Plaza del Obradoiro

So that’s it. The pilgrimage is over. Our backpacks sit lonely on the floor of our hotel room, walking sticks leaning forlornly in the corner. No more settling our packs our back, clipping the straps, grabbing our sticks and hitting the track.
I miss sitting in bed in the evening chatting with Liz about the next day, how far we might trek,where we will stay. I miss packing my backpack with the blister supplies on top for easy access, I even miss my afternoon ritual, easing off my boots and socks and inspecting my poor battered feet for the day’s damage. Actually, that’s getting a bit carried away, I don’t miss that at all!
Santiago de Compostela is a maze of windy streets with stairs and hills around every corner.

My blisters are healing, but my legs are still very sore, and every step is an effort. But I love exploring this beautiful city, especially the markets. Oh how I wish I had a kitchen and a week to cook all the gorgeous fresh produce. I did spend a delicious half hour with a young stall holder who despite his lack of English and my lack of Spanish managed to convey to me his passion for all things pork. I happily munched on the selection of hams before choosing one to take to a Spanish friend in London who misses this taste of her homeland.

What will we have for dinner, the octopus or the steak?

You never know what you will find around the corner.... — You never know what you will find around the corner….

Liz and I spent a day doing our own thing and despite the fact that there are probably a hundred hoodies of various designs and sayings, we both managed to come home with the exact same model.
I would dearly loved to have taken the bus to Finisterre on the coast, the true end of the Camino, to see the 0km sign. But it was a 12 hour day, 6 of them on the bus, so I reluctantly decided against that. Liz had already decided that a trip to McDonalds was more to her liking, so one of us was happy.
Each day I was drawn to the Plaza Obradoiro in front of the cathedral to watch the pilgrims arriving, the tears, the laughter, greeting friends who had become their Camino family.The cathedral is magnificent and for many pilgrims the spiritual culmination of their Camino, for me the spirit of the Way of St James was out there in the plaza.

Our last baguettes and vegemite in Spain

As soon as we walked out onto the Camino you could feel the excitement. There was a spring in the step of the pilgrims streaming into Santiago. Even the rain and the last few hills could not dampen our enthusiasm.

The tables and chairs of the last few bars were empty – we all just wanted to get to the Cathedral. We came across Phillipines, we met him on our first day, we were so glad to see him on our last.

There was a brief stop with 5km to go

And at last, our first glimpse of Santiago de Compostela

More stairs of course,

Then the final push

Hand in hand we walked through the old town to the Cathedral – 37 days, 780 kms and we were there!

Pilgrims relaxing in the Plaza del Obradoiro, the meeting place for pilgrims

Waiting in line to receive our Compostela

The Pilgrims Mass signifies the end of the Camino and we were lucky enough to see the Botafumeiro swing.

And so these two pilgrims have followed the Way of St James to Santiago de Compostela. Each pilgrim’s journey is different and I can’t begin to express how I feel now, here in Santiago, so I am not even going to try. Thank you for sharing the Way with me.

Back to the real world – Santiago de Compostela 23rd – 26th May

The Way of St James leads to Santiago de Compostela 23rd May