Santiago de Compostela

Today started unlike any other of the past month. I woke up and quickly realised I wasn't going anywhere today. I wouldn't be repacking my pack or checking two or three times that I have all my belongings before leaving the room - in fact strangest of all I would be sleeping in the same bed two nights in a row. You might think I'd be relieved, but not so. Happy for this break for one day, but happier to be walking again tomorrow. Before we get to that, I'll go back to last night and my arrival in Santiago.

Arriving in the rain, I followed The Camino to the Cathedral. I didn't go in yesterday - knew I would have plenty of time for that today - so headed straight to the Officio de Peregrino to get my final stamp of The Camino Frances and apply for my Compostela. It was on the way to the hotel I'd booked, so no time like the present. I was asked where I'd started and whether I had walked all the way - though only the final 100 kms must be walked to apply for a Compostela. And my credenziale was examined to see the stamps from each Albergue or Casa or Pensione I'd stayed in - you must have at least one stamp for each day then two along the way for the last 100 kms, which can be obtained from churches and cafes. So my paperwork checked out - simpler than getting that Spanish sim card. I was asked my reason for walking The Camino - and I answered 'reflection', which seemed to satisfy. If you are a true religious pilgrim - or say that you are - you get the fancy Compostela. But my not so fancy one is fine. It's in Latin, including my name which is Ioannam. I didn't think to ask if there was something I could put it in to protect it from the elements, and the official didn't suggest anything. Juggling my Compostela, credenziale and backpack and clothed head to toe in wet gear, by the time I got downstairs it was already slightly torn and quite damp. I thought that was very funny - so much the way of The Camino! I later found out there's a small cylinder for one euro, which now holds my slightly damaged but now dry Compostela.

It was time to brave the rain again to find the hotel I'd booked online just a few days ago once I was fairly confident of my arrival date. It looked to be in a good location - it was. And the room looked good too - it wasn't. Think of a small dark musty cupboard with a bathroom attached. It's amazing what can be done with a wide angled lens. I unloaded my pack and stood in the cupboard for less than 5 minutes before deciding to head out in search of something else. A small dark room with a tiny window is not the place to be on a cold and rainy day. While on The Camino I had opted for a private room about half a dozen times and each time the room was delightful - and more so the smaller the village. After walking through the maze of streets in the old city I finally found a single room which was small but light and airy, with a lovely outlook. I returned to the first hotel and explained to the owner very nicely - and in my best Spanglish - that the photo was big and bright and the room was not. He didn't argue and I think we agreed he wouldn't charge my credit card - but I can't be sure. I'll soon find out. Settled in my new room, I enjoyed a lovely hot shower, and found some dry if not particularly clean clothes that would do for the evening.

When I last heard from Nina by email the afternoon before, she told me that she and Vaclev were going to try to get to Santiago by Sunday night - a 40 km walk from where they were at the time. I was to call her at 7pm to see how they fared. Sure enough, they were in Santiago. By 7.30 we were reunited in front of the Cathedral and set out in the rain to find somewhere for dinner.

We enjoyed our reunion very much. Vaclev had tales to tell of his time on The Camino Primitivo. He saw just six other pilgrims over the course of 10 days. Both Nina and Vaclev found their long day to Santiago was not as gruelling as they had anticipated. Strange as it may seem, though I can certainly relate, they found walking in the rain was quite good for a change. By the time they had 15 kms to go, they didn't want to make any further stops and so here we were together again. It would have been lovely if Jens and Bernard could have been there too - the other two members of the Camino con caffe con leche club.

We agreed to meet the next day (today) in front of the Cathedral to attend the special pilgrims' mass together - held every day at 12 noon. Though I'm a self-confessed non-religious pilgrim (and had confessed same to the Officio) I was glad to be there with my amigos and moved by the sense of community among the pilgrims. This update is already rather long so I'll write more about that tomorrow or the next day.

