Felt strange this morning, knowing that today was the last time I wouls strap on these boots, pick up my stick and start walking. It wasn't a long day by any means, but I knew I wanted to do this completely alone. Happy birthday to me, got a cup of coffee at a bar,and said goodbye to John and Jed, they understood my need to finish this alone. I was feeling really strong so when I arrived in Fistere,I decided to keep walking to the Cape of Finistere, and to carry Leonard all the way to the end..

The walk up to the Cape added 6 k to the day, but I really wanted to end this properly.
The Cape is spectacular and the ocean was many colors of blue and green. I sat on the rocks looking over the water and tried to put things into perspective, I couldnt do that.  I had no more walking to do.
I didn't quite grasp what had happened, but knew I most likely won't walk this Way again .
 I am so very grateful for the experience, and to this old body that I've thrown off motorcycles, slammed Into trees, tossed off sidecars, run the legs off for race after race,  and it still didn't let me down.

After meeting everyone back in town for a beer, we all went up to the Cape Finistere for the last time, to watch the sunset, and burn our hiking gear. That was truely a very emotional moment, as its funny how you get attached to these tools that you have lived in for months, the symbolic goodbye was a way of honoring them though.

John and I at the end, standing on the end of the peninsular. John cleaned up, shaved, brought new clothes and now looks like Ahab, but I couldn't have walked with a truer friend

I had one more promise to fulfill, I went to the water, thanked Andrew for his company, and set him free on the currents of the Atlantic Ocean, to continue his adventure to parts unknown.
Waking up in the morning was very weird, I had no where to walk to, I felt very empty,so I went to the sea and sat there for awhile, took a swim and thought about the past few months.
They say a journey like this will change your life forever, how could it not?
There were times that a bus or train looked so inviting, and the swollen feet in 150 degree shoes were screaming, and there were times that mentally I  felt like I was living on the edge of sanity, thinking maybe the people who said I was crazy, were right. But the rewards were immeasurable, and I know that pain is temporary, but quiting is forever. So we Camino on.
I learned all sorts of things about myself, I met wonderful like minded people, and made some friends who I will keep forever. and shed burdens as I learned and understood

I learned that people from all walks of life, all religions, all shapes and sizes, and from all sorts of countries, get along with each other just fine, without outside interference.
I learned I need to tell people who are dear to me, that I love them more often.
I need to smile more. I need to not worry about things I have no control over.,
But more importantly, I learned many things that would be impossible to describe in these words.
I am so grateful for this journey, these lessons, my todays.
I was asked before I left, could I explain what a pilgrimage really was, or is ?,I'm not sure I can even do that  now. I think in many ways our lives are really a pilgrimage as we search to grow and learn.

Today I am in Muxia, a town North of Fistere. It's a quiet place and the sea food is good. At the end of the promontory is a pretty church built out over the rocks, which was destroyed in a storm 10 years ago, and  it was rebuilt last year.

I have no idea why the church was built or when, doesn't look that old in design really, but for some reason ,I'm not motivated to find out all of a sudden. Maybe the journeys end has finally set in.
1000 miles,,,1600 kilometers,,,,3 countries,,,,, 2 million steps,,,, 52 days
Some people said I was crazy to try this walk, I remember when I was told I was too old to go back and be competitive on a motorcycle, or that I was nuts to race sidecars up the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, which I won, I remember the times I told I wasnt enough, I say, " be that person, be the crazy one, your only failure is not to at least  try, take the warnings and criticisms as compliments"," be yourself, because everyone else is taken",  When the unwelcome visitor come knocking, don't be the one who ends this personal journey with any " what ifs"
I can honestly tell you today, I still don't really know what a pilgrimage is, I think it's very personal to everyone who takes one, and everyone gets something different from the experience. The Camino is a great journey, and like life, you get out of it what you put in.
I don't think we know anything for sure,
But I do know this, every pilgrimage is a blank slate, and the story doesn't get written, unless you make the journey.
BUEN CAMINO
                       PATRICK HOLMES
                                        2015
      

Finistere,  the end of the world