Saturday, October 28, 2023 – Today we completed our pilgrimages. We took a short, couple hours walk to the middle of Santiago and got our Compestelas and Certificates of Distance. I was number 267, Mary Lou 268, and Dennis 269. Today 897 pilgrims, from the various routes ended their walks, bike rides, or horse rides at the Pilgrim’s Office. Although it’s not a race, we beat most of them.
It was windier and rainier at times today than the rest of the trip. There are not too many pictures of the journey, but some of the finish. After we arrived, we had a good rest and then dinner. Finally we had a paella. It’s not native to this part of Spain (as most of the restaurantours like to tell us), but what wet found was good. So good that I forgot to take a picture when it arrived.
After dinner, I met up with my friend Tatiana. Her flight from Santiago got cancelled. So, we met up for a beer at the edge of town. She’s supposed to get a fight out of Porto now to Warsaw. Good luck to her.
The last few days the dinner conversation strayed to philosophical topics such as, “why did you walk the Camino?”. We all agree that it was for religious reasons. I’d be interested in doing more. Whether it be leading others, or on my own private Camino.
The private Camino is the most religious, or solemn. When you’re walking 10-20 miles a day, there is alot of time to talk to God.
When I went into the Pilgrim’s Office today, I teared up. It’s hard not to when you know you’ve put in so much pain and effort to complete a task and that tasks is being recognized by your church.
To set the record straight … It’s hard to walk a Camino. But, anyone can do it. It’s just walking. Everyone does it every day. Some days are harder than others, but you’ll finish then all. At the end of the journey you’ll have some common revelations:
I didn’t think I was strong enough.
I thought it would take longer.
I didn’t know I’d learn this much about other cultures.
You can discover your inner peregrino by understanding and not reacting to all of the inner muses that haunt you. Restraint is a key value taught inadvertently on the Camino.
The thoughts above we a bit rambling, but they were written late at night and after a few shared bottles of wine.
Once at the cathedral we were able to hug the giant statue of St. James on the altar and also visit his crypt.
The next morning we woke up and went to an English mass at the Pilgrim’s Office and also a mass at the cathedral. At the mass I went to, they used the huge censar to burn incense. Apparently it doesn’t happen every mass. It has to be a special holy day or someone has to donate 300 Euros to have it at a specific mass. A fellow pilgrim stopped me in the street the day before and told me the 9:00 mass would have it… She heard it from somebody else.
The English mass is my favorite. It’s in a small chapel with figures of Mary dressed as a pilgrim. The priest, Father Manny is Filipino and amazing. He has walked 6 caminos and knows what a pilgrim needs spiritually after a long walk. After that mass, I walked with him to the cathedral where he heard my confession.
Today we’re going to explore the city and hopefully have a good dinner tonight.
Enjoy some pictures:
