Day 34: SANTIAGO

There was a strange feeling in the air this morning, anticipation like grand final day or about to go in a battle. Just a feeling that today was something significant.

With the goal of arriving for the 12pm mass, Florence and I set off at a mean pace. Feeling like he was losing some of his cardio fitness Florence was running up hills the mad man.

With barely a stop, we got to the square in front of Santiago. It was a very strange feeling, like we didn't know exactly what to feel or do. We shared a hug, I shed a tear, and then we headed off to mass. Despite a massive amount of people, this was pretty special. The cathedral and altar is amazing.

And of course, like most of my Camino, on my first mass there I had the privilege of witnessing the Botafumeiro, which is a huge incense that is swung through the church, by 8 people! Its about 1.5m high and a long long time ago, in addition to the traditional incense use, was used to purify the smell of the pilgrims sleeping in the upper chambers of the Cathedral. It is quite rare to see due to the effort of its use, so this really was a special privilege.

An incredible mass and confession later, I met everyone in the main square as they arrived which was amazing. There were hugs all round and we then started on a food crawl of Santiago which was exceptional. So many bars and restaurants! Of course we enjoyed a few well earned beers as well. Spirits were very high for what was our last meal before the Camino family was splitting up, but I also had a deep appreciation for being able to meet and spend time with this group of people for a really special experience. Happy I have a few days of rest in Santiago to soak everything in!Read more