A Susana to Santiago de Compostela

I slept very well and was awake before my alarm went off. I had packed most of my stuff last night so it was just a case of getting dressed and then lifting my backpack, we were very quiet not wanting to disturb the other pilgrims. We discovered that we couldn't get out and had to climb out the large floor level window, I vaguely remembered having to do that last time as well.

It was raining so I put on my poncho but by the time we got into Santiago I was soakcing with sweat because the poncho didn't have vents, so it got hot and sweaty. the rain started to ease up so I took it off. The walk had been easy enough, there was a slight detour due to roadworks. I walked into the cathedral square carrying my slatire, but unable to play a bagpipe tune by Skipinnish as there was a group of horses and their riders in the square, I didn't want to spook them.

It was all very anti climatic, I was wet, cold, and very depressed. So we went round to the pilgrims office, although it wasn;t open yet there was already a queue, but there's a good cafe just up the street and we were able to get a good breakfast, I got the full egg, bacon and sausage etc. it was so good.

Once the office opened I got my ticket and joined the line. The pilgrim office is basically a long counter with people stationed behind it who process your credential and issue your certificate. The woman who was doing mine took it off me without really looking up and asked me where I had started and I said Almería, and she looked up and said loudly Almería? The guy at the next station looked over and said to me "did you say you started in Almería?" I said yes and he and other members of staff stood up and applauded me, and reached over the counter to shake my hand. It was a very unexpected and very moving moment. It lifted my sadness.

I was booked into an albergue just along from the pilgrim office, and although I was way too early they were happy for me to come in and sit out of the rain. When I eventually got to my room, it was a four bedded room and it was ok, I was on a bottom bunk so I was happy. The showers/toilets were not the worst but def not the best either, but it was ok.

I stayed there until dinner time as it was raining once more, so I stayed in my bunk reading.Lue lisää