Camino: Lavacolla to Santiago de Compostela 10km

We have our shortest walk today. It was sad knowing that we will be done hiking the Camino today.  I’ve really enjoyed waking up, walking, and stopping for coffee.  We have met great people and had great conversations.

We walked to Monte del Gozo which translates to the Hill of Joy.  This is the last hill of the Camino and you get your first glimpse of Santiago de Compostela.   We stopped at the portable coffee stand to get a cup of coffee and our last passport stamp.  We kind of lingered here a bit before descending down to Santiago.

Megan explained to us that as we enter the city it is like an architectural walk back in time.  You will enter in the 20th century and as you get closer to the Cathedral you go back through the centuries.

Right as we approached the Cathedral area, we were greeted by bells.

Renovations on the Cathedral but We Made It

We made our way to The Pilgrim Office to turn in our passports and obtain our Compostela.  There was a long line for this.  On our way we ran into Mark and Eileen and she was having the mixed emotions of finishing hiking the Camino that a lot of people do.  The now what.

Our grand plan was to go to Fisterra via the bus for the evening.  We ran into a French man that we had seen a lot and he informed us that the buses were on strike so we could not obtain a ride to Fisterra.  I was flying out on Friday morning and Megan & Sonali had an early train Friday morning so we had to come to terms that we weren’t going to be able to go.

We decided to go to the Pilgrim’s Mass at noon.  Backpacks are not allowed in the Cathedral, so we took them for holding at the post office.  Megan booked herself and Sonali into a hotel and I booked myself a room at an AirBnB.

The Cathedral had a huge St. James statue in the front of the alter that Pilgrims go up behind and touch his shoulders.

The Bishop gave Mass in Spanish and he said, “The pilgrimage is life. We need to walk in faith. The ultimate expression is faith.”  It was really cool being at this Mass surrounded by so many other people who were on this journey with us.

The Botafumiero which was originally used to fumigate the smell of the sweaty Pilgrims.  This was really cool to see.

The Remains of St. James

We went and had a celebratory drink and Sonali got to eat crepes which she had been craving for a few days.

It felt odd to separate from Megan and Sonali.  We each went to our separate ways for the afternoon with a plan to meet up for dinner.  I wanted to find gifts for Brad and the girls.  Shopping felt so odd after days of having all of your belongings on your back.

I explored Santiago a bit. It is a cute city with lots of fun restaurants and parks.

It was nice having a solitary moment in front of the Cathedral and being grateful for my feet.

Megan and I had a plan to have paella to celebrate.  There is this super philosophical man that we met on the Camino named Valentin who was from Bulgaria.  We were sitting down to dinner and we said wouldn’t it be interesting to have dinner with Valentin.  Guess who walked down the street at that moment, Valentin and he joined us for dinner.  He is the type of person who I swear is a transmitter from the Divine and says exactly what you need to hear, good or bad.  Great conversation!

Megan was on the hunt for pajamas so we found some for her and Sonali.  Then we had a glass of wine and talked.  We decided to meet up at the “Pilgrim’s Museum” the next day.

With all the walking around I did that day, I did thankfully walk 12 miles.

This day of walking was dedicated to Megan, Sonali, and myself.  I am so happy that Sonali had a soccer tournament up in Minneapolis last year and that Megan invited me to hike part of the Camino adventure with them.  Megan is my oldest friend.  We met when we were 4 years old.  I’ve always cherished our friendship.  There were periods of time that we didn’t see each other as much, but she is one of the best kind of friends there are because you just pick up with no trouble.  She is an inspiration to me.  She has a way with words and is a beautiful writer and poet.  She is so kind, inviting, and fun.  It is wonderful seeing her as a mother.  She is patient and loving.  I admire the way she explains things to Sonali.  She exposes her children to the world.  She is no nonsense.  In this trip she went above and beyond with me.  She shared her lessons in life with me and listened to me with a loving heart.  Not living close to Megan, it was so great for me to get to know Sonali this way.  She is such a smart, strong, and funny person.  I enjoyed how she was present in situations and really learned from them.  I liked getting silly with her.  She taught me to take time at the end of the day to unwind and relax.  She has been so many places and seen so much already in her short life that is only going to serve her.  She is a very solid person and it will be great to witness her grow.  As for me, I’m so proud that I kept going even when in pain.  I’ve always enjoyed my adventurous side and I’m the happiest when I’m doing something to feed that.  I love people and being in a situation like this where I get to meet people with good intentions from all over the world is perfect.  I loved feeling and experiencing the positive energy of the Camino.  All of this I will miss.  Megan told me that she can access this feeling when she is away from the Camino, so that is reassuring.  I’ve loved reconnecting with Megan as adults!  Buen Camino friends!