On May 11th at 1:30 p.m. I walked into Santiago de Compostela, reached the Cathedral Square, saw, embraced, and heartily kissed the Amazing Susan. My walking Camino is complete. I walked the Camino Frances from the French Pyrenees to northwestern Spain.

The Big Reveal

Midway during my last day hiking, I reached a huge personal milestone: I had hiked ONE MILLION STEPS as verified by daily use of my FitBit watch during active walking of Camino “stages” (daily sections of the route, not including post-hike touristy adventures). It was a huge personal celebration and sense of profound accomplishment.

By the Numbers — Camino Summary

Total Distance of Route: 467.8 miles / 752.8 kilometers. [The Camino Frances has various alternative trails to bypass major roads or to see historic sites — the total distance varies by how the pilgrim chooses these finer details].

Distance Walked: 458.6 miles / 738 kilometers.

Distance Required to Receive a Compostela: at least 100 kilometers / 62.1 miles (must be continuous and include the last leg entry hike into Santiago de Compostela). Most pilgrims take shorter 5-10 day routes.

Taxi Distance: 46.5 miles / 73.2 kilometers.

Total Steps Taken: 1,012,118.

Albergues, Hostels, and Hotels: I stayed at 35 different places during my pilgrimage. Believe me, they started blending together, like the names of several hundred villages, towns, and cities in France and Spain.

Shoes Destroyed: 1 pair of Altra TIMP5 trail runners.

Permanent Injuries: none. I may lose a toenail due to blisters. Time will tell.

The Last Two Days: May 10-11

The last two days were largely a blur as I hiked an average of 12.5 miles each day through modestly hilly trails in Galicia. It is very green here, because it rains quite a bit (an average of 40 inches annually). Which means I hiked most of the time in my poncho and sweated profusely. All part of the pilgrim experience.

What I will always remember and cherish is my shared time with other pilgrims on the trail.

May 10: Azura to O Pedrouzo

The stages from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela have many more closely located villages and towns, with daily stages ending in small cities with many albergues and hostels to accommodate the larger numbers of pilgrims.

I was fortunate to run in pilgrim friend, Daniel, from the French Alps. We shared a second breakfast on the trail. I had met and became acquainted with Daniel during our shared stay at Villar de Mazarife on April 28th — the night of the infamous country-wide power outage.

He is endlessly fascinating. He’s retired from a career in mechanical engineering for Swiss watchmakers (Rolex, etc.), is a playwright and actor, and has hiked the Camino in sections over three years from Le Puy, France (a diatance equal to about two of my Caminos). He has made pilgrimage for personal and humbling reasons that command my deepest respect. Despite our language barriers, we became fast and close friends.

Later that day, I also met Michael, a retired nurse from Australia. Michael is one of the most empathetic and kindest people I’ve ever met. He’s deeply spiritual in ways that align with my spiritual aspirations. We hit it off and enjoyed close conversation for a good part of the hiking day.

We both stayed that last night at different albergues. When I went looking for dinner that evening, I went to a nearby hotel (since my albergue was about a mile away from the town center). I asked to be seated for dinner, but since I didn’t have a reservation, I would have to wait a half hour for a table.

Michael just happened to be seated in the bar with his husband, Chris, and two other guys hadn’t yet met. They invited me over to share their table, so I bypassed the reservation issue. We shared a delightful dinner together and discussed a wide range of pilgrim and life topics.

May 11: O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela

The big day arrived. Of course it rained. I walked with haste and intention: I wanted to be done and to be reunited with the Amazing Susan.

What’s Next?

Susan and I began a 10-day vacation in Northern Spain, starting with Santiago de Compostela and including Muxia, Oviedo, and Bilbao. So far, it’s been amazing and a welcome break from daily long-distance hiking.

I plan to complete two more blog posts in this series: one covering the internal spiritual journey and the things I have learned, and one discussing the amazing pilgrims I met and saw during my 40-day journey.

When I return to the States with the Amazing Susan, I will need to catch up on the details and business of everyday life. During this time, I will be working on a structured post-Camino reflection project with the Amazing Susan. This will use the helpful guidance materials provided by the Pilgrim House in Santiago de Compostela.

In the meantime, stay sparkly and keep walking your Camino.