Santiago (2)

Yesterday's post was brief, and with good reason - not only was arriving a little overwhelming, but there didn't seem to be much time in the rest of the day!

So, rewind a little.  The hostel in O Pedrouso was a good one, with beds with curtains and well laid out.   We found food just across the road, and Ben had his first pilgrim menu.

Yesterday morning we started with just 19km to go.  The route was quite busy, and initially quite dark as we were fairly early.  

The sun came up and chased away the early mistiness, and we walked on through a fairly hilly, wooded section, finding breakfast at a cafe called 'km15', which was actually 16km from Santiago. 

This featured a ridiculously large pain au chocolat - which seems to be normal around here. We shared it!

The next stage took us round the airport perimeter and then up and down a few more hills, overall rising steadily until Santiago appeared below us, the Cathedral towers just visible. 

We passed an immense albergue - more like a military encampment and with a capacity of 960 - and onward into the city.

Ordinary streets, then the pedestrian area, then some bigger edifices, and the side exit door of the cathedral. Down through an archway - and then it's upon you: the end point, the Cathedral, the Square with streams of people with rucksacks, photos, hugs...

And then 'David' from behind me, and it's Mary, with Simon just behind her.  What a surprise! They have walked the Camino Ingles from Ferrol and arrived yesterday - and have been sitting waiting for us to arrive. Amazing, and loving. And we all go off to find a bar for drinks, and I let some Camino friends know where we are, and some of them appear, just to say hello or to join in the drinks.

Necessities - Ben and I find the hotel, I collect the bag I sent ahead all that time, that lifetime, ago in St Jean. Showers, change into civilised clothes.  The brief blog post, and back out again.

More drinks, with people from along the way; George, Denise, Jimmy, Patrick this wife Liz who has met him in Santiago.  Irvin, whom I think I last saw in Pamplona, turns up too.  And then on for a meal with Mary, Simon, and Jimmy.

Then we returned to the Cathedral square, where there was music - a costumed band playing and singing, some amazingly good voices. And one of them coming round to collect money, of course. The mediaeval pilgrims probably listened, joined in and contributed in the same way. (That's the picture at the top of the post, if you missed it).

And finally back to the hotel and bed...

And now today; got Ben up, which took a little effort, and we had breakfast on the way into the city where I collected my certificates - the Compostela and the distance certificate.

We had another coffee and then parted - Ben to go looking for the bus to the airport, and me to the Mass at the Cathedral.  There was quite a long queue just to get in, but I made it by 11, an hour early - even so the seats in the transept (which is where you want to be in case they swing the botofiume, the enormous incense burner) we're filling up.  So I sat and waited.  Mass started at 12,  just as Mary and Simon arrived, but they had to go into the main part of the cathedral.

Mass was in Spanish, with concelebrants from several countries, including a Bishop.   The cantor had a very impressive voice.  The place was packed, with many people standing or sitting on the bases of the pillars.   No photography allowed during the service - but that's not enforced when the Botofiume is swung.

And it was!

Farewells afterwards to Mary and Simon, who return to England later today -, and then a look round the cathedral and drinks and lunch afterwards with Patrick and Liz, and then back to the hotel and the washing to do!

More tomorrow...