We heard the music of the bagpipes playing in the distance and we knew we were close to completing the Camino. Only another 100 steps and we reached our destination, Santiago de Compostela Square. We did it. We really did it. 800 kilometres. We all felt many different emotions on entering the square: joy, elation, relief, sadness.
We were so happy to have completed our walk with only a few blisters and sore muscles. We are also sad that our journey was coming to an end. No more crazy Canadians stopping for beers after a long hot walk on the trails. No more meeting and hearing the stories of other pilgrims from around the world. No more breathtaking scenery like the amazing medieval towns, beautiful cathedrals, and incredible early morning sunrises.
To greet us at the end was a group representing the Huntington Society of Spain with big smiles. We were also honored to meet the Mayor of Santiago de Compostela who welcomed us and gave a speech recognizing all the work that is being done for Huntington disease awareness and research by both Spain and Canada and that one day soon there will be a treatment or cure to stop the disease. It wasn’t always easy but it was well worth it and far exceeded our expectations. It was an incredible adventure that we’ll remember forever.