was on the pork knuckle.

Saturday June 29, Donostia-San Sebastian

Our final day of relaxation.  Walked to one of the two mountains that overlook the mouth of the harbor, and took a funicular up to the cheesie funpark on top.  A Donostia tradition for over a century.  Walked around the old town, and had our biggest splurge dinner of the trip (to die for).  Kepa behaved like a champ.  Also stumbled onto a major celebration and parade with Basque dancing and giant Basque figurines......all in honor of St Peter´s day.......really, really ironic considering Kepa is the Basque equivalent to the Castillian Pedro which is.........Peter.  Had a really great time in San Sebastian.  We think our next vacay (several years and a lot of paying off credit cards away) may be back here.  This seemed like a nice taste but coming on the heels of the camino, and with a 14 month old in toe, it really just made us yearn to take an actual vacation here with a slightly older child.  This was the perfect way to celebrate one of the best trips of our lives, but also causing us to say more Basque please!

Kepa on his way up the funicular

Kepa and Mary Ann with the basque ponies (they are a special breed, can´t think of the name).  The funpark is cheesie, but Kepa had a blast.

The view from Mount Igeldo.

Some of the figurines from the fiesta.

Bri and Kepa enjoy one of 9 (count em) carousel rides Kepa took in Donostia.  Their carousel is vintage from the Belle Epoque (as is most of the architecture) and it is stuck right next to the beach on the boardwalk right next to the old town.  Sublime.

My lowlight was having to explain to a woman from Massachussetts what Basque was while at a pinxto bar on Saturday night.  I don´t expect most Americans to know or care.......but she is, you know, IN San Sebastian.  She was ordering California wine. I,m not kidding.  Not in the least.  This is a great, great place.  And whatever your nationality politics, this is not Spain.  It just isn´t,.  And if you think they should be part of spain politically, fine.  But don´t come here and treat them as a Disney version of Spanish.  It just ain´t respectful.  If you are in Basqueland drink, or at least try, the Txokoli.  The same way you´d try Nappa wine in Nappa.

My highlight was seeing a culture that values fun, relaxation, and family.  And seeing Kepa enjoy all of the things those values offer, from good food to park swings, from carousels to the beach.  To little old Basque ladies who pinched his cheeks when they found out his name was Kepa.  This was a brilliant end to the trip.

Sunday we head back to Madrid then fly out on Monday.  Sad to have this over, but it has been the longest (and just about the best) adventures of our lives.  And I can´t put a price on the time alone we´ve had with Kepa, away from work and distractions.  Viva el Camino.

The End of the World

So I can´t really describe how odd it feels to not be walking.  You do the same thing for a month (31 days in our case).  Same routine, same thing, seeing many of the same people, day in and day out. And then it is over.  It was great touring the catedral and seeing a lot of our friends in Santiago, but it is never the same.

I forgot to mention the freakie thing that happened when we were touring the catedral on Thursday after our arrival.  One of the ¨things to do¨is to climb up behind the altar piece and either touch or hug the statue of Saint James.  Brittany rested her hand on the back of his head like millions before her, and began to walk away.  Unprompted and with no encouragement, Kepa about fell out of his pack leaning out of it on his own in an attempt to touch the statue (he was succesful).  The attendant about fell out of his chair.  One of those odd (but amazing) life moments.

Thursday night we celebrated by eating an entire Tarta de Santiago.  A really good almond cake (that we have had before), but not nearly as good as Gateau Basque (see previous post).  Here is a picture¨:

Torta de Santiago in a store window.  The cross of St James is displayed in negative in the powdered sugar.

As I mentioned before, Friday we rested up, stored our extra stuff that we didn´t need for Finesstare, and prepared to keep walking this weekend.  We went to the pilgrim´s mass (and they swung the famous incense burner!!!).  And we ate at Hawaii Eder´s.  Think one third authentic spanish and two thirds imagined Hawaiin adventure.  You can´t make this stuff up:

Hawaii Eder.  I really don´t know what more to say.  Spanish style french fries with pineapple salsa.  Hamburgers served in surfer themed wrap with back and fried onions on top.  Estrella Galicia beer (the really good 1906 reserve kind) advertised by a turtle.  Oh, and a top 10 greatest Bon Jovi music video countdown going on on the tv in the background (my versión of hell, that part).  Es única.  I´ll give it that.

