Praza do Obradoiro

I was up early because two guys who were also sleeping in the same unit as me came in at 0200 drunk, and noisy, putting on lights and generally making a nuisance of themselves, then they snored loudly the rest of the night. Later I went and asked the staff if they were staying another night, because if they were I would have had to have had words with them. Fortunately, they were checking out.

Kathleen was also up early, so we went out for a walk together to see if we could find a café, eventually we found a bakery open and they did a takeaway coffee so we had breakfast as we walked and talked. I loved every minute that I spent with Kathleen, she is just a joy to be with. The coffee and cakes from the baker were really good, and the lovely baker spoke great English, and so I went back several times over the next few days.

Apart from some more shopping the only thing on the agenda for today was the 12 noon pilgrim service at the cathedral. Meg assured us that we would have to go at 11 in order to get a seat. Mirjam, Kathleen, Julia and I all wanted to go. Meg was right, by the time we got there about 10 minutes past 11, it was already quite full, and just before the service started Julia and I both got up to give our seats to an older couple, I sat on the base of a stone pillar. I was able to follow some of the service but the language difference was a bit of a barrier, but I enjoyed it. We never got to see them swing the giant incense burner but apparently they don't do that very often.

One of the reasons the camino was so busy is that Pope Francis had designated it to be a Holy Year for Roman Catholics. Normally the Holy Year is when the Feast of St James falls on a Sunday, but last year it was cancelled due to covid. One of the features of a Holy Year is the Holy Door into the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. It is bricked up in-between Holy years and then broken open on the Holy Year and any pilgrim who enters the cathedral through this door is said to have all their sins forgiven. Many people, including from our group walked through it. Whatever our different beliefs, I think that deep down we all want to know that we are forgiven, and some of us have much to be forgiven for. The hardest part, of course, is forgiving ourselves.

A guided tour of the city plazas had been booked for 1800 starting at the Cathedral Square, and with Mirjam's encouragement I agreed to go along (only the most hard-hearted person could say no to Mirjam). The tour was excellent and we all really enjoyed it and learned a lot about the history and architecture, and myths of the city. The only minus was that I felt totally underdressed, Meg, Kathleen, Anita and Julia were all wearing lovely dresses and Mirjam looked fabulous in her new blouse, in fact everyone had smartened up a bit except me and Guillermo - my wardrobe consisted of 3 t-shirts and 2 pairs of hiking trousers, and Guillermo probably had the same limited wardrobe, the ladies had planned ahead. Still, they didn't appear to be too embarrassed about walking around with us.

The tour took us down to a park where we saw some public art depicting the two Maria's. We had seen them all over the city painted on walls and on t-shirts etc. so it was great to learn their story. The two Maria's were from a family that supported the monarchy during the Spanish civil war, which of course Franco and his fascists won. Many of the men in their family were tortured and killed, it was a very dark time for many people in Spain. So, the two Maria's started wearing bright gaudy clothes as they went about the town, it was a kind of rebellion against the fear and gloom of the times, a celebration of life and a refusal to let the darkness win. Every day they would come to a certain spot in the park at 1400, because that was when the University students got out of class, and they would flirt with all the male students as they passed, and they did that right up until they were in their 80's. The two Maria's brought life, and colour and laughter and hope in a very dark time, and so they became cultural icons of the city.

As we stood there listening to their story, I noticed many people going up to the statues and standing beside them for photographs. It seemed odd, because of their story and the way the statues were posed it looked to me like the two Maria's were still flirting with all the men walking past and the outstretched hand was an invitation...one that I could not resist.

After the tour we went to a fabulous vegetarian restaurant, the food was delicious surpassed only by the excellent company, and although Anne was not able to be there, she was very much in our thoughts, and in our hearts. At the end of the meal I was able to share how I felt about each one of them and how they impacted my life, and I was thankful for that opportunity.

In a very emotional moment Mirjam shared with us a little about her time in Finisterre and what had clearly been a very profound and significant experience for her. She offered each one of us a shell from the beach there because she wanted us, in some way, to share in her experience. As I sat beside her listening to her tell her story, I was deeply moved, more than words can express, and deeply honoured that she wanted me to be part of that experience. From the first day that I met her, I knew that there was gold in her, and it shone brightly that night, and I was completely undone.

Mirjam was booked into the Last Stamp for her final night in Santiago and they put her in the same unit as me, and so we were together for one last sleepover. I lay awake for a long time thinking about the next day, knowing that it would be a day of goodbyes, wishing that it were not so.Read more