This morning a heap of alarms went off at 5 am, mine included. It was clear many had the same idea and that was to walk into darkness for two hours and get a good run and the final day of 23k in an effort to finish before 12 for the pilgrims mass.
Again the rain came but more in showers but a completely cloudy day. It was also cool and this helped me and Xavier keep a good pace. By 7 am we only had 15k to go. My feet today still not happy at me but I am forcing them anyway. We stopped for a coffee and I had a great bacon and cheese baguette and was the best breakfast of the trip. The last 15k tho seemed to last forever but we soon found ourselves on the outskirts of Santiago walking waiting to recognize something and the there it was the main bar strip nick named Paris Dekar because that’s the names of the bars at either end but also the challenge to drink in every bar in celebration of finishing your camino. I walked through and I knew exactly where I was and walked on to the cathedral courtyard. Walked directly to the middle dropped my bag and looked up. The cathedral still covered in scaffolding may not be much to look at right now but the same spine tingle the same feeling of achievement.
We then went to the pilgrims office and got our Compostella and I got two new credentials for Lauren and I for the camino ingles. We managed to get into the mass at 12. I have no idea what they say but there is something special about the pilgrim mass. I managed to check in to my hotel the same one I always reward myself with after a camino due to how close it is to the cathedral and food. I then take Xavier to my favorite pilgrim menu restaurant and we get the pulpo (squid) which is a local delicacy. Xavier and I say our goodbyes and he heads to get his bus home. It’s funny that in 3 hours he will be back in Porto and home. But for me the second half of my adventure begins now to snooze and Lauren flys in at around 10 tonight. Defo in need of a rest day or two but will blog again once plans are set.
Would I do the Portuguese way again, sure but with 3 improvements. They need to ditch the cobbles on the Portuguese side, more albergues to break up the stages and if Portugal wake up to the cash cow on their doorstop and develop their part of the camino. It could easily be improved to avoid industrial areas and roads.
But all in all its been great and met many good people and once again feel like my perigrino self. Let’s just hope my feet heal in the downtime there is still a log way to go!
Pics from today:
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