Day 31 Salceda to Santiago de Compostela

Day 31 Salceda to Santiago de Compostela 28 km

I was awake at 3 a.m, too excited to sleep. Lying in bed, I tried to coax my body back into a slumber by listening to music and reflecting on my journey.
When it was a respectable hour, I got up ready to walk.
At 5am I got dressed and packed my backpack, mostly in the dark, so as not to wake my roommates.
By 5.30 I was ready to go. The dawn was just commencing to illuminate the blue-black sky. The moon was bright and a few stars were visible.

I walked in silence. It was approximately 28 / 29 km to Santiago de Compostela!
Furthermore, I was hoping to arrive in time for the Cathedral Bells to ring out at noon.

I had to exert considerable effort to achieve my goal. My newly acquired fondness for music, via my friend Alison, would provide me with a significant boost.
It was very cold, therefore, I had to stop earlier than planned in order to try and warm up.

Gradually, the sun's heat began to penetrate into my body. I began to enjoy the warmth, light blue sky and final day ‘euphoria’.

I had anticipated my thoughts would be overflowing with the task of evaluating the past 30 days. However, it proved to be surprisingly effortless to disconnect from them and allow the music to engulf me.

The final 28 or 29 km emitted a sensation of 100 km, especially the final two km towards the Cathedral.
When entering the city, it was quite frustrating, as there was no sign of the Cathedral.

Suddenly, in between the tall city buildings, I caught a glimpse of one of the Cathedral towers.

It was 11.45………..! I accelerated my pace. Almost there.
I started to run, adrenaline pumping into my tired limbs.
The anticipation had been steadily building throughout the morning, with pilgrims exhibiting a noticeable acceleration in their pace.

I turned the last corner and Annie appeared in the distance, bounding towards me. She has been my rock and backbone during the pilgrim walk. Throughout my journey, her constant praise, words of encouragement, nightly think tank topics, laughter and listening ear, instilled in me the tenacity to persevere.

We descended some stairs into the Cathedral square - zero km to go, and as I turned around, there in full view, was the Cathedral de Compostela, a majestic structure, towering above me in all its splendour.

Midday was announced - The bells started to ring and the choir started to sing.
I had made it.

To be eligible for the Compostela Certificate, it is imperative that you have a Camino Passport, officially stamped at every hostel.
I proceeded to the official office, and after receiving my certificate, it was time for a long, hot bath.

Later that day we encountered a former Church of Scotland minister, now a Church of England vicar, called Nick the Vic. He was captivated by my fundraising pilgrimage and made a donation. Another individual, Father Leo Schumacher, a missionary in Tokyo, joined us for a coffee and we share stories of our journey. (I met him several times during my 31 days)

I am totally indebted to all the well wishers whose messages of support, encouragement and prayers gave me the strength to continue. A huge thank you to all who donated to my fundraiser.
Terry.Read more