Vaclev, Nina and I took our seats in a pew and waited for the service to begin. A tap on the shoulder and there were Canadians Erica and Jonathan, who Nina and I had been with at Casa Carmen and I'd caught up with again at Melide two nights before. I hadn't seen them on my last day but felt sure they were not far behind. From time to time during the service I looked around (as did others) to see whether familiar faces were in the congregation. I whispered to Nina that I hoped we would see the two gentlemen from Venezia and she agreed that would be perfect. We thought they were about a day behind, if all had gone well for them, and unlikely to have arrived in time for the noon mass today.

After mass, we five went for lunch and exchanged more stories and memories of The Camino. As we looked at the now familiar menus to choose our order, we all agreed that we were not walking today so there was no need to eat as if we didn't know where our next meal was coming from - and then proceeded to clean up everything on the enormous plates we've come to expect. Oh dear, I don't have much time left for that calorie burning to catch up to the calories. At lunch we decided we would meet for dinner tonight - Vaclev returns to Czech Republic tomorrow and Erica and Jonathan on to Paris. Like every holiday, it's all about the next coffee and the next meal - and more so on The Camino!

And then ... my favourite moment today was when I clapped eyes on the two gentlemen from Venezia. And as is so often the way on The Camino, I bumped into them entirely by chance. After lunch Nina and Vaclev went off to the Supermercado and Jonathan and Erica asked if I knew how to get to the Officio de Peregrino. It's just around the corner from where I'm staying so I said I'd take them there. It's a rather confusing place as you need to go to the first floor office but that's not well sign-posted. So I showed them up there and said I'd see them later tonight at dinner. I walked downstairs and as I headed through the stone archway back into the street - there they were, the two gentlemen from Venezia. Bella, Bella. At 73 and 74 years of age (I had thought one was much younger but Vaclev had since found out the other's age) they completed The Camino - walking the entire way in just one more day than I had done it. Each day they spent many more hours on the road than many other pilgrims, especially in the beginning, but they kept on going and were always smiling. And today they wore the biggest smiles of all. I walked with them and others back up the stairs to the Officio (I wasn't going to lose them to the city without a photo). As they walked in, there was a small group of pilgrims also waiting for their Compostela. And suddenly people started clapping. Bueno. Bueno. The two gentlemen from Venezia had touched many hearts along The Way - not just mine.

The only thing I really wanted from Santiago - apart from arriving here in one piece - was to see those two again. And now I have. So I'm ready to go.

A few of you have predicted the postscript to my adventure - The Camino Finisterre (87 kms). Finisterre was the end of the known world until Columbus changed all that. It was also the final destination of many pilgrims who made the journey to Santiago in past centuries. It's very nearly the western most point of Spain so it's not difficult to understand the Galician people, and others, concluding that it was in fact the end of the world and therefore giving it a then most appropriate and now most enticing name.

So Nina and I will leave in the morning to make our way to Finisterre. It will likely take 3 days. Apparently the path is not as well sign-posted as The Camino Frances and the Albergues fewer and further between, so this time we may stick to the stages recommended in the guidebooks. The first day is just 22 kms, so even if the weather is not good, we will have time to take shelter where we can find it.

If nothing else, it will be an adventure. Here are a few words from the guidebook:

'You now leave behind 95% of all pilgrims who remain in Santiago oblivious to the glorious untamed Galicia that lies on the path to Finisterre. Much of the way is through dense eucalyptus although forest fires in recent years have obliterated some of the waymarks - so stay extra alert. ... However the extensive woodlands here provide shelter from the relentless rain and wind (or possibly sun?).'

Well, we've been warned! If things get too horrendous, we can always go to the nearest town and wait for the Santiago - Finesterre bus. But it will take a lot to stop us I think. Stay tuned.

Ultreya! J x

P.S. A mix of photos tonight, of mis amigos and earlier days on The Camino. Apologies if some you've already seen. Pat, you were spot on in your email. I like Santiago but it doesn't inspire me to get my camera out as I have done along The Way, where almost everywhere you look the natural beauty is breathtaking and the simple villages enchanting. I've taken more than 700 photos so far and barely deleted any. It's a wonder I had time to walk!