We made it!

We left O Melladoiro at 6:00 am to walk the last 7.7 kilometers into Santiago. I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving and hope for the last leg of our journey. The pain in our bodies and feet was negligible compared with the anticipation of arriving. Our walking pace was 2.9 mph!

It was as a beautiful walk into Santiago and the Obradoiro plaza. The city was barely awake and the roads were empty. The facade of the cathedral had been cleaned since my first camino in 2016. It glowed as the sun rose over the city. We cried, hugged, and took photos.

We lined up at the pilgrim office to get our Compostela. Charles was #8, I was #7 and we were in and out in no time! I had a lovely visit with the UK volunteer who certified my trip (from Rates, since I left my first pilgrim passport with stamps from Porto in an albergue!).

We saw and hugged pilgrims in the square and the streets that we met along the way. The sense of community is powerful. Sean hollered “Texas!” From across the square! I feel a part of God’s everlasting kingdom by walking with pilgrims past and present.

We attended the Spanish mass at noon and saw the botofumerio swing. I prayed along with the liturgy to myself in English, thanking God for this opportunity. Lunch with John and Brenda from Ireland is next!Read more