Here

I've made it to Santiago de Compestela. I'm happy, relieved, but also underwhelmed by today's walk. It was just under 4 hours. The short walk, even though it was miserable, felt like maybe I should have walked more today to deserve reaching the cathedral.

We took some pictures and found the place to get our certificate to show we completed the Camino. Finding the pilgrims office is not easy. We run into people we've seen on the walk in the square. All of us are relieved to have made it. One guy is looking for a beer before he heads to his train to Milan. Another lady is chatting on her phone trying to find others she walked with, many are taking pictures and asking others to take pictures of them. It's a fun atmosphere.

Niky and I are starting to shiver uncontrollably. The cold has seeped in. We go to the cathedral entrance to find out if that's where you get the certificate, no you have to go to the pilgrims office to the left of the cathedral when you're in the square. We stumble our way to that area and see people walking with their certificate. After lots of back and forth we find the office. It's a modern affair now. You scan your QR code then you get a number for when to be called. When you are called you go up to the counter and they ask to see your Compestela book with your stamps and then ask if you want to have your distance certificate printed as well. The completion certificate doesn't cost money but the distance one is 3€. I get the additional certificate. The lady at my counter isn't very friendly and doesn't make any conversation, she just moves me along. Paula and Niky report different experiences with their counter ladies, they spoke about the walk, reasons for doing it and how they felt. To me it felt like a money grabbing operation at the end as walking out there were all these additional things suggested for you to buy.

I'm frozen now so we set a time to meet back up and head to our accommodations to get warm. 1st i pass by the post office to collect my luggage. Its a simple process. Many people are in their collecting backpacks.

My accommodation is nice. It's a small single room. It looks like a university room. It's got everything I'd need, so im not bothered. It's cold though. The heating is on a system that doesn't turn on until 5pm. Its a stupid system as its only 9C outside so unbelievable to me that there would be heat on. I text reception about it and they offer to bring me an additional blanket. Tomorrow I'll try and find a portable heater to purchase.

Later, we meet up for the pilgrims mass at the cathedral and a celebration meal. The mass is in Spanish. I've not been to mass since my teenage years in Catholic school. The rhythm of the mass feels familiar. It's packed in the cathedral. Lots of pilgrims but also locals there for Maundy Thursday mass. The seats are all filled and I'm standing along with others for the ceremony. Everyone stands and sits and recites some words at the same time. I listen for the priests to say peregrinos, as that's another word for pilgrims and its said many times. The mass is to bless us and celebrate our achievement of finishing our pilgrimage after all. I'm enjoying the scent of the incense. As I can't understand the words I'm looking at all the elaborate gold and jewelled decorations of the cathedral and the pink angels and other pink statues of saints. It reminds me of the horrors of religion and why I'm not religious anymore. They symbolism and community of the pilgrims does feel nice though but I'm freezing and can't wait to leave.

Dinner with the girls is great. Niky wants a vibe for our celebration meal, I want octopus and to be warm. We walk around for 20mins trying to find a suitable place and I find somewhere with underground seating so we wouldn't be near any doors. This place is a good choice. Dinner doesn't start until 8.30 so we order wine. The waiter chooses a lovely galacian red wine and takes our photo. We chat about life over that 1st bottle then it's time to order food. They have never had octopus so they order the same as me and a lamb dish to share. The octopus was beautiful, tender, well seasoned and cooked. It was on a black salt mashed potatoes which went well.

Even though it was under 18km to get to Santiago from my starting point I've walked 27km and 39,000 steps.もっと詳しく