Day 12: Santiago de Compostela - 16 m

We made it and have certificates to prove it! What a tremendous journey with so many memories. We finished strong and pushed through some aches and pains to get to Santiago. Today was unlike any of our other days. Although our path is the third most popular route, it didn't seem crowded - until today. It was a sea of people from the time we left Padron to our arrival at the Cathedral. There was one time that Tara and I outclimbed everyone up a steep grade (we are really fast just grinding up hills), and we had a little solitude. It was more like a parade for 16 miles.

Highlights:
A couple of miles in, there were two guys who were playing bagpipes and an accordion for the pilgrims as we came by. It was very festive and we also felt bad for the neighbors. I could hear it a long way off.
One good point about the crowded route was that there were lots of cafés and stands with drinks and bathrooms. We took advantage of that to avoid looking for places in the woods.

We stopped at a small chapel, and the town name was Milladorio (Mirador in Spanish is a viewpoint). There was the first time we could see the city and the spires of the Cathedral. We contemplated how previous pilgrims would have felt seeing it and knowing they were getting close.

We got our official pilgrims certificate. They recognize the official routes, but we took some unofficial variants that added another 7 to 9 miles to the trip. Officially, 280km = 173.6 miles in 12 days. We estimate closer to 180 miles. Today, we were the 1460 and 1461 pilgrims to finish. It will likely be over 2,000 pilgrims from all over the world. We saw youth groups, tour groups, singles, couples, and all variants in the square. We sat in the shade gazing at the cathedral, resting our tired bodies and observing everyone celebrating the finish. It is a special opportunity.

Tonight we will go to the pilgrim's mass at 7:30 and grab a late dinner.

Thanks for coming on our journey!Läs mer