Santiago de Compostela

Once out of Padrón, we couldn’t help but be more excited on our way because we had definitely decided to try and walk into Santiago today. Since we still had more than 20 km left to go we knew it would be hard. Our anticipation was building because many more pilgrims, even some on bikes, were cruising along with us. The day was overcast and cool so we were back hiking hard. We stopped for fruit and a coke at a little café and our friends the family from Malaga was there! So funny to pass them again- the little boys are troopers! We passed the town of Escrivatude where we visited their somber and massive church, Santuario da Nosa Señora da Escrivatude with its stone steps that rose up directly from the busy road. I’ve never been able to enter the church because of passing too early or late in the day but today was well timed for a beautiful visit and a pilgrim’s stamp!
I had accidentally double booked lodging for tonight- a hostel room in O Miladoiro and a hotel room in Santiago. That also played into our decision to keep going- after two weeks of hostels and hard beds a hotel room was tempting. I messaged the host at the hostel and she let us in so we jumped off the trail and into the shower there to get cleaned up and rest 45 minutes and be refreshed before walking again. We were popping in and out of forestry areas and farm villages with lots of chickens, roosters, horses and sheep and we even passed a mama cat with 6 kittens pouncing around each other- so cute! We passed stone lavandara- ancient outdoor washing stations covered with trellises- lots to see this afternoon!
At one point we came to a junction with two granite markers pointed in opposite directions. After all of the miles we’ve traveled with so many yellow arrows pointing us one way forward, it seemed like a joke to have these markers so blatantly in disagreement but the guidebooks advise going left so we powered through after taking a funny picture! Now we were only about 3 miles away and the markers were more frequent and inviting and we were walk- running to try and make it before dark. My heart was pounding from the exertion (and that afternoon shower was wasted!) but I still tried to keep up with Luke. He said he felt as though a magnet in his heart was pulling him up the hill to the Cathedral.
Time slows down a bit when you’re this close… you’re in disbelief that you’ve actually come this far and you vaguely remember the hard times and the doubts that arose when you were sweating and climbing hills and your feet were hurting but none of that matters because you’re almost there! You can just barely catch glimpses of the towers as you wind through the narrow streets with tons of people jostling and moving forward. And then you burst onto the plaza finally and are so relieved, grateful and happy. I shed a few tears that we had actually made it and was so thankful that after all of our adventures together Luke and I had arrived- we hugged and said a quiet prayer together and just tried to take in the flood of emotions. For me the joy was magnified just because I was able to accomplish this alongside my boy! Then it was time for pictures and silliness and watching the other pilgrims around us and their reactions too. It was just after 7pm and cloudy so our arrival pictures are dark and moody but the joy we felt was bright! The pilgrims office was closed and we were too late for the Pilgrim’s Mass but we were here and tomorrow we could quietly get to those events. Tonight it was time to celebrate with a big seafood paella, some pimentos de Padrón, Spanish wine and cold Estrella beer and then fall into our beds without worry or setting alarms.Leia mais