Thursday July 23: A Brea to Santiago (17 mi)

Ana: I will return to write the blog this evening.  Right now, I would like to let the California Cousins (Hayes and Keith) know we are here, cleaning up and will be at the cathedral around 3:30 this afternoon. Hope to see you before you leave.

Sorry to leave you all hanging.  What an incredible day!!!!!!!!!

We started out early to try and avoid the crowds.  Weather was perfect.  Weren’t 2km in before meeting a large group of teens from France.  Bypassed them and kicked up the speed, watching behind while they merged with a large group from the albergue.  The Camino was heating up.  You could feel the excitement as everyone was nearing Santiago.  The crowds thinned a little and there was a steady stream of walkers, cyclists, and an occasional horse.

All languages were heard as everyone was chatting, laughing, and some singing as we approached the city.  Everyone greeting each other with Buen Camino as they passed or were passed.  Our usual bar stops for coffee were so different.  On the primitivo and Norte we would see a few (5-8) other pilgrims, today it was upward to 30-40 in each bar.  No one was interested in taking their shoes off and relaxing.  It was all business today, everyone was on a mission.  Tired feet, sore shoulders, shin splints didn’t bother us today. As we approached the city, we looked for the famous statue that overlooks the cathedral.  It was in the movie.  We found one statue about 5km out, but not the one we knew was there.

We went down a hill and walked for what seemed a life time before getting to the old city.  No statue!  Apparently, it is on the south side of the city and not visible to the majority of pilgrims.  Another miracle of Hollywood.

We saw the cathedral from a few blocks away and walked to the square where a hundred other pilgrims were celebrating.  There was a loudspeaker with music and a little train taking people around the square.  I felt like we were at Disneyland.

The outside of the cathedral is being restored so there is a large amount of scaffolding in front.

From there we found the hotel, cleaned up and returned to meet with Hayes.  Keith had left for a side trip to Fisterra.  Hayes took us on a guided tour of the inside and gave us all his intell on when to get to church for mass and where to sit for the best view.  Thank you so much.

The alter The organ.

As expected, the cathedral is breath taking.  We spent a great deal of time looking up in awe. The church is undergoing major repairs and the statue of St James was undercover, as well as the front doors being inaccessible.  A disappointment to all.

We then adjourned to a local bar for afternoon refreshment and a time to relive our adventures. So many others were doing the same and the area around the square was alive with laughter and joy.  Cheers were heard when people who met on the trail arrived in town.  So festive and so different from what I expected.

Dinner was the usual, except tonight I ordered the pulpo.

. Yes, that is octopus.  Yummy!

After dinner it was off to 7:30 mass.  Indescribable, is all I can say.  The choir was heavenly.  Mass was said by several priests with a cardinal overseeing it all. There are several rows reserved for pilgrims and I felt so honored and humble to be seated up front.  Tomorrow we will attend mass once again, get our compostella’s and formally tour the cathedral. More pictures to come. The next blog we will all have entries with our thoughts on Santiago and this pilgrimage. For now, I will finish this and get to bed. Rest well my shoes, you have served me well.  907km or 567 miles we have been together.

Just our last day on the Camino.