Camino de Santiago Complete!

My family, friends and supporters,

Today, Monday October 7th  I completed my Camino de Santiago. I still have to go to Finisterre and the end of the world, but this was such a special day and I wanted to share it with all of you.

Yesterday I walked 32 km, so that I would only be 8 km from Santiago. As a result, I left in darkness at 7:45 am, and arrived in Santiago at 9:30 am.

Even during that time on the road, realizing this was the conclusion of my walk across northern Spain on the Camino, I felt a lot of emotions.

Every day at 12 noon, there is a Pilgrims Mass, at the main Cathedral of Santiago. I headed immediately to the Cathedral.

The Santiago Cathedral

I saw so many friends and individuals that I had met during my Camino experience. We all congratulated each other on our successful Camino, hugged and kissed and wished each other well.

Because it was a Monday, I thought it might have been a small gathering, but I was mistaken. The cathedral was overflowing.

The mass was done in Spanish, so I did not understand a word that was said but it did not matter. The emotions and good feelings were overflowing.

The Altar at the Santiago Cathedral

There was one section during the mass, when six priests spoke to the congregation in their native tongue. The English priest, asked us to remember the support and good feelings that we exhibited during the Camino and asked us to continue those feelings, as we headed back to our day-to-day lives.

I am not a Catholic, however when they gave out the sacrament, I went to the altar and received a blessing from the priest. I was thrilled I did.

My only regret, was I ran into a Toronto based, Israeli, who I had walked with a few days before and he reached out to me just as I was to go to the altar. I wish I had insisted that he join me for a blessing.

I'm sure he would have come, such were the feelings of the day and the wonderful sense of humanity that existed not only today, but throughout the Camino experience.

I feel so proud and humbled, by this Camino experience. And the support that you have all shown me, both financially and emotionally, will stay with me for the rest of my life.

I still have more to communicate to you, including The history of the Camino de Santiago, as well as Urban Squash, Toronto. So you are not finished with me yet.

But I wanted to share this very special day with you.

With much love and thanks,

Buen Camino

Clive