Coming Close to the Finish

Well, that’s the way it felt, on our last hike along the French Way.  Oh, there was still one more day of hiking, as well as our entry into Santiago, but the nearly five miles we hiked on wide dirt roads felt more like the end than the end. 

There was not much to the hike. . .no spectacular views, but more and more people seemed to be on the road.  People talked sparingly with some others, but mostly we kept to ourselves.  One dad and his younger teenage son stuck up a short conversation.  They are from Bern, Switzerland, and I jokingly asked, with all the hikes in Switzerland they would come here.  The dad readily replied, “because there is no camino in Switzerland,” speaking of the powerful draw that the camino is for many.

There was a solemn moment when we passed a memorial to a fellow who died in 2011, and I assume it was at the spot on the trail where he did.  If that’s not the case, then it’s a bit out of place.

We stopped for a bit in a backyard for coffee and homemade cake.  The kitchen is a stunning country kitchen, with a huge fireplace and a stunning banquet table.  Absolutely beautiful.

Our next stop was to be the Mountain of Joy.