Same as my Facebook Post, except more pictures.

Pilgrims, All—hear ye, hear ye. Today was the bar for my pilgrimage: great weather; gentle downhill for 12 miles on a bike/walker path next to a roaring stream (the Eisack River fast and big enough for hydro power); the path meandering through small villages some with farmers markets plus; then ending in the town of Colma (1 day short of Bolzano, Italy) with my lodging being in a former archduke’s residence dating to 1482 (and used them as a toll station); and last but not least featuring a Bierstube (Beer Hall) within 150ft. And being in South Tirol, everyone speaks Italian and German (the Austrian type)—works for me! It’s the bar.

Great day that started with a biting cold 38 deg and lots of windchill to make it feel even colder. It was the first day I put on my light jacket over two other layers, but only for a few hours as I descended from the 4500 ft elevation. After walking some 14 miles, I’m now at 3850 ft.

Great landscapes along the way, and I always pick one where I can eat the to-go sandwich I make at breakfast. Streams and small waterfalls are everywhere to hasten away the melting  snow.

I was duly impressed as I walked through a cycle/pedestrian tunnel bored through the side of the mountain. Then about three miles before my destination I was walking through a jewel of a town Vipiteno. I could have spent hours there.

I pretty much followed the Sill River and made it over the Brenner Pass into Italy. Yeahhhh!

But I had a challenging day not only because of 13 miles and over 2,000 feet of climbing, but some small parts of which were so steep that I had to side step up the hill. The weather was gorgeous except for some gusts of heavy winds. But, NO rain. Then during  one very steep forest climb, the foresters blocked about 200 feet of the path with newly cut tree branches—couldn’t go around because it was too steep and I didn’t want to go back. So thanks to Pam (fellow mission walker), I invoked her mantra: “Suck it up, buttercup.” And 30 min later I made it through and without a fall. Interestingly, as I came out of this section there was a “Forbidden Entry Sign due to forestry activities,” but not when I entered at the bottom of the hill. Oh well.

Still gorgeous scenery. Am now at 4503 feet and the snow is still a bit higher.

The quad picture just shows a sampling of the types of trails. And, of course, there’s the “Do not enter” sign.

On my second day, I walked an easy 9 miles from Patsch to Matrei am Brenner—and still in the Austrian State of Tirol. Beautiful weather and breathtaking scenery all around me. Learned (or, refreshed) two lessons today: (1) when you think the path has ended, it surprises you and keeps going, and (2) stop to smell the roses!

The picture of the path says it all. Then I came across a miniature scene in front of a secluded house on a huge slope. He had an inviting bench for visitors to appreciate his miniature  scene as well as the grand scene all around. I stopped and truly  smelled the roses.

First day of hiking from Innsbruck to Rome—only 10 km, but 1500 ft climb. The symbols were clear: (1) The smaller the sign (2” x 3”), the more brutal the climb, and (2) barely 10 min into my first brutal climb, I met a life-sized crucifix telling me “to suck it up, because I suffered much, much more”!

Am now at the small town of Patsch, at an elevation of 3326 ft with breathing just a little bit harder than it was yesterday, but I’m quickly acclimatizing. Staying at the Bär Hotel and into my routine to be repeated 47 more times: arrive, check-in, shower, do laundry, nap, eat, and sleep—pretty simple.

The views all around are breathtaking.

Tomorrow, April 28th, I actually start walking from Innsbruck, Austria on the Via Roma toward Rome. On the 17th of May, I’ll take a train from Padua, Italy over to Florence and walk the Via Francigena to Assisi and on to Rome. Am I excited or what! Innsbruck is so beautiful and its old town is so quaint—I could spend a week here. It’s like a homecoming! Situated in a valley and surrounded by mountains, Innsbruck is the perfect place to start for me, and where else but at its St James Cathedral!

(1) St James (on right side of the main altar) (2) Old Town Innsbruck, (3) St James Cathedral

Started in Stockholm, Sweden today then flew to Munich and having a 6-minute Connection from Munich Airport train to train to Innsbruck, I made it. All this after three travel days, but what scenery there’s here in Innsbruck, Austria at the foot of the Alps. All in all, it went pretty well. I love Google Maps now that they keep the route you googled and it updates your location (all in airplane mode without using anyone’s WiFi). That allows me to use the route and walk without getting lost as in from train stations to hostels.

Plan to rest here tomorrow and look around and get myself a pilgrim’s credential for the first part (pre-Florence).

Had to attach the awesome snow-packed alps all around.

