santiago

i'm here! i came into santiago last night at about 5. i started walking at 7am, it was a perfect, cool, sunny, breezy walking day and i just kept going. i walked 40km, the longest i have ever walked. i guess i wasn´t running out of steam but just so ready to be in santiago and off the road. the first time i walked to santiago, i didn´t want it to end. this time i was finished about 3 days ago. it seemed perfect to come in at sunset.
my walk in was perfect, no other pilgrims, just many spanish people walking in their neighborhoods, enjoying the evening. i think i walked the camino this time to complete something and i feel it´s completed. i was really happy walking in. i don´t even know what it is. and finesterre is my new beginning.
walking the camino at this time of year has one big problem. there are hundreds of high school (mabe college) students who walk for 100 km to qualify for their certificate. the energy is crazy. people talking past midnight, up again at 4:30, racing for a bed in a next town. for me it changed the whole feeling, hence my 40k walk to finish. i am hoping the way to finisterre is more calm!!!
darin walked in to santiago this morning at 7 so we could say goodbye to paul again. we were waiting in the plaza, and then there is violin music. it was boram, under the portico behind us. there were maybe 10 of us in the plaza, everyone silent, a few seagulls, pink morning light, and that beautiful music. her music was with me in the beginning of spain at a warm happy italian dinner and now the end of the walk in front of the cathedral.
paul, darin and i had our last of many coffees and paul started down the hill to finisterre. it was a little sad, but mostly happy. i am certain i will see him again. i think he was my best friend on this camino and he´s 18!
today i expect to see more familiar faces of people i have met on the way. many goodbyes, each goodbye a thank you for the gift of meeting. happy and sad together.
a little later-
i just came back from mass. once again the mass was awesome. i saw the korean man with his son, gorg from stuttgart, the french couple i tried to outrun ( back before i promised st. roch i would stop using my ipod to temper my experiences) another french couple who walked from le puy with me and christine. perfect. the nun is still leading the singing in the chirch- a voice of an angel, maybe she is an angel. and again the incense. i sat in the same place as last time. sweet. ok. maybe my walk to santiago will never be finished.( this time i heard una le puy, etas unidas, that´s me.
tommorrow morning i am meeting before mentioned french couple and we are starting the walk to finesterre, then i am coming back to stay at this simple hostel for the celebration of st. james next weekend. i´m told i will see the fireworks from my room.