In reality, most of the day was spent planning the weekend walk.  Many (maybe 15 to 20 percent) of peregrinos continue walking past Santiago to Finnestarre and/or Muxia.  You see, traditionally, what medieval pilgrim who had never seen the sea would stop 3 to 4 days short of the sea? In fact, the modern tradition of carrying a scallop Shell (the sign of a peregrino) comes from the tradition of pilgrims returning with a scallop Shell from Finnestarre with evidence of having made it.  For whatever reason, when the Camino was romantically re-imagined (or reinvented) in the 1960s, this final leg was left out.  Now it is becoming more popular again, although many others see it as a commecial add-on trying to convince people to keep walking (and hence keep spending).  While I agree the Camino is getting to be far too comercial, I do find it ironic that the idea of bringing something back from the medieval pilgrimage is seen as being ¨too comercial¨just because it was left out of the comercial reinvention of the camino in the 1960s.

That isn´t to say that every peregrino should walk to Finnestarre (at all).  In fact the vast majority don´t.  But we had always secretly thought that if we made it to Santiago and if Kepa was still doing well (both big ifs) that the natural end to our camino would be the place that for centuries was thought to be the end of the world.  The western most point in Europe.  Finnestarre (Fisstarre in Gaellego).  BTW science people, it has since been proven that Lisbon is about 15 km further west, and there is that whole doublé continent of North and South America........but for non-science people like us, the idea that this was culturally the end of the world for centuries seems far more important.  And if the entire reason the catholic church planted the idea that James was buried in Santiago was that it was at the end of the world (and in a space taken over by muslim conquest just when they needed support for wars to reclaim the peninsular haha) then it seemed fitting to end our walk at the end of the world.  Where you just literally could walk no further.

That was the original plan.  But by Friday we could tell our legs were tired, and our spirits only half willing.  So we amended the plan, knocking off the first 3 days (and 70 km), planning instead to bus to Cee on Saturday, the first town you hit on the coast, walk the 11 km up the coast to Finnesstarre (14.5 including the tip), spend the night, then walk 27 km to Muxia on Sunday.  A great idea in theory.  But the supposed nice weather turned to mist for half a day, and the walk from Cee, though pleasant, was not pretty.  You could see the waves and about 5 feet of wáter....then nothing but fog.  Finnestare was much prettier (and sunnier), but by the time we arrived we realized that our camino had ended in Santiago.  We are very glad we went to Finnestarre, but our camino was over.  So we nixed Muxia, and bused back to Santiago on Sunday.  A nice weekend nonetheless, and stopping at finnesstarre and contemplating the end of the world was a great end to the camino in ways I cannot express in words.

Saturday 22 June Santiago to Cee by bus, Cee to Fisstarre (14.5 km)

The coast between Cee and Fisstarre.  Beautiful but fogged in (and wet)

Kepa in front of kilometer marker 0.0 at the cape of Finnesstarre.  A truly beautiful (and awe inspiring) setting.  Thank goodness it cleared up by the time we walked to the point.

All of the medieval maps I had ever seen promised me whales, mermaids, dragons, and a giant waterfall waiting for me at the end of the world.  Alas, this mermaid mosaic in front of a light house was the best I could find.  You lied Prof. B.  You lied.

The end of the world.  A pilgrim left his boots on one of the last rocks.  Another left his bike.  Speaking of bikes, not always a fan of bicycle peregrinos (it is the camino de Santiago afterall), but a truly amazing sighting in Santiago.  A parapalegic finished his second Camino (all the way from St Jean Pied du Port) via hand pedal bicycle as we were coming out of the pilgrim´s mass on Friday.  A truly amazing sight.  Makes carrying a baby seem easy and small.  Back to this picture.  It pretty much sums up why we felt Finnestarre was an appropriate end.  But in the end, it didn´t matter that we only walked 14 km to get there.  Santiago felt right.  It still does.  Still glad we went to Finnestarre though.

