Adios amigos

It's Tuesday night about 2130 and 33 degrees outside. I have just had the most delightful tapas dinner accompanied by the nicest vino tinto I have had in this country. ..a 2009 Ramon Bilbao. The manager sat and chatted for ages and we also tried a 2005 albarino..a very mellow white. I just realized that I have not eaten alone for nearly 2.5 weeks...it was both sad and o.k.

It reminded me that while I have traveled across Spain on foot...my real journey started many many years ago. ..and the next stage started on Sunday morning when I managed about 5 minutes time by myself in the crypt of St James...Sant Yago.

The camino norte has acted as a boot camp (pun fully intended) for me. My job now is to learn what I have learnt.

Tomorrow I will visit the Gaude cathedral in Barcelona before heading to Vienna for 5 days. I am very pleased to be going to Vienna...one benefit is to allow me some absorbtion time following my camino..a sort of working through space before returning to Aotearoa.

I can really say that a big part of me is remaining here in Europe.

I have always felt a longing to return to Te Urewera and I feel very much at ease when I am there. ..well I have the same depth of feeling for this part of the world and the people I have met as I have for Waikaremoana.

When I started way back on the 1st of June in Irun. .many people I came across had been on one of the caminos before. It took about 300km to figure out why and now I am planning my own return. Camino Primativo is looking pretty good but I would very happily repeat the experiences from this Norte trip.

Can I thank you very much for your support. ..the prayers, the conversations, the emails, the facebook comments, the blog comments as well as the 'live' feedback from pilgrims who have read it...all of these have helped me process my journey. ..far more than I would have believed possible.

I am really looking forward to the Viennese trip. .everyone tells me it is such a beautiful city to visit. ..it has  been a long time since my last there.

As part of my processing of the camino I have decided not to blog for  the next few days...I have a lot of thinking to put in order...so until we meet again in person...

Adios amigos. ..buen camino
(Goodbye friends. ..good journey).