Today is our last full day of walking. We will go most of the way, to Santiago, and will stay in O Pedrouez tonight. The ideas that we will be able to walk into Santiago de Compostela tomorrow and attend the large ceremonial mass for pilgrims in the evening at 7:30.

One of the big concerns that I have, during his last final days, is keeping my feet healthy. as I hear from other programs their excitement to get to Santiago has led them to not take care of themselves so more people are sick, have sore aching feet, and just don’t have the same energy as when I started.

Yesterday was more walking through bucolic countryside and small villages that are easy to confuse for villages in Ireland. We saw lots of cows and lots of small stone houses that seem to be precariously held up by bit of magic.

Last night we arrived in Melida which is one of the last big towns before Santiago, to a wonderful reception at a hotel. Upon arriving, the clerk gave us keys without much discussion, let us go up to the rooms to get cleaned up changed and then come down and finish all of the paperwork. Everyplace you stay in Spain you must turn over a passport or some documents. Usually that’s the first thing you do. Here we were shown to rooms we able to get our dirty clothes off and get cleaned up. When I went downstairs it was very simple to get the paperwork done. She offered me a beer and asked whether I’d be staying for dinner. This was one of the most hospitable hotels that we stayed in. Better yet, a clean room for the night a dinner with a bottle of wine and a couple of beers cost €16 or about $25 each person. And amazingly good deal at a very lovely place.

My plan on arriving in Santiago on’s Friday is to attend mass and then get myself checked into hotel. On Saturday I will take the bus out to Finistera and visit the last portion of the trip that I’m not going to make by foot.