The Day of Days

Started walking in Léon on 22 May
Finished 16 June Santiago de Compostela
Took 5 Rest days: Léon, Astorga, Ponferrada, O Cebreiro, and Melidé.
25 days hiking
315 kilometers = 195.73 miles
15,245 feet of elevation gain
Stayed at mid level accommodation in private rooms
1 bag transported - non essential or back up gear

Heavy rain last night cooled things off. Clear as a bell. One short uphill and then downhill all the way. Signs of civilization: a glass covered TV station reflecting the sunrise, factories humming, a city bus! Hiked a few miles with a pleasant Peregrina from Western Canada. Came upon the enormous Monte Gonzar. They are getting ready for an enormous outdoor concert. They have hundreds of living quarters that appear unused right now except for the descanso (service) area. A sea of repeating blue domes upon closer inspection are a tent city that vastly outsizes the Philmont Base Camp. We come upon a very cool yard that appears to be the home of a sculptor. Crossing a large bridge over an 8 lane freeway and the electric train tracks from the East, puts me squarely on city streets: a large round about….exhaust fumes replace the morning stink of cows.

Deeper into the city, The Way becomes harder to follow: ancient cities do not have a Cartesian layout, and so as I get to the inner city the buildings get higher and denser, traffic (both foot and auto) increase and I have lost The Way. Bus load upon bus load of kids decked out in field trip gear adds. I break out my map app and am off. Magically, out pop Dave and Gerry Jones from Seattle whom I have bumped into several times. You made it! But you’re in the wrong place! I know! Come on! You must do this correctly and they very kindly walk me back to the Camino and through the Pilgrims Portal into the Plaza de Obradoiro. The End! Though not really, I spend a teary few moments with the Jones in the plaza, then off to the Pilgrims office to square away my compostela (the certification of pilgrimage) and my distance certificate.

Things are not too busy but the process, which attempts some nod to social distancing, is pretty complex. Figuring it all out takes about 45 minutes, with a light crowd. I am glad I booked down early! A very pleasant volunteer from Mexico is my clerk at desk no. 17 at the end of the office. She takes me through the process very efficiently confirming my credential stamps that I have collected (almost 2 booklets worth) and giving me the final two official stamps at each end of each booklet, issues my distance certificate, and gives me a warm handshake. I go to the fountain courtyard to ogle my Documents and it occurs to me that I could help folks navigate the process. So I sit and compose a Facebook post on the American Pilgrims on the Camino page outlining the steps.

On to find my lodging, it’s not too far away from the cathedral. My bag is not yet there but they let me check in early. I wash up and return to the bustling streets around the cathedral, find a nice outdoor table at a promising Cafe Camilo and treat myself to a Bock beer, salad and Scallops cooked in garlic and butter, then a slice of tarta De Santiago and Café Americano.

Back to the hotel, my bag is there, but no washing machine. The room is very tiny…no way to hang a wet clothes without a mess, so I dump everything into the backpack and off to find a laundry, which is a block away, next to a fruiteria and cafe, so I can eat cherries and have another coffee while I wait. Finished I head back for a siesta.Read more