After cruising around the Southwest (taking lots of pictures of vintage motel signs for future paintings!), we've landed in Southern California. When I collected my waiting mail, I had a surprise waiting--my watercolor and ink painting, Parque Mexico, won an honorable mention in the national juried AZ Aqueous Show! What an awesome welcome back to California.
traveler
Camino de Santiago: Day 37 -- Arrival!
Somehow, I didn't get a ton of photos of our walk into Santiago and the two days we spent there. In a way, I'm glad. The last day of the Camino was one totally spent in the moment--excited and partially astonished to have made it and sad that the end is approaching as we knock of one kilometer after the next. We stopped at every cafe--took our time. We people watched. We enjoyed the last of the Camino sunrises and scenery. I limped into Santiago so so grateful my feet carried me this last day without something popping loose like a wonky spring in a clock.
The cathedral was under construction inside and out, but it didn't matter. The perfect photo backdrop didn't matter. What felt good was to arrive with friends and to watch other pilgrims arrive throughout the weekend. It was a lovely time sightseeing like a tourist, having meals with friends from the way and waving hi to somewhat recognizable faces. Santiago is a beautiful city for arrivals.
We also visited the Pilgrimage Museum behind the cathedral with gave me a frame of reference for an accomplishment I still don't quite comprehend.
Camino de Santiago: Days 28-30 - Rabanal del Camino to Reigo de Ambros to Cacabelos to Las Herrerias
Leaving Rabanal to climb to the Camino's highest point at La Cruz de Ferro.
Camino de Santiago: Days 25 - 27 - Leon to Villadangos del Paramo to Astorga to Rabanal del Camino
Camino de Santiago - Day 24 Lovely Leon
I really liked Leon and almost immediately upon leaving knew I'd have to return someday. It felt strange to me to look forward to a bigger city after the small towns of the Meseta and yet only have a few hours there to look around. I had a conversation with a woman I walked with almost every day from Astorga on--Natalie from Denmark, about how hard it can be to turn off tourist mode in your brain and just accept pilgrimage mode. In other words, it's in my nature to want to see everything I can--always on the look out for interesting little museums, wanting to see the historic buildings and wander the streets, reading up on the history or the famous foods of the area. Instead, on this journey, you are always simply passing through. The physical path of the Camino is what you get to know so well and you have to learn to ease your grip on all these interesting places you pass through.