From the far

Today we reached Santiago and ended the first part if the journey.  Over 800 kms completed and some amazing memories.

The last few days have been fun with lots of great food.  A couple of days ago we went to a Pulperia (bar/cafe specialising in boiled octopus) for a large lunch of… octopus.  This was delicious but perhaps not something you eat in large quantities.  We all went to the bar due to Aunty Libby´s recent obsession with eating ocopus after trying it in another bar.  Unfortunately Aunty Libby had a nightmare the night before involving an octopus and was unable to eat any leaving all of us to eat plates of the stuff.   Accompanied with a local white wine it was fantastic though and the town we were in, Melide, is apparently the best place for Octopus in Spain.

The end of each day´s walking is often accompanied with the same simple request from Jo which I believed she probably learnt from all at Saxton Bampfylde – “right, its time for beer and wine so now can we get pissed?”.  We then proceed to try a few bottles of the cheaper local vino tinto.  This makes for an excellent way to finish each day.

Coming down into Santiago was a time for great debate.  Tris could not decide if he should attend the Pilgrim Mass or not.  The debate focussed on if he wanted a more solitary experience on entering Santiago or wanted to join with all the other pilgrims.  Without Emma´s firm hand to guide him he swayed one way and then the other but eventually made up his mind and the debate was over.  Tris chose to attend mass.

Pilgrim´s Mass was an experience and the ceremony was certainly impressive but all quite strange.  Especially as it was all in Spanish and my command of the language only extends to ordering food and strangely enough little food ordering lingo cropped up.

Anyway out for booze, ice cream and lots to eat so better go.