The K man on his way back in from the cape.  We have ¨kiched out his¨ pack with all of the tacky touristy knick nacks we´d never buy for ourselves.  Some were gifts, some we bought.  On the far right hanging by read thread (you can barely see it) is his scallp Shell, an authentic one from Finnesstarre, given to him by a shopkeeper at a store at km marker 469.  Hanging in the center is a tourist versión of an authentic pilgrim´s wáter gourd.  Pins going across the top (from left to right) 1) A basque flag pin with a lamb in the middle of it (yum!) 2) a scallop Shell that says Fissterre 3) a scallop Shell with the cross of St James that says Santiago de Compostella & 4) a pin that shows a traditional Galician house and says O´Cebreio.  Below, hanging, on the left is a commemorative wine cork from a wine co-op we stopped at in the región of Biezo.  Next to that a hanging versión of the huge incense burner that swings inside the catedral at Santiago.  He used to have a chicken from Santo Domingo here too, but it broke.  Hanging from the zipper on the top is a funny versión of a pilgrim in a big hat.  To the far left (barely visible) is his favorite stuffed animal (a border collie named Pivo II) and his very own pilgrim´s cane given as a gift in O´Cerebro (he loves his cane, and he ended up on the store´s Facebook page).  Somewhere there is also the stuffed rescue dog (Ëstella) given to him by a bartender in Puenta de la Reine.  The kid has got it all.

Sunday June 23 Finnestarre to Santiago by bus (0 km)

3 hours back by bus, then some relaxation, time to plan for the next leg of this journey (more below) and then we took one last spin around Santiago

.

Back in front of the catedral.  Pilgrims no more.

And now we make plans for tomorrow´s journey toward the vacay leg of our journey.  We allowed extra days in case they were needed for Kepa, but they just weren´t.  So we plan to rent a car tomorrow and drive to Bilbao (Bilbo in Euskara).  We´ll spend the night just outside of Bilbao and then begin touring the Basque coast on Tuesday, starting at Guernica.  By Wednesday night we will turn our car in in San Sebastian (Donostia in Euskara), our favorite place in the world, where we will stay until Sunday morning.  Sunday we take a train to Madrid and Monday we fly home and start teaching summer school in an attempt to pay all of this off.  I´m glad we´ll have nearly a week on the Basque coast because, while this has been CRAZY long and one of the most amazing trips of our lives, this is one of those vacations that you need a vacation from at the end (as odd as that sounds).  It has been an amazing experience, transcendent even.  But that doesn´t mean we aren´t physically and emotionally drained.  We are.  Arriving in the catedral square was among the happiest moments of my life, and this trip was amazing, but we need a few days to drink Txakoli, eat some pintxos, and lay by the beach.  Hopìng for sun.

Oh and tonight we eat at a true Doner Kebob shop (not the typical European Street junk food) that specializes in ¨Kurdish¨food.  Should be interesting.

We did it!!!!!

It has been a LONG while since I´ve had a computer.  I still plan to add pictures for the other posts once we return to the States.  This post is long, but has pictures.

The last two weeks have been grueling but beautiful.  It was so nice to come off the meseta and see different things.  Galicia is beautiful and green, but more than anything it has simply been nice to be, once again, somewhere ¨different¨.  We actually liked Leon a lot, and even the meseta, but after 7 to 10 days of the same thing every day, it was wonderful to have bagpipes, octopus, and celtic culture.  I must admit I am a horrible Irishman though.  I have now been to every Celtic región (Galicia, Brittany, Cornwall, Scotland, and Wales) besides Ireland.  And I have a Irish last name.  Worst. Irishman. Ever.

Kepa´s fame has grown beyond belief.  Expect a post on this topic upon our return (before we retire the blog).  We are seriously worried about his adjustment back to the States.  We began worrying if he could be happy on the camino.  Now the worry is how will he cope without walking 25 k a day and being ¨¨the famous Camino baby Kepa.¨ We continue to meet people who know his name, age, where we are from, and what we do for a living, even though we have never met them.  Scary.

