Splat Goes the Pilgrim
Theresa Elliott Theresa Elliott

Splat Goes the Pilgrim

Via Francigena #4 of 20. I hear an odd guttural sound come out of my mouth about the same time I feel my feet go into the water. Somehow the expensive camera is still In my hand but I hear it hit the cement. Only later does it dawn on me how lucky I was not to have my 20 pound back pack on.

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Paris to Lausanne: Post # 1 of 2
Theresa Elliott Theresa Elliott

Paris to Lausanne: Post # 1 of 2

Francigena #2 of 20. This is my closet, and I’m in Paris. As I wake up and work my way through my jet lag fog, I comprehend there is nothing cool in my closet backpack, even for just an airport breakfast.

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Happy Anniversary
Theresa Elliott Theresa Elliott

Happy Anniversary

Via Francigena #1 of 20. Yeehaw! Happy Anniversary to us! Nothing says “I love you” like dinner and a movie in an airplane and a shoe box hotel room in Paris.

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Fisterra to Muxia, and that’s it.
Theresa Elliott Theresa Elliott

Fisterra to Muxia, and that’s it.

Santiago #46 of 47. We left our backpacks at the hotel today for our final walk to Muxia and hoofed it alla carte up the trail, which begs an important question: If you don’t carry a backpack, do the kilometers count?

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The End of the World
Theresa Elliott Theresa Elliott

The End of the World

Santiago #45 of 47. We found the Atlantic ocean today, right where it’s always been, and then spent our evening at the The End of The World

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Acknowledgement
Theresa Elliott Theresa Elliott

Acknowledgement

Santiago #44 of 47. Today we begin the final stage into Fisterra. This is our second of three endings, and more than finishing the Camino de Santiago, this feels like a completion to me.

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It’s a Wonderful Day for a Bidet!
Theresa Elliott Theresa Elliott

It’s a Wonderful Day for a Bidet!

Santiago #43 of 47. It’s a magical moment to open the bathroom door and see a bidet, and a wonderment in a threadbare hotel on the Camino. It’s so civilized. I am reminded of a little song I sang in Italy while on the Via de Francesco: it’s a wonderful day for a bidet, today, it’s a wonderful day for a bidet!

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The Čårgåthöng™
Theresa Elliott Theresa Elliott

The Čårgåthöng™

Santiago #42 of 47. I’m not sure what just happened but I think we walked 25km and I didn’t notice it.

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Santiago de Compostela: Rest and All You Can Eat, Beer and Cry Day, # 4
Theresa Elliott Theresa Elliott

Santiago de Compostela: Rest and All You Can Eat, Beer and Cry Day, # 4

Santiago #41 of 47. Here’s the punch line. We’re not exactly done. Although we have finished the Camino de Santiago, we still have three days to Fisterra, the Spanish coast, and one day to Muxia, the place where the angels brought Santiago’s body back to Spain. Who in their right mind would miss that?

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Countdown
Theresa Elliott Theresa Elliott

Countdown

Santiago #40 of 47. Even though selfies are passé like the man bun, we decide to commemorate our departure into the pre-dawn darkness with one. And in a show of solidarity with my Van-egrino friends, I will be posting in real time while on the trail.

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Sarria
Theresa Elliott Theresa Elliott

Sarria

Santiago #39 of 47. This photo shows a phenomenon on the Camino I was unprepared for. I’ve been contemplating it for the last few days as it has been my greatest challenge. Not a UTI, not a freakish heat rash or 32km days or bronco-bucking bikes. But this.

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Cebreiro Cheese
Theresa Elliott Theresa Elliott

Cebreiro Cheese

Santiago #38 of 47. I’m taking the Rocky Brown cheese challenge and am eating as much Cebreiro Cheese with honey/quince paste as I can before I leave the region that made it famous.

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The Wall
Theresa Elliott Theresa Elliott

The Wall

Santiago #36 of 47. “The Wall” greeted me this morning when I woke up. “Hola!” he chided, clacking his teeth together in rhythm, like big, Jim Carey chomper castanets.

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A Day to Air and Brain Out
Theresa Elliott Theresa Elliott

A Day to Air and Brain Out

Santiago #35 of 47. It was a great day to air and brain out. The kind of day you need your photos to remember what you walked.

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My Least Favorite, Nasty Down Hill Climb
Theresa Elliott Theresa Elliott

My Least Favorite, Nasty Down Hill Climb

Santiago #33 of 47. Some guy went blasting past us on a bike right before this trench appeared. This gully is at least four feet deep. We didn’t hear a crash or find him balled up on the side of the path, but sometime soon, in a nearby town, an unusual soprano will audition for the local choir.

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Everyone Walks
Theresa Elliott Theresa Elliott

Everyone Walks

Santiago #32 of 47. All kinds walk the Camino. Today was a very busy day on the trail and a study in contrasts.

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