We arrived in Santiago on Tuesday, May 20th. It was a day that I was very concerned the night before as to whether I was going to be able to walk the 22km into Santiago. I awoke refreshed and recharged and ready to go. When we arrived in Arzua which is a very large noisy city, I was almost hysterically exhausted. I am very glad I could do it to Santiago. I got to walk in with everyone. We ran into Sue and Pat´s French friends out in the middle of no where on the trail...Henri, JeanPaul, and DJ. I had been hearing about them since I arrived. They were a total hoot. Walked several kms with both and got to hear about their experiences on the Camino. We walked to Monte Gosso (means mountain of joy) together. This is where the pilgrims can first see the cathedral even though still 6 km away. Even though we had an amazing sunny day (no rain) we could not see because of tall buildings in the distance. We stopped for toe repair for Sue and badly needed potato chips and a cold beer. Henri´s wife and her friend met the guys with a welcomed picnic lunch. They had not seen each other for 6 weeks. We took lots of pictures and agreed to see each other at the cathedral at mass the following day.
We walked through the Monte Gosso compound (albergue) that houses 800 pilgrims. We were really glad we were not staying there. On into Santiago...a very large city. We have a lovely place to stay...the Hostal Alameda which in the old part of town approx 800 meters from the Cathedral. There are multiple praza´s (plazas) on differrenct levels with various churches and then the main cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. We immediately went to the pilgrims´office to have our stamped passbook reviewed and then issued the compostela certificate for completing the Camino. I walked from Ruetlan which was approx. 130 km. Sue and Pat walked from St Jean Pied to Port (sp?) which is in France on the other side of Spanish border approx. 760 km. There passport was not examined that closely. Mine on the other hand (due to shortness) was closely examined for appropriate distances and stamps. A lot of people start in Sarria which is the closest you can walk to receive the compostela approx. 100 km.
When issuing the compostela they write down where you are from, where you began the walk, how old you are, and they write your name in Latin on the compostela. The following day the priest during the mass at the cathedral announces how many people from each country has arrived to Santiago the day before and then announces how many people walked from each city on the Camino. It is kind of fun to hear how many from the United States (not very many) and how many from where you started on the Camino.
The Cathedral is massive. I have been there four times since my arrival and each time I am more able to take in what is there. There is just so much art, sculptures, etc. It is overwhelming and you cannot take it in all at once. So I go back and find more things each time. My first day in the Cathedral I was able to walk in and hug the statue of St James that is over his tomb. You walk in from the back of the statue and give him a hug and rest your forehead on the back of his head and give thanks. Mine was a big thank you for being able to come on this trip.
There is still much to post about my experiences each day. Everyday had amazing experiences whether just walking with people from other countries with a common goal to get to Santiago, to having a local priest take you through his little church and share with you the meaning of all the figures on the alter and giving you a pilgrim´s blessing and then grabbing my hand when I was leaving the church and looking me in the eyes and wishing me Bien Camino, or sitting at a roadside bar with our feet up and boots off doing foot repair and partaking in the local vinho tinto, or being interviewed and videotaped by National Geographic with the young man walking backwards uphill carrying his videocamera while we continued to walk and talk, or getting water for my water bottle at the local fountain in Melide and accidentally spraying soaking an elderly woman with my attempts at getting water and she laughed as we were wiping her off and telling us goodnaturedly it just made her more beautiful, or the children´s concert in Melide in the plaza near the church, or Gallegan protesters banging drums and blowing whistles in the Praza in front of the Cathedral during mass.
I have found Jimmy in many places.
I will post my pictures soon.
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