Camino de Santiago

Day 41. We made it. As we hobbled down the morning streets of Santiago, each step brought us closer to the Cathedral. A journey that has take us many weeks to accomplish.
We started in St Jean Pied de Port 798 km ago, and despite sore legs and a few injuries, we walked into the Praza de Obradoiro at the end of our pilgrimage. We sat in the shadow of the cathedral for a while, and let it soak in before heading to the Pilgrim's Office to receive our Compostelas. We checked into Libredón Rooms, and spent the remainder of the day touring the Cathedral.
The following morning we attended Pilgrim's Mass and were fortunate enough to witness the swinging of the Botafumiero, a 140 lb censor that requires eight men to operate and dates to the middle ages. We visited the tomb of St. James under the alter, toured the pilgrim museum, and walked the roof of the cathedral where the Spaniards turned us loose to walk around as we wished.
The pilgrimage definitely reminded us how much we rely on God to carry us through the difficult roads we walk both physical and metaphorical. Many a prayer was spoken in the last 41 days, for each other, our children and grandchildren.
A large amount of our time in Santiago was spent in the Praza de Obradoiro watching pilgrims arrive to the Cathedral. It was by a bit of Camino Magic that a pair of Italian brothers that we met in Orisson arrived the day after we did. We shared a hug. It was good to see them again and know they made it.
All in all it was an adventure of a lifetime that we will always remember along with the tattoos from Sagrado Corazón.En savoir plus