Lavacolla to Santiago de Compestela

WE DID IT!!!

We left Lavacolla at about 8 am. We had about 12 km to the Cathedral. We arrived at the Cathedral at about 10:45 am and Ben immediately threw his back down and collapsed. We saw a guy wearing a University of Michigan hat to take our picture. He did the Camino prior to starting graduate school. We was walking wih a couple German girls he picked during the route. They had completed the Northern route which goes along the northern coast of Spain and is about 500 km (350 miles). We all headed to the Pilgrim's Office to get our Compestela and checked our backpacks in order to attend Mass. We also were able to get another Compestela on behalf of St. Francis. A Cathedral not too far from the main Cathedral is the Cathedral of St. Francis. Every 100 years....and this is the year, they give out a separate Compestela to any pilgrim who completed the entire St. Francis route, which we did (from St. Jean to Santiago...the Camino Frances. Tomorrow we are taking the train to Madrid. I will keep posting.

On reflection of his trip, of all the hard things I thought I have done in my life...Navy Boot Camp, Marine FMF Training, Law School, Law Enforcement Acadamy, I have to admit this was probably the hardest thing I have ever done and probably the most fulfilling. Will I ever do it again? I don't know. Ask me in about 6 months. I am also very proud of Ben. Not once did he complain or say he wanted to quit. From being deathly sick in he Meseta, bad runs and allergy attacks, he kept plugging away and walking every day without a bit of regret. To anybody thinking of doing this trip, pick a right partner and I had a great one.