The End

After walking 29 days out of the last 30 my Camino walk is finally over. (I took the 27th day off to spend a day in the beautiful city of Santiago de Compostela before walking the 90km to Fisterra, the end of the world, over the last three days.

It's hard to describe the emotions that I have gone through over the last month.

Euphoria, after walking across the Napoleon Pass in the Pyrenees Mountains in sheets of rain with thunder and lightening and mud up to my knees (and that was only the first day!).

Relief, when I made it to Pamplona, knowing that I had about 10 days of relativley easy walking until I hit the mountains at the other side of the Meseta (Central Plains).

Concern, when I strained the tendon in my right leg and I was thought that I might have to restructure the trip to accommodate the injury.

Despair, just one day before the big climb to O´Cebrerio when I was unable to put any weight on my left foot. Joy, after climbing the two passes, Cruse the Ferre and O Cebrerio, knowing that my goal of walking every foot of the Camino was within my grasp.

Lastly, triumph, when I arrived at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela and received my certificate of accomplishment, the Compostela, at the Oficina del Peregrino.

The walk to Fisterra was actually anticlimactic and frankly I couldn´t wait for the last 5 clicks to finish!

For those of you (mostly engineering types), who are statistically driven here they are.

St-Jean Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela

26 days
776 km (although it is probably closer to 800
179:40 hours on the road

Santiago de Compostela to Fisterra
3 days
90 km
19:05 hours on the road.

This has been one of the finest things that I have done in my life!

I would recommend doing it to anyone regardless of your religious convictions. Just
make sure that you prepare properly, both physically and mentally because it will also be one of the hardest things that you have ever done. Will it change my life? Undoubtedly! On the other hand everything that you decide to do changes your life in some way. Its all a matter of degree. Would I do it again? Absolutely, under the right circumstances. Anybody for next year?

Hans

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