Life's a Stitch

Fruitless efforts to book flights on Ryan Air with a Canadian credit card lead us to a travel agency. Learning that Ryan Air charges 45e for printing boarding passes at the airport was worth the fee charged by the agent. 

I'm relieved to report that our post Camino plans have been solidified. Tomorrow we'll head to Finisterre, the Atlantic seaside town that in medieval times was believed to be end of the earth. Two nights later we'll fly to Mallorca for some r&r. 

We shopped for a couple of souvenirs, the criteria being items light in weight and unbreakable. More on that at another time. 

We didn't buy anything at the hotel/monastery gift shop, but it was interesting to see that they preserved original ceiling:

Then we stopped for what was probably our most expensive Camino meal. Not that it was terribly extravagant, but out of line with our budget. The best tapas bar we've encountered:

Holy St. Nicholas, look at that beard!

Well, you know you're no longer on the Camino when you're sitting next to an English couple at the tapas bar and you ask them if they just completed their Camino and they reply "What's that?" Or meet resistance from the bar man when you ask for a small bag of ice to take to your hotel for your sore parts, a request accepted and well accommodated on the Way.

Sorting through the stuff in our packs we were surprised at how much needless weight we were carrying: soaps from pensions, receipts, brochures, and unnecessary junk. The monastery hotel must be used to pilgrims leaving behind their excess weight at the end of the Camino.

We took a break at 10:30 p.m. to see who we might find in the pilgrim lounge and that's where we met Alexandra, from Idaho, putting us all to shame at 75 years old. Next to her is Liliana from Colombia, whose uncanny story was in yesterday's post. Their friend on the end is from Korea. They had hiked together for many days. This is the kind of eclectic trio that the Camino encourages. 

It poured heavily today and we thought of pilgrims on the trail when we saw those arriving drenched, no doubt glad to have reached their destination. Tomorrow: to the end of the earth in the sunshine.