Camino de Santiago - Belen Class of 1987

What a way to end this pilgrimage! Headed out from Amenal in staggered groups.  Some of the slower peregrinos started early to keep up and others did not realize that others had left and waited by the bus to load their luggage.   Our ten-mile walk was decidedly more urban (the early part took us over a highway and around the airport), before arriving at the first marker for Santiago itself.   Shortly after that, we arrived at the Puerta de Santiago (where there is yet another little church) and the last 'rural' section of our walk.   We are less than ten miles from the city's center and we are still encountering small yards with cattle or sheep.  Some of the walkers in the front stepped into a little church during their Easter morning mass.  My group saw the priest walking away from the church with what looked like an ancient iron key. Just before the Monte de Gozo, we stopped for snacks...

Holy Saturday morning found us on the bus back to the entrance to Arzúa. Our hotel was not near the Camino itself and we needed to be taken back and forth.   Kiko (Bobby) had jokingly suggested the bus might take us to the other end of town, but that was firmly rejected.   Hotel staff found about 10 bottles of wine and could not find the swan that made off with Henry’s luggage in the middle of the night.   Our boy felt better and joined us on the walk again.    Lots of horses today on the trails.   Coffee up above Arzúa at a hamlet with a population of 4. Manny Hadad is their new mayor.   People were getting tired and dealing with blisters and pain in their feet.    We hiked through eucalyptus and oak forest.   One of our stops served a homemade beer named “La Peregrina”. Their tradition is that you finish the beer and sign your bottle Lunch was one of the best ones yet. We ate a par...