Thursday 22 may. Monte do Gozo – Santiago de Compostela.

4,5 km, total 779,5 km. Easy walking.

Alice, Hugo and I left the Monte do Gozo together. On the first bar we ordered the usual breakfast of coffee and toast with jam. It was perhaps not the best breakfast, but I had survived on this for almost four weeks without any problems. It is interesting that the last five kilometers feels like the longest kilometers on the entire trek.

In Santiago de Compostela, we examined the "Oficina de Acollida ao Peregrino" to get our "diplomas". The girl behind the desk checked that I had stamps for every day since I left St. Jean Pied de port. Then she asked about my age. "Seventy-two" I replied, she looked up. "Have you really gone all the way?" she asked. "Yes" I replied, "You can look at my shoes." She believed me. Then we were looking for a travel agent to arrange the trip home. All they could offer, if I did not want to wait till next week, was a trip to Copenhagen via Palma de Mallorca. I would arrive in Copenhagen at about midnight. But I thought If I'll get to Copenhagen it may not be so hard getting the last trip to Gothenburg. Alice offered me a sleepover at her apartment in Copenhagen if I waited a day to travel home. But I decided to go that afternoon. I took the bus to the airport Lavacolla. I wrapped the backpack in a plastic bag and checked it in as it was. It weighed 10 kg, I had always believed that it weighed 8 kg. But, OK, I would not wear it so much more. Now I saw that I had a text message from Britt. She asked when I go home. She would travel home on Monday. Unfortunately, I was already on the plane. I never met Britt.

When I sat on the plane and waited for departure started a heavy rain. I was lucky that I had finished the El Camino today.

I flew via Palma de Mallorca to Copenhagen and arrived in Copenhagen by midnight. Took some pictures on the way home. See more here>>>

STAGES

På svenska Bayonne – St. Jean Pied de Port – Orisson Orrisson – Roncevalles – Bizcareta Bizcareta – Pamplona – Cizur Menor Cizur Menor – Puente la Reina – Lorca Lorca – Estella – Los Arcos Los Arcos – Logroño – Navarette Navarette –Santo Domingo de la Calzada – Grañón Grañón – Villamayor del Rio – Villafranca Montes de Oca Villafranca Montes de Oca – Atapuerca – Burgos Burgos – Rabé de las Calzadas – Hornillos del Camino Hornillos del Camino – Castrojeriz – Itero de la Vega Itero de la Vega – Frómista – Villalcazar de Sirga Villacazar de Sirga – Carrión de los Condes – Lédigos Lédigos – Sahagún – Bercianos Berciano – Mansilla de las Mulas – Puente Villarente Puente Villarente – Leon – Virgin del Camino Virgin del Camino – Hospital de Orbigo – Santibáñez de Valdeiglesias Santibáñez de Valdeiglesias – Astorga – Rabanal del Camino Rabanal del Camino – Molinaseca – Ponferrada Ponferrada – Villafranca – Trabadelo Trabadelo – O Cebreiro – Viduedo Viduedo – Samos – Sarria Sarria – Portomarin – Hospital de la Cruz Hospital de la Cruz – Palas de Rei – Melide Melide – Arzua – Sta. Irene Sta. Irene – Monte do Gozo Monte do Gozo – Santiago de Compostela The journey home