Part 3: One Step at a Time — The Final Miles (October 4–6, 2026)

After six days on the Camino, we were getting closer to Santiago de Compostela. We had already walked more miles than I ever imagined, met people from all over the world, and experienced moments I knew I’d never forget.

But we still had three days to go, and as I was about to learn, some of the hardest miles were still ahead of us.

October 4: Caldas de Reis to Padrón

Day seven was probably the toughest day of my entire Camino, both physically and mentally.

At this point, I had three blisters on my right foot, despite wearing the same shoes and socks I’d trained in for months. They didn’t necessarily hurt, but they were definitely annoying.

And once again, we learned that Camino miles lie!

We thought we had an 11-mile day ahead of us. In reality, we walked 13.4 miles. Add in the heat, the aches and pains, and more than 1,200 feet of elevation gain AND descent, and it made for one very long day.

Did I mention how much I hate walking downhill?

We made one big breakfast stop, where we tried our first Tarta de Santiago, the traditional almond cake, and split a jamón y queso bocadillo. Other than that, we found ourselves stopping frequently just to rest our feet.

There were some bright spots, though!

We ran into Susan and Joanne from London again. We never actually walked with them, but somehow we kept crossing paths at different stops along the Way. We also collected our first and only leather Camino stamp, and I purchased a few bookmarks from the gentleman who made it.

During one of our breaks, we met a woman who asked me to take a “proof of life” picture to send to her kids.

I laughed, took her picture, and then she shared that her husband had recently passed away.

And just like that, I was doing everything I could not to burst into tears.

Diane had brought along some encouraging quotes from her godson, Greg, and she offered the woman a few to choose from. The one she selected seemed especially meaningful to her, and you could see how much that small gesture meant.

After a day or two when the Camino had felt a little less friendly, this was such a wonderful reminder that Camino magic is a real thing. Sometimes it’s the smallest encounters that stay with you the longest.

By the time we arrived in Padrón, I was exhausted. Physically, mentally, emotionally. All of it.

But there was one immediate reason to celebrate when we reached our accommodations.

FIRST FLOOR! NO STAIRS!

After some of our previous experiences hauling luggage up flights of stairs, this felt like winning the lottery!

Finding dinner was a little more challenging because it was Sunday, but we eventually found a restaurant around the corner that was open.

Nobody working there spoke English, which is when I realized my Spanish was actually coming along! I definitely understand more than I can speak, but I managed to communicate well enough to get us fed.

I’ll take that as a win!

Later that evening, I went out onto the terrace and called Eric.

And that’s when I had my one and only Camino breakdown.

I cried. I told him how hard the day had been and that I honestly just wanted to give up.

I was tired. My feet were a mess. Everything hurt. And even though we were so close to finishing, I was struggling.

Thankfully, Eric did what he always does. He listened, encouraged me, and reminded me how far I’d already come. With only two more days of walking ahead of us, he helped me find the motivation to keep going.

That day taught me something important.

My body can do really hard things, even when my mind is telling me I’ve had enough.

And sometimes, you just need a good cry and someone who believes in you to remind you of that.

October 5: Padrón to O Milladoiro

Today was our last full, long-distance walking day!

We expected about 11 miles, but because the Camino apparently likes to keep you guessing, we ended up walking 13.

We also had our biggest elevation gain yet, climbing more than 1,400 feet. Thankfully, we only had about 500 feet of descent, which made my downhill-hating self very happy!

Our first stop was at a tiny little shop, where Diane ordered coffee and I got my usual Coke Zero.

The gentleman running the place gave us each two mini chocolate chip muffins and charged us just €2.50 for everything!

We took our breakfast up the street and sat outside a church where several other pilgrims had gathered.

And who did we see?

Our buddies Joanne and Susan from London!

It’s funny how, after running into the same people over several days, you start greeting each other like old friends. This time, we sat and chatted for a while before everyone continued on their way.

One of the things I loved about this day’s walk was all the music!