June 8 Leon to Villar de Mazarife (23.1 km)

We were excited to be ¨leaving¨ the meseta, but this day was pretty ugly.  Half suburban and industrial Leon, half just more meseta.  But we made it to Villar de Mazarife amidst the hopes that new terrain awaited.

June 9 Villar de Mazarife to Astorga (30.1 km)

A beautiful walk over a mountain into Astorga, a town we were very excited about.  For centuries, all chocolate came into Europe via Astorga.  We couldn´t wait for our chocolate city.  Also there is a Gaudi house there and a beautiful gothic catedral.  The problema was this was a very, very long day over a big mountain in the sun.  And it was Sunday.  By the time we got there the chocolate museum, the Gaudi palace, and the catedral were ALL closed (boo).  We did get to see the outside of them all.  We really liked the Gaudi (being modernists, we usually do) and the cathedral (outside anyway) was our favorite yet.  Alas, the chocolate was mediocre at best.  The chocolate in Estrella was far better.  But we really liked Astorga and plan to return someday when things are open.

Coming over the mountain, Astorga and its catedral in site

The Palacio Gaudi in Astorga.  Half whimsical fairtale, half practical, a beautiful structure IMO.  Now houses a museum about the camino (also closed when we got there)

June 10 Astorga to Fancebadon (27.2 km)

Another long day, but increasingly pretty.  Ended after a MASSIVE, STEEP climb, just below the cross de fero (see previous post).  We stayed at what felt like a remote outpost.  Really pleasant. 

Some German friends of ours create a way marker out of pinecones

June 11 Fancebadon to Pontferada (28.5 km)

Crossed over the peak of the mountain, left our rocks at the cross of iron, and headed down, down, down to Pontferada.  This was another rough day, but rewarded with a beautiful castle built by the knights templar (da Vinci code fame hahaha)



The four of us at the Cross de Fero

The Castle in Pontferada

June 12 Ponferada to Vilafranca (23.7 km)
The terrain getting ever more green, we entered Vilafranca through 5 km of open wine vinyards.  This región of Leon, Bierzo, is trying to establish itself as a major wine and cherry región.  The wine is solid and the cherries damn good.  This is also the last major outpost of Spain......although for at least a day now it has been clear that the culture is primarily Galician (Gaellego) even if we are techically still in the provence of Leon.

Fried eggs with bacon, chorizo, and fries and a pitcher of sangría.  Heaven.

Kepa enjoys a swing in Villafranca.  Check out the church in the background

June 13 Vilafranca to Laguna de Castilla (28.1 km)
After another MASSIVE and STEEP climb, we stopped short of the Galician border by a half a kilometer.  We were still greeted by our favorite hotel/albuerge yet, celtic music, and good beer (Estrealla Galicia´s 1906 reserve is REALLY good).

Having climbed above the tres we near Laguna de Castilla (the lake of the Castillians....no lake, but the last inhabitaded spot of ¨Spain¨)

This couple from Montana and their 9 year old daughter are doing the Camino by bike.  She had more energy than her parents and apparently got them up the mountain almost by herself.  And no, that is not a tándem, it is a triplet!!!!!

June 14 Laguna to Triacastella (Galicia) (22.7 km)
Galicia!!!!! Not our ¨favorite¨region of Spain, but a good one, and a vast difference from the mesata.  A much needed change.  Say what you will, but Galicia es única.  Most rural villages are Gaellego first language, Portuguese second, and Castillian (Spanish) third.  The music is bagpipes (including their famous Brand of Gaellego punk), and the food is mostly octopus, as well as vegetable stew.

The views back down the mountain were truly stunning, and we went through tons of tiny Little villages (3 to 4 houses) with cows being walked around us and poop everywhere.  Really quaint and fun.  Though smelly.

O´Cereibro, the first town on the Galician side of the border, is almost entirely made up of the traditional Galician huts.  This town could seem a bit (a lot) touristy and Disney, but we hit it at 815 in the morning when noone was there making it seem truly awesome.

Coming over the mountains into Galicia.

Coming down into El Acebo, half way down the mountain. Had a lovely lunch

The weather is finally getting warm enough in the evenings to wear the clothes we thought we'd wear every evening! 

