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April 11th
Here I am smiling the evening before the pilgrimage. I am standing on the bridge at St. Jean Pierre de Port.

The start of the pilgrimage
Despite the uphill climb I am still smiling here. Up to this point, the cycling was a breeze. just after this section the "everest-like " cycle climb began.
In the image below, I am at the top of the Ibaneta pass. As you can see I am still managing to smile. At this point I was overjoyed to have made it to the top. The next section of the ride was a joyfull steep down hill ride to Zubiri. It had taken three hours to get to the top and it took 30 minutes to get down.
I am smiling with Pamplona behind me after a relatively steep but short climb.
At the top of the climb, some bloke had set up shop selling drinks. "Capitalism" is every where.
The beautiful Camino.
Along this fence, pilgrims had placed wooden crosses. Fence was atleast 50 meters long. It was full of crosses, so I added crosses of my own. Shelly, Aunty Peju, Rebecca Grace, Joshua Alexander.
Red red Rioja.
I never imagined that the Red in Rioja would be reflected in the earth in Rioja. The ground in which the vine grows is blood red like the wine.

My bike and I in the middle of no where with no one in sight. There were lots of places like this one on the camino. Although I was completely alone, I did not at anytime feel alone. I think knowing that so many people had walked the same path must have been a strong comfort.
Santo Domingo de Calzada is a beautiful medival village where legends about the Camino abound.
The story goes that Santo Domingo was a great man who had hospitals, bridges and roads built to make the life of the pilgrims easier. The hotel I stayed at Parador de Santo Domingo was the hospital he built in the village (then it was an important town).

Burgos really is a jewel in the crown of Spain. The city is simply magnificent. The cathedral has so much "wow" factor. My poxy camera could not do justice to the what my eyes could see.

El Cid was a warrior from Burgos who fought valiantly to expel the Moors from Spain.

Burgos city gates

Ladies all dressed up!

My bike and I in the rain with my "snazzy" yellow shower cap!

It was raining and I was singing. Mud glorious mud! The more it rained the muddier the path got. At first I could not ride the bike as it just sunk into the mud, so I pushed it and carried on singing. Then the muddy path became a muddy river and I could no longer push my bike as the wheels got jammed with mud and stones. So I carried my bike for 2km until I could not carry it anymore. At this point I was no longer singing. I used sticks to remove as much mud as I could from the wheels and prayed to God to make the wheels turn. My prayers were answered!

This photo was take by Jose. He passed me on the way up the hill, waited for me at the top. He applauded when I arrived and gave me a milk chocolate bar with hazelnuts (my favourite).

On the way to Carrion de los Condes

The beautiful Camino
Sharing the Camino with sheep!

The beautiful Camino

The Cathedral at Astorga

This photo was taken by one of three jolly "Arbitur"students from Ludwigshafen.

The Albergue at Rabanal del Camino.

The view near the top of the Cebreiro pass.

Prayer pole on the way to Molinaseca. Legend has it that one should throw a stone back onto the mound. With each stone, thrown onto the mound a prayer will be answered. I was here throwing stones for at least 30minutes.

This sign is warning cyclists not to travel down the mountain too fast as there are steep gradients. My Tacometer read 90km/hr down this mountain pass.
The top of the Irago pass. When one is cycling along the peak of the mountain, one feels somehow closer to heaven.
Molinaseca

Molinaseca

The Knights Templar of Ponferrada
Ponferrada

Ponferrada

Castle of the Knights Templar
Villa Franca Del Bierzo
Villafranca del Bierzo

Hotel las DoƱas. This hotel was a real pleasure after I'd stayed in an Albergue on the previous night.

The Cathedral at Villafranca del Bierzo

Pilgrims on the up to the Cebrerio pass
An elderly couple from the area

The two love birds and I
The top of the Cebreiro pass

At the top of the Cebrerio pass

The Monastery at Samos

Casa de Diaz
The vista from Casa de Diaz

The Path to Sarria

The views on the way to Sarria

Capilla de Morgade. This chapel was full of prayers written by other pilgrims. I stayed here for a while and added my prayers to the pile as well as the names of friends and family.

I wrote down a short prayer in the chapel and the names of friends and family.

Prayers written by a fellow pilgims.

Portomarin

On the way to Palas de Rey

I am at the top of Mount Gozo psyching myself up for the entry into Santiago. I could see Santiago on the horizon. I took time to reflect on what had been achieved in the last twelve days. I glanced at my upperthighs and bike in awe. I had made it without incident. I gave thanks to God and began a slow ride into Santiago

Fence full of crosse on the way into Santiago

The Cathedral at Santiago de Compostela