On Friday, just over 500 pilgrims finished the
Camino de Santiago in the Plaza del Obradoiro. Some alone, others in a group, by bike, walking, trotting... Johanna Katharina Lungwitz did it together with three mules and two dogs. The 23-year-old German, born in Chemnitz, had been advancing on foot towards Compostela for just over six months. He left on May 11 and traveled 3,000 kilometers to the Galician capital. She says that “she wanted to travel with her animals and learn new languages, although unfortunately I barely made any progress in my Spanish, because I ended up speaking to almost all the pilgrims in English. However, I did practice my French a lot crossing the country”, he comments, communicating – once again – in the language of Shakespeare.
And why travel with these peculiar companions? She admits that it would be easier to make the pilgrimage by herself, but Temmi and Tari are more than just pets to her: "They are my friends and they had to come with me." He explains that "rarely" shelters allow dogs on their premises. And, organizing the trip, he continues, “I knew that some days I would have to camp, so I needed to take all the camping equipment and food for the dogs with me. The mules also came because I am too lazy to carry all that by myself. He assures that finding a place for the equines (Sam, Merlin and Totoro) to spend the night was not the problem, since "most of the towns have forgotten corners where I can leave them." What he used to do, he recounts, was "going to the shelters throughout the day to shower and wash clothes, but he left the cities at nightfall."
This is the first time the young German has done the
Camino de Santiago, "and the first time traveling with mules," she jokingly points out. Only an hour after arriving at the Obradoiro, he was already resuming the march with his troupe, heading for Fisterra. His intention is to arrive between today and tomorrow. And, at the end of the month, to return to Germany with his furry family, to look for a job there and gather some savings with which to travel again next summer as he is doing now. Currently, Johanna says, she does not have a permanent job and her last job was at a farm specializing in therapy animals for people with disabilities.
well done to her
We crossed paths several times before Santiago. Early one morning I saw them in a field. The donkey was being uncooperative. Every time the woman tried to grab hold of her halter the donkey ran away for a few steps. This went on for at least five minutes until I decided to leave them to sort it out in private. I've always assumed they reached Santiago eventually. 
