Don't know whether it was Mondayitis or I didn't want the Camino to end but for the first time I felt like staying in bed. We made a late start after buying some supplies for lunch. This end of the Camino has been a bit of a chore, particularly the last 50kms, the scenery is pretty, the paths wide and easy going, the hills not challenging for long and the crowds ever increasing the closer you get. Everyone is friendly but we miss the camaraderie of the Camino Primitivo and the solitude. Being our last day of walking before our arrival in Santiago, we found ourselves discussing our experiences during the walk. How much we have enjoyed the people we have encountered. The physical challenges and injuries we sustained. And what we'd do better next time. What were the highlights for us each? Also how we would answer the difficult questions. The ones about whether we had a spiritual enlightenment (providing the lightening didn't strike us first) during the journey. The day wore on and our energy sapped as the temperature increased. Manny found his Achilles giving him problems and needed to slow down. The walk seemed endless, passing first the airport runaways, two TV Stations and we had read that you can see the Catedral from Monumento de Monte do Gozo, a lookout above Santiago but when we got there nothing could be seen but at least there was a kiosk to buy a drink. Our decent into Santiago was long & slow through suburbs, busy roads and crossing roundabouts. Our faithful yellow arrows replaced by more difficult to find brass shells embedded in the pavement and road signs. Finally we reached the outskirts of the old city and started passing Pilgrims who had completed the Camino earlier that day, seeking their accommodation, who gave us smiles of acknowledgment, no longer saying the familiar "Buen Camino" and probably recognising the exhaustion in our faces. Our first sighting of the Catedral really perked us up, it had been a long 20kms and we were in the shady narrow streets of the old city. Before we knew it we passed under a large archway with a busker, playing the haunting sounds of Galician bagpipes into the Praza do Obradoiro, the large square at the front of the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela. We did what most Pilgrims do. Hug each, strip off our backpacks and sit and stare at the Catedral. The afternoon sun lighting it up beautifully. I don't remember a feeling of huge elation at the time but after weeks walking all day, crossing three provinces through some isolated, spectacular countryside and living with fairly simple needs of water, food and a bed for the night, the incredible beauty of the Catedral and knowing we had done it, we had met the challenge, felt good. After a long sit we found our accommodation and left our packs to find the Pilgrims Office to get the final stamp in our Credencials and receive our Compostela, certificate for completing the Camino. The queue was long and full of travel worn Pilgrims excited to be there. With our Compostelas in hand and still in our dirty Pilgrim clothes we headed to a Tapas bar for a celebration and some much needed food.
19 Comments
Rose
6/10/2016 11:14:23 am
A lot of emotions going on there. I probably felt similar things after completing the relatively short Queen Charlotte track. A true sense of achievement in the end though. Well done x
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Victoria
6/10/2016 10:57:13 pm
Thank you, it has been fantastic experience
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Kath
6/10/2016 09:24:25 pm
Congratulations! You didn't feel like keeping on walking then?
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Victoria
6/10/2016 10:56:30 pm
Yes but no but yes. My knees are glad to have a break. Really love the simplicity of the peregrino life. Certainly would do it again.
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Chris
7/10/2016 05:03:42 am
Congratulations on completing the Camino and on your splendid narrative. It made me feel i had walked all those kilometres myself.
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Victoria
7/10/2016 05:31:54 am
Thank you Chris & glad you enjoyed our amble across Spain.
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Craig
8/10/2016 02:21:49 pm
Congratulations. keep going , Manny U are going to have to go on a diet with all of the food that U have been eating. Keep smiling
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Victoria
9/10/2016 07:11:10 am
Diet starting tomorrow. LOL.
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Ann Wheeler
8/10/2016 03:29:58 pm
Well what a feat you both must feel over the moon to complete such a project. The photos and all your information has been wonderful to read a big Congratulations this would leave Mt Warning for dead!!
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Victoria
9/10/2016 07:12:43 am
Thank you Ann, not holding my breath on the number of stars for our accommodation.
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Clive Norfolk
8/10/2016 07:14:06 pm
Loved your last blog on arriving at Compostela!
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Toria Norfolk
9/10/2016 07:13:28 am
Thank you. Will ring you over the weekend
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les kent
12/10/2016 05:51:24 am
Congratulations, very arduous journey, now that its over, where to next to recover!
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Victoria
12/10/2016 06:46:51 am
Thanks Les, it was a challenging but a great experience. Planning another already. We are in Madrid now. Putting on weight already
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les kent
12/10/2016 01:22:10 pm
When do you guys return, tell Manny not to eat too much as it looked like he lost weight on the walk, it would be a shame to put it back on
Victoria
12/10/2016 05:45:10 pm
Back early November. The weight fell off me and my trousers too. Manny's clothes seemed to fit the same at the end. Missing the excercise
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les kent
13/10/2016 06:07:03 am
Enjoy the rest of the holiday and looking forward to any more posts you put on the BLOG
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Ann Wheeler
14/10/2016 09:30:01 am
Congratulations on your 25 years anniversary, here's to another 25 for you both!!
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Victoria
15/10/2016 03:30:28 am
Thank you Ann. Look forward to seeing you again.
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AuthorMy interests are photography and family history research. And I like to cycle and travel. We are walking the Archives
May 2019
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