ESPAGNE COMPOSTELLE 12EME ETAPE

CAMINO PRIMITIVO

OVIEDO - ST JACQUES DE COMPOSTELLE

320 Km 12 STAGES (APRIL-MAY 2019)

12 - O PEDROUSO-SANTIAGO 19KM 3H30

Last step, I will miss walking on the camino.

Left alone, after an hour I caught up with the Brazilians, Marie and David of the 1st day, David is injured but was cured by the Brazilian who is a physiotherapist !, I also give them an appointment at 6:00 pm in front of the cathedral in Santiago.

Discussion on the way with an Irishman, resident of Leinster but fan of the most popular Munster club, he also prefers to walk alone like me ...

I then catch up with the 11th day Russian.

Arrived in Santiago, I see Argentina again which furtively gives me a kiss.

I found as planned in front of the cathedral marie and David at 6:00 p.m. but the Brazilians are not there, one of them is ill, tells me marie, they are not yet in Santiago, we share a last photo, the meal, they have really experienced the path in a different way, as a couple they haven't shared much, are more interested in the Escape Games that they find in the city or go into ecstasies over a group of exuberant young tourists only making the last km , we did not have the same feeling of things as if we had not followed the same path ...

BASIA ARRIVES EARLY MORNING

In the company of David and Marie

I go back to the Airbnb apartment, Believing to find myself alone, I meet Stéphanie from Quebec who rented another room, she did part of the Camino Portugues but was injured.

We share the bottle of white wine, and we discuss everything and nothing until midnight, she returns from Ethiopia from a mission with Doctors Without Borders.

I told her about my feelings on the Camino, she laughs. We finish the bottle and I go to bed

memories full of memories.

I finally discovered the Compostela spirit so coveted each year by my friend Claude, we each trace their own path according to the encounters, at their own pace while respecting the other, we all have the same goal, No barrier despite our different countries and cultures.

Everyone lives their way in their own way with their history, tourist or spiritual.

We appreciate the beauty of the Camino Primitivo but especially the richness in the encounters, I was able to meet except the French on the last stages:

Spaniards, Portuguese, Italians, Estonians, Poles, Czechs, English, Germans, Finns, Brazilians, Argentines, Australians, South Africans, Americans….

We exchange, we create friendships quickly, we find more open people, I regret my bad English a little, I would have exchanged even more, we meet a lot of people and we meet ourselves.

The Primitivo is quite physical, especially if we start on a 30km / day basis, I was not interested in Le Frances like most of those who do the Primitivo, admittedly easier and accessible, we can do short stages there but it is much more touristy, there are more people there, I think less authenticity.

The primitivo is more demanding, I think the spirit of the people is a little different, I would get an idea of the Frances in the near future.

Many encounters and signs have happened on this path, I have only one desire at the present moment is to return; a great thought with which I shared the path most intensely:

The German Dagmar, La Polonaise Basia, the French Simon and Anoushka, Marie and David (despite the different spirit)

Things are happening on the Camino ...

To end the story with the angels, back in the train for France, I take a look at my last payslip where it appears Regul HS, CP and Participation Premium, we find the number 666!