As we made our way through the woods, we came across musicians playing guitar, keyboard, and even bagpipes. They would set up along the Camino, play for passing pilgrims, and accept tips. Some even offered stamps for our pilgrim passports.

Speaking of stamps, we came across a gentleman who was hand-coloring each stamp. Unfortunately, the line was moving so slowly that we decided to skip it and keep walking.

I guess after collecting so many stamps, we could afford to miss one!

During our last longer break, we met Holly from Canada, who was walking the Camino solo. We spent about 30 minutes chatting with her before she needed to get moving again.

Before leaving, she gave each of us a “Buen Camino” friendship bracelet, Taylor Swift style!

Just another small reminder of the kindness we’d experienced throughout this journey.

Other than those stops, we kept moving, taking occasional breaks to catch our breath and stretch.

And you know what?

This day was so much better than the day before.

Despite the distance and elevation, I felt stronger, more positive, and ready to finish.

It reminded me that just because you have one really bad day doesn’t mean the next one will be bad, too.

Sometimes you just have to keep going.

We finally arrived at our hotel in O Milladoiro, where we found plenty of other pilgrims staying for the night.

Most people walk directly from Padrón into Santiago de Compostela, but we’d intentionally planned to stop short of the city. We wanted to walk into Santiago the following morning with fresh legs and have as much time as possible to enjoy the city.

At that point, we were starving, so the hotel’s dinner menu sounded absolutely wonderful. Honestly, I think we would have eaten just about anything!

A couple of other observations from the day:

First, there were a LOT of bicycles on the Camino.

And to any future Camino cyclists reading this, I have one request.

FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING, PLEASE RING A BELL OR LET WALKERS KNOW YOU’RE COMING UP BEHIND THEM!

Nothing like having a bicycle suddenly fly past you on a narrow path!

We also noticed several tour buses dropping people off with backpacks. They would get off, collect Camino stamps, and then get back on the buses. We weren’t quite sure what to make of that!

But on a positive note, there were definitely more friendly greetings and “Buen Caminos” today.

The Camino magic was back!

And tomorrow, we would finally reach Santiago.

October 6: O Milladoiro to Santiago de Compostela

THE BIG DAY!

After months of planning, training, packing, repacking, worrying, and finally walking all those miles, we were about to reach Santiago de Compostela.

We had approximately five miles left to walk.

And the funny thing?

Five miles felt like NOTHING now!

As we left our hotel early that morning, we met Daniel and Theresa, who were also trying to figure out how to get back onto the Camino.

Let me tell you, those yellow arrows and scallop shells marking the route are much harder to find at daybreak!

We figured it out together and ended up walking the entire final stretch with them.

It was actually the first time we’d walked with the same people for an entire stage, and it was wonderful getting to know them as we made our way toward Santiago.

With every mile, the excitement grew.

We were getting closer.

And closer.

Until finally, we arrived at the plaza in front of the magnificent Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

I don’t know if I’ll ever find the right words to describe what I felt standing there.

Relief. Pride. Joy. Gratitude. Maybe a little disbelief that we’d actually done it.

We stood in the plaza for a while, taking it all in.

All around us, other pilgrims were arriving from different routes, different countries, and different journeys. Some had walked for days, others for weeks or even months. Everyone had their own reason for being there, but we’d all reached the same destination.

There were hugs, pictures, and plenty of smiles.

And I couldn’t help but think about everything it had taken to get there.

The hills. The rain. The blisters. The laughter. The people we’d met. The moments of kindness. The difficult days. And the very personal reasons I’d chosen to walk in the first place.

We did it. We actually did it!

After soaking it all in, we headed to the Pilgrim’s Office to receive our official Compostelas, our certificates of completion.

Diane and I were pilgrims numbers 215 and 216 that day.

And by the end of October 6, a total of 2,493 pilgrims had arrived in Santiago from various Camino routes!

We received two certificates: our official Compostela, written in Latin with our names and the date, and another documenting the distance we’d walked.

