Santiago de Compostela

My BlackBerry is still frozen and I will try to get to the telephone shop later today.

Stone by Stone
Sue held her breakfast meeting at Cafe Felisa on Rue da Pena this morning. It was a small group of pilgrims, four who had just finished their first camino walk, a young lass who works in the pilgrim shop as you enter SdC, then myself and another woman who have walked multiple times (as well as Sue of course). The session was videotaped by Sue´s Stone by Stone company for a DVD - the topic was about pilgrim experiences along the way and the effect this may have on the return journey home .... Suseya!.

A young man who had found Sue crying because she was lost on her al contrario walk in Torres del Rio told of his story of their meeting. Having heard Sue´s version yesterday this young man does not know how much of an Angel he was to her. A couple from Virginia, USA, had downloaded Sue´s Las Peregrinas DVD onto their iPhone before leaving the USA and watched it many times. Then they saw Sue walking toward them and recognized her. The couple arrived in Santiago last night after a 55kms walk. This couple became engaged along the way and are so happy, they radiate happiness. A man from Germany was apologetic about starting in Sarria and being only a 100k pilgrim. I do not like this 100k distinction as we are all pilgrims along the way whether we start in other European countries and walk from home or start in Sarria. With the use of the terms tourist pilgrims, bus pilgrims, 100k pilgrims and the disdain for those who use a mochilla taxi tells me those folks still have some learning to do.

Movin´On
There was not an available seat on the afternoon train to Ponferrada today so I am on the 0925 train in the morning, one of the last three tickets. This means I will be in Ponferrada in time to get set up before the big game tomorrow evening. Immediately after Spain beat Germany if came over the television, again in those split second shots, I may have this wrong, I have only seen it the once.

los tulipanes esta seca/ni agua/podemos
my translation: the tulips are dry/nor water/we can

I will be having dinner with Sue tonight and then we will attend a concert that she has tickets for. I was invited to breakfast tomorrow at the Parador but will have to miss that. What a shame, however I must move on.