Paulo Coelho

…well I finally made it… exactly 30 days (inluding 5.5 rest days) after my departure from Saint Jean Pied Port… with mixed feelings of course but none the less extremely joyfull to have been privilage to make such a wonderful journey in such a magnificent countryside with such heartwarming people… I thank God for this journey of a lifetime…

The past days were quiet and the pace relaxed. I had often wondered with whom I would finally walk into Santiago, having met so many on the way… but as it turned out, it was dear Myriam, a tall gentle lady from Geneva, who finally escorted me into the historical Spanish City… we of course picked up Nuria from Barcelona, and met Bastian & Tara by chance upon our arrival at the Cathedral, but basically we enjoyed the tranquility of the final stages in silent acceptance of the fact that our concecutive journies were slowly coming to an end in Santiago. The final stages are certainly not the pretiest of the Camino, but non-the-less significant and we entered SDC unspectacularly but gratefully after more than 800 kms…

“The way to Santiago is as life itself, it is this/he/she which gives us support, it is a marvellous experience.It has no end, because when you arrive you realise that you to keep on walking towards St James, towards others, towards your inner self, towards God. This will only be finished when the life that we enjoy day by day comes to an end…” (words to be found in the leaflet of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela…) cannot improve on these words, except tp say that for me the Camino gave me the defragmentation I urgently needed… ;) and it gave me faith once more in the goodness to be observed in human beings… it sucks you dry… empties all bitterness… and fills you up with power and joy… I am so grateful…

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Paulo Coelho and his wonderful web team for their generosity and interest in my journey, and their patience with my technical difficulties… I would also like to thank all of those who have followed my path with interest and especially those who have taken the trouble to make such wonderful comments, and I can assure you all, that these certainly gave me much strength… especially in my hours of pain and darkness… I love you all… Thank you… Thank you…
Love, Paul xxx

I dedicate this particular journey to my dear brother Gaz and to our dear friend Monika P… May you and your families both receive the strength you/they require… I love you both…