Next, we visited the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

We toured the beautiful Pórtico de la Gloria and went inside the cathedral, where we were able to visit the tomb of St. James.

We also had the opportunity to walk behind the altar and embrace the jeweled statue of St. James, a tradition for pilgrims arriving in Santiago.

And since I’m a lover of hugs, of course I obliged!

Afterward, we checked into our lovely hotel, which thankfully had a LIFT!

It’s amazing how much you appreciate an elevator after walking nearly 100 miles!

We headed out for lunch and shared a delicious plate of pork raxo and a salad before spending some time exploring the beautiful city.

Santiago has such an old-world charm, with its historic buildings, narrow streets, and lively plazas. I loved just wandering around and taking it all in.

At 5 p.m., we had another important appointment.

Tattoo time!

Diane and I had scheduled appointments to get tattoos commemorating our Camino journey. After everything we’d experienced, it seemed like the perfect way to carry a little piece of the Camino with us forever.

Later that evening, after dinner, we heard music coming from near the cathedral plaza.

Naturally, we had to investigate!

We found a crowd gathered around listening to a band play. People were sitting, enjoying the music, and soaking up the atmosphere.

It was such a fun way to end the day.

We took a few more pictures in front of the cathedral before finally heading back to our hotel.

Our Camino was officially complete.

Of course, our European adventure wasn’t quite over. We still had a night and two days in Bilbao, Spain, followed by two nights in Dublin before heading back to the States.

But that’s a story for another day!

So, What Did I Learn?

So there you have it, folks. My very first Camino adventure.

And I honestly don’t think it will be my last!

Next time, though, I’m bringing Eric along. Sixteen days was just too long to be away from him, and I think he’d agree!

I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to put this experience into words, and I’m still not sure I’ve done it justice.

I traveled across the world on my own, something I never would have imagined doing years ago.

I met people from all over the world, each with their own stories, struggles, and reasons for walking.

I grew even closer to Diane, my friend of 28 years, as we shared an experience neither of us will ever forget.

I learned that my body is capable of far more than I sometimes give it credit for. That I can push through difficult moments, even when I want to quit.

I was reminded that I have an incredible support system of family and friends who are like family. From family and friends cheering me on from home to the letters and messages I carried in my backpack, I never really felt like I was doing this alone.

And I learned that there’s something incredibly peaceful about simply walking.

Walking for hours through the countryside of a country you’ve never visited. Sometimes chatting with a complete stranger, sometimes laughing with a friend, and sometimes walking in complete silence with nothing but your own thoughts.

No rushing. No distractions. Just putting one foot in front of the other.

And somewhere along those miles, I found a sense of peace that’s hard to explain.

I started this journey wanting to complete another item on my 50 by 50 bucket list.

I finished it with so much more than a checkmark.

Thank you all for following along, reading my ridiculously long blog posts, looking at all my pictures, and cheering me on throughout this adventure.

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully explain what these 9 days meant to me.

But I know I’ll carry this experience with me for the rest of my life.

And before I wrap things up, here are a few fun numbers from our adventure!

Camino by the Numbers

• Total miles walked: 99.54
• Total steps: 230,857
• Official Camino route: 124 kilometers (approximately 77 miles)
• Longest walking day: 15.54 miles
• Daypack weight: 13–18 pounds, depending on the day
• Camino stamps collected: 39
• Countries represented by pilgrims we met: 7
• Blisters acquired: 3
• Lemon Aquarius drinks consumed: Too many to count!
• Ham and cheese bocadillos eaten:More than I care to admit!
• Times we said “Buen Camino”:Hundreds!
• Wrong turns: At least two!
• Forest cows spotted: 6
• Pairs of socks accidentally shrunk: 1 (Sorry, Diane!)
• Times we questioned our sanity: At least 5
• Amazing people we met: Too many to count
• Times we laughed: Countless
• Memories made: Immeasurable
• Would I do it all over again? ONE HUNDRED PERCENT YES!

Buen Camino!

Bucket List #25: COMPLETE!