Santiago de Compostela

We arrived in Santiago de Compostela, and commenced with our daily ceremonial rituals of our arrival to new city: bigs hugs and a toast to the adventure of the day!
The cathedral was beautiful; a parade of classic cars made it's way through the cobblestone streets, just in time for mass; and a bag pipe band made music in the streets. Throngs of pilgrims made their way to the Compostela office- seeing familiar faces, we stopped along the way to congratulate each other and snap pictures in front of the Cathedral. At the Pilgrim Compostela office- I was issued a certified document stating that: I walked for 31 consecutive days, covering 779 kilometers. Distance traveled is verified by a Pilgrim Credential, where stamps are collected throughout the journey at stops along the way. We also carried our backpacks the entire distance.
I consider myself a goal driven person and have never really subscribed to the notion that, "It's not about the end result, but all about the journey." My experience of walking the Camino de Santiago was the exception. Arriving in Santiago was a beautiful experience, and, so was our trek: over the Pyrenees Mountains; through Basque country; navigating Castilla and Leon; over long stretches through the Meseta; over the Cantabrian Mountains; and through Galicia. Walking the Camino was ALL about the journey, from beginning to end. And what a journey it was!🏞️ Tomorrow we will take a bus to Finisterre, the Atlantic Ocean- the end of the earth to early Pilgrims. And, Tuesday I'll journey to my favorite place on earth- home! Love to you all!Read more