I almost skipped the last two stages leading to Santiago de Compostela. That would have been a mistake. My walk today reminded me of the Camino del Norte in springtime: uncrowded and social.

The Camino Primitivo ends in Melide, the city where I stayed last night. The rest of the walk into Santiago is along the Camino Frances, the most popular route.

In recent years, the final stages of the Frances have gained a reputation as crowded and boisterous with social media influencers attracting a young crowd of partiers.

That might be true in the summer, but it is not at all the case in November.

Yes, there were more peregrinos than I experienced on the Primitivo. But it was mostly a group of pilgrims who were serious but also friendly, many of them having walked for a month or more from across the border between Spain and France.

I walked for about two hours with Reid from Arlington, Virginia. I told him he was the first American I had met since leaving the Madrid airport two weeks ago. Reid said he has met a dozen Floridians in his five weeks’ walking. (Sharon and I met only one other Floridian on the del Norte in 2023.)

Reid has a writing background and has eclectic tastes in music. Sound familiar? We had a great talk.

I also walked for a short period with a woman from Argentina who tomorrow will complete the Francais and has walked two other Caminos.

And then there was Andrea from Milan who asked if he could take my picture as I sat on a trailside bench eating a sandwich. And his friend Gavino who entertained us during a stop for drinks with tales of walking a 500-kilometer Camino encircling his home island of Sardinia off the coast of Italy. That’s Gavino in the photo at the top of this article.

One of the photos Andrea took

This is a lot closer to what I remember on the Norte than the mostly solitary sojourn I’ve experienced since Oviedo. And it’s a welcome change.

Tomorrow I enter Santiago de Compostela. Like most pilgrims, I’m excited about entering the cathedral courtyard where energy and congratulations abound. But I’m also sad that the journey is coming to an end.

This European robin kept trying to get my attention as I ate lunch. He really wanted a treat. I obliged with a small bit of a peanut.
A couple of other creatures along the way
The trails on the final stages of the Camino Francais are often wide to accommodate spring and summer crowds.
D’oh!
Peregrinos crossing a bridge into a quaint village
This mural is mostly a beer ad but it’s pretty cool nevertheless.
My dwelling for the night. I’m the only pilgrim staying here so I get the cozy nook. No bunk bed!