July 17
Arca O Pino to Monte del Gozo 15km
Short day with two cafe stops and in no hurry what so ever. Temps hit 90F and is sunny, but the paths today were shaded and very beautiful as we walked through eucalyptus trees and fern groves. Parts of it reminded us of the Wisconsin Dells area, other parts were like the enchanted forest. We continued to see many pilgrims whom we had traveled with off and on during the last month. Many were headed into Santiago today and others like us are planning to stay 5km outside Santiago and then hike into town early tomorrow.
Our albergue is like an olympic village. It´s a huge complex which sleeps over 400 people in multiple buildings, has playgrounds, cafeterias, and outdoor areas. Our group of 5 has our own room. It´s very institutional, but suits our purpose for entering Santiago. It was built for John Paul II´s visit.
We have been advised repeatedly that the best time to enter Santiago is in the early morning. The view is beautiful, we can see Santiago from our hilltop albergue, and there is less pilgrim congestion at the cathedral and other sites.  We have a plan for when and what to see, but we will just see how that goes and how the camino provides. It feels surreal to be here and ready to complete our ... buen camino.