With only four days to go, I finished my last week of training. On Monday, April 16th, I met my goal of climbing 3000 ft and a round trip of 15 miles. The pics above were taken at my high point. On Wednesday, Belle Cook (one of my two hiking buddies) was my “trainer”—-who pushed me to finish our 16.4 mile hike from Ventura to Carpinteria (and that was with my backpack). Geoff (also our hiking compadre) met us near the end and treated for beer and snacks.

Had an exhausting training session of 10 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 2100 ft at my favorite area behind St Thomas Aquinas in Sisar Canyon. This area still shows the charred landscape caused by the fire that can be seen in the pictures.

Although I led a group of 17 members of our Southern California Chapter of the American Pilgrims on the Camino on a fantastic mile-high hike, it was good training for me as well. The trail was in the San Gabriel Mountains behind Altadena, CA, known as the Mount Lowe Road Trail to Inspiration Point. A scrumptious picnic followed as well as a shell ceremony for one of our members who would soon depart on his own Camino. We all huffed and puffed together on the 1000-foot climb. Here are pictures of our group at the start and destination of our hike.

I had to add this picture of my role model, Hugo, given to me by dearest friends JLoRo and Delfino. “Old pilgrims never fade away, they just never know when to stop”—my follow-on saying to MacArthur’s, “Old soldiers never die, they just fade away.”

This tests my Innsbruck-to-Rome blog.

This is the group I recently led on a hike through a rocky, bouldery landscape--good practice for my Rome pilgrimage.

Last day of walking was day-156; today, Sunday, was the first full day in Santiago highlighted appropriately by the pilgrims' mass at noon. We stood in line already at 10:30 in order to get a seat. It was a beautiful mass celebrated by two bishops, assisted by 8 or 9 other priests and capped with the swinging of the botafumeiro--all captured in the attached pictures.

After the mass we stood in line to enter the Cathedral through its Porta Santa, opened only during holy years, and for specially designated years such as 2016, the Year of Mercy.

Our entire crowd at the albergue this morning was overflowing with eagerness to get onto the road, Bob and I being no different. We covered our last 19 km (11.9 mi) with all stops pulled out. Out the door in the dark to a cafeteria for breakfast and one short coffee break on the way had us arriving in Santiago at noon.

The pilgrims' office was at a new location for me: down past the Parador and to the first right. An hour's wait produced two lovely Compostelas that I will treasure. The lady at the counter couldn't believe where I started until I showed her four credentials. The official distance actually walked was: 2936.6 km that equals 1835.4 mi!

The pics show everything important at the moment: my walking buddy Bob who spent nearly four weeks with me (almost as much as Eddie at the front end of the pilgrimage); the electronic board that indicated the next of 14 windows ready to serve you at the pilgrims' office; my Compostela; and the view of the Santiago Cathedral from our room at the Roots and Boots Albergue (for only 18€)! What a trip this has been--just now am I beginning to absorb it.

Today is all about sharing our Del Norte Camino with a wave of folks coming here from the Camino Frances--new faces and new stories. It was a perfect hiking day of mostly downhill with cool temperatures for the entire 20.3 km (12.7 mi). We started out in the dark and I couldn't see the first step coming out of the monastery so I took my fifth, and hopefully, final fall--luckily not a bad one. I felt sad later because I lost my cheapie water bottle from Poland (it was my friend) but I couldn't see it.

We're staying at the municipal albergue which opened at 1:00PM for 6€ and by 4:00 PM it was full, but there must be at least a dozen albergues in the town of Arzúa and pilgrims are wandering all about. Only about 40 km to go!

The first pic shows a typical backpack transport service that is available for pilgrims. The second is our municipal albergue with over 40 some beds. Then there I am smiling at lunch and the final pic of Bob and me in front of the albergue. We look forward to breakfast right across the small street--they open at 6:00 AM. No rush because tomorrow's destination has many albergues with capacity of hundreds.

During the 22.5 km (14 mi) today, I think I walked either uphill or downhill, but no level. It was tough and slow. The morning fog gave it a mystical sense especially while walking in the dark fir the first 40 minutes.

Arriving at the destination found me having to wait 3 hrs for the albergue, an old Cistercian Monastery founded in the 10th century by the Benedictines, the refounded in 1142 by the Cistercian Order. All this time Bob was locked in the albergue but had already reserved me a bed.

The place is amazing even though only a few monks are currently here. Pilgrims housed in one of the former cloisters which makes sleeping here very cold but special! The attached pics are from the church and courtyard.

We're well under 60 km from Santiago and I made all three legs of air reservations today: to Warsaw, to JFK, to LAX.