June 15 Triacastella to San Mamed del Camino(26.0 km)
We added 6 km this day to the total you go by way of Samos, a traditional stopping point on the camino that is now bipassed for political reasons.  A beautiful and ancient monestary is here.  The day before this was the most beautiful weather of the trip and this day was a close second.  More rustic Galician villages and almost no one on our alternative trail.  A great denoument to the previous day.

We walked back from San Mamed 1.3 km to eat some great paella at a rural restaurant with one heck of a view.

June 16 San Memed to Portomarin (25.9 km)
3 km in we passed Sarria.  Our lives changed.  See, you can technically get a compostella if you only walk the last 100 km.  So suddenly the number of peregrinos multiplied by 4 or 5 (not kidding).  Mostly day trippers helped by buses, and often not even carrying bags.  The route is crowded.  No spot to sit at a café. Miserable.  If I ever did this again I would forgo Santiago and stop at Sarria.  Not exagerating.  Then, to boot, Portomarin lacks carácter because it was moved in the 1960s.  Apparently they thought the dam would  give way so they made them move the city up the hill and flooded the valley on purpose.  The town now lies a half mile down .  What was interesting is that they moved the church Stone by Stone and rebuilt it.  You can still see the numbers etched in each Stone.

The original town of Portormoran is below us. The new one ahead of us.

It was a fiesta in Portomarin and they had bagpipes (of course!)

June 17 Portomarin to Palas de Rei (26.1 km)
Drizzly rain and hordes of people.  Like a disneyland.  A Palas de Rei may have once been the home of Galician kings (I asume, google it) but I didn´t see a building more than a century old.  But we did have a wonderful meal.

June 18 Palas de Rei to Castaneda (23.4 km)
Some pretty scenery and a few less day tripers.  Stopped in Mewilde for the most famous pulpo (octopus cooked in wine) in Galicia.  Not a bad day.  Castaneda was remote and slightly nondescript, but we liked it just fine.

A nice looking way marker along the way

June 19 Castaneda to Arco do Pino (25.2 km)
More drizzly rain, and more eucaliptus forrest.  But pretty enough.  And not super wet.

The "Double A's".  These two young women (Andrea and Amber) from Texas A&M have been with us most of the way, and their chipper attitudes and plug-along determination has helped make this a much happier Camino for us all.  We'll forgive them for being from Texas because we like them.  We'll forgive them for going to Texas A & M as long as A&M can knock the living crud out of LSU next year in football.

A lone cross of St. James along the way

June 20 Arco to Santiago de Compostella (20.1 km)
We made it!!!!!!  Arrived in town by 1 PM, greeted in the main square by tons of friends, bagpipes, and a beautiful catedral.  Santiago is a tad touristy, but it is great to get here.

7 km out!

Immediately upon arriving in the square.  Taken by a German man we´ve talked to for weeks who speaks no German.  We call him Oompah.

June 21 Santiago (0 km)

We had originally planned to start walking for Finnestare today, but we think we may not walk all the way to the historical end of the world (3 to 4 days from here) although in many ways I do believe that to be the real end of the camino.  I mean, how many medieval pilgrims would turn around 3 days from the coast?  But it felt nice to rest and rejoice at being here, to hang out with friends, to see Santiago, to go to the food market, to drink more Galician beer, to go to Pilgrim´s mass (they swung the thing!!!!! google it you´ll see).  It has been a good day.  Tomorow we will bus to Cee, on the coast, 11 km short of Finnestare.  Then we will walk the last short leg to Finnestare.  Sunday we will walk 20 km to Muxia.  Then we bus back to Santiago, get a rental car, and head to the Basque coast for a few days before flying back.  We allowed extra days walking because of Kepa, but in the end we finished in only 1 more than the ambitious guidebooks claim.

Kepa did not get a compostella (not old enough) and was denied baptism (need a letter from our home parish, which we don´t really have), but everything else went aces.  A great, great trip.  But its odd to not be walking.  Even Kepa was grumpy today till we put him in the pack to walk around town.  I used to think I´d look forward to being done.  now it is such a habit I cant imagine not having 25 km to walk today!!!