Calas del Rai to Padron

 This has been the penultimate days walking before commencing our final approach into Santiago. The weather has not been kind as it has rained most of the day. It has not affected how much we have enjoyed it. Although it has been wet the weather is warm and it's a toss up between umbrella and t shirt  or waterproof jacket and sweating. We again.met up with some fellow pilgrims that have been a part of our journey over the past 12 days. I've said it before but it's the people, complete strangers really. that make this experience special. 

 A highlight of today was Sister Cat from San Francisco who serenaded us with a beautiful rendition of Ave Maria as we walked through a forest section of today's hike. We again met up with her in a cafe later in the day and she asked me what I wanted her to sing. To try and be funny I told her my favourite artist was Eminem and she astounded us by rapping "lose yourself". It was fantastic. She is a superstar. She the led the entire cafe in a rendition of " hit the road Jack" before we all once again set off.

At about the mid point of the walk we passed a kindergarten in a tiny village. We stopped to rest by the fence. A guy came over and asked where we where from. After a brief conversation he said the most prophetic thing I have heard about the Camino. He said " The person who leaves Porto is not the same person who arrives in Santiago". We cannot quantify this statement yet but somehow know it to be true.

 He had a fantastic idea of using pilgrims as a way to engage his students . The students each provide a pilgrim with a personalised scallop shell. The pilgrim in return takes the shell wherever they travel and sends a photograph of the shell to the child via a school email. The shell that travels the furthest wins the child a present. He showed us photographs of Scallop shells in Colombia, New York, Las Vegas. Moscow, everywhere. 

He then got two tiny kids out of class to give Crispy and I a shell each.  Those shells shall be treasured by us both forever. Where ever we go on the planet from this point on the shell shall come with us as our most precious possessions. That shell is more valuable to us than gold but again I can't really justify why. . It was another emotional moment on this fantastic adventure. 

It was hard going today as we are getting tired but was made easy by the people we met. Tomorrow we push on the last 24km to meet St James in Santiago. I've dried our trainers with the hotel hair dryer so at least we will have comfortable feet.

We have mixed emotions at the moment. We want the walk to end as it has been hard everyday getting up and onto the Camino. But neither of us want it to end as it has been a fantastic, amazing adventure.

Bare and Crispy signing off. Padron, Galicia. Espana. Buen Camino