End of a Pilgrimage: Arrival in Santiago de
Compostela
Travel Days 98 – 100
April 5 – 7
Camino Day 31: Palas
de Rei to Arzua
Daily distance: 28.8
km
Total distance: 735.8
km
Today is the first day that I
started walking before sunrise. While
backpacking, I am typically mobile at this hour. But on the Camino, where I have a warm
comfortable bed from which I must wrestle every morning, the temptation to leave
later is high.
The Camino was quiet and
devoid of anyone, and when I entered the wooded areas, the darkness became more
apparent. Although the ground squished
beneath my feet, there was no rain, and would be no rain for the first time in
a week. As I reached a clearing in the
woods, the sun crested the horizon.
Lighter hues patched different parts of the partly cloudy sky. I stopped and admired; appropriate breaks are
part of the Camino as well.
I was in no rush today; it
felt like a leisurely stroll, albeit a 29 kilometer one. I made frequent stops and ate my lunch on a
park bench in Melide, watching other pilgrims go by. For those who started in Sarria, this is now their
halfway mark to Santiago; signs of fatigue were evident. But on any walk like this, whether it’s five
days for fifty days, it’s more mental than physical anyway.
Camino Day 32: Arzua
to Lavacolla
Daily distance: 28.7
km
Total distance: 764.5
km
It was dark when I left the
albergue. I so enjoyed the serenity of
yesterday morning that I wanted to repeat it, although the chance of another
sunrise was out of the picture. Today’s
weather report: rain, all day. I walked
westward on the wet sidewalk, listening to the light chatter on my umbrella,
and watching my boots slowly soak again.
Yesterday, they were dry for the first time in a week, so I did some
much needed repairs with Shoe-Goo. Today,
their waterproofness will be tested (side note: they failed). The winds were calm, and the only sounds in
the streets were my footsteps and those of the few other early risers. After seeing so many pilgrims limping around
yesterday (most of them are only on day three), many may not start until later.
It rained all day. This was expected. This was welcomed. With 24 hours until our arrival in Santiago, I
couldn’t be bothered with focusing on my wet feet anymore. So I marched onward. We agreed to pass O Pedrouzo, where everyone
else was going to stay, and instead go the extra ten kilometers to
Lavacolla. Because of my early start and
extra mileage, I saw few others on the Camino.
It was a quiet day save for the endless chatter of rainfall that faded
into white noise.
Camino Day 33: Lavacolla
to Santiago de Compostela
Daily distance: 10.5
km
Total distance: 775.0
km
Pilgrim’s Office
official distance: 799.0 km
Before we parted ways in León, Christian told me:
“How you arrive to Santiago says a lot about how you walked your
pilgrimage.” So when I walked outside at
7:30 AM to pouring rain, I hoped that his beliefs had no bearing on reality.
For the last ten kilometers to
the cathedral in Santiago, Dale, Claudia and I wanted to walk together. From Saint Jean Pied de Port to here, we have
mostly walked by ourselves, overlapping our paths in many towns and patches of
the Camino. This has given us the space
and time necessary to sort our own thoughts on our own Caminos, but it is also
important for us to realize that we are, in the end, all on this journey
together.
The rains ceased shortly after
beginning the final day’s walk. Dale
foretold the good weather for the remaining distance: “You only need enough
blue in the sky to patch a hole in a Dutch man’s britches.” The skies were starting to clear. At five kilometers from Santiago, we climbed
to the top of a hill where a pilgrim’s monument was built after the pilgrimage
of Pope John Paul II to Santiago.
 |
| The Pilgrim's Monument stood on a hill just outside of Santiago. |
In the
time it took to explore all four sides, the clouds veiling the sun parted, and
a beam of light from the east shone to the west. I lifted my eyes and realized we could see
Santiago from here. The cathedral towers
pierced the skyline, and we stood awestruck for a moment. After the last month of walking across 500
miles of Spain, we were finally here.
 |
| The clouds parted and the light started to shine on Santiago. We were finally here. |
Our excitement grew during our
final approach, culminating when we stepped into the cathedral square. Alongside hundreds of other pilgrims, we
stood in awe at the physical structure we set as our spiritual goal. Although I have enjoyed all of the time to
myself in this long journey, I was happy to finish it with good friends at my
sides. Dale and Claudia have truly
become members of my Camino Family.
 |
| We were greeted by the sign as we entered the city limits. |
 |
| In front of the Cathedral, we met up with Siegfried. |
Arriving at the pilgrim’s mass
15 minutes before it began, we were hard-pressed to find seats. We had to sit separately, which was
ultimately beneficial; I had time to reflect on my own pilgrimage. Being my first mass, it was special for many
reasons. Most importantly, this is where
I have come to die as a pilgrim and be reborn as the next version of
myself. After 34 days and almost 800
kilometers of cold feet, sore muscles, wet clothes, frigid rain, stinging hail,
waist-deep snow, howling winds, painful memories of the past and anxious
thoughts of the future, my pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela was finally
over. In the end, it was not where I
started or finished that mattered, but how I lived between these two points in
time: the birth and death of my Camino.
I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to make this pilgrimage, and
deeply grateful for all the people who crossed paths with me and helped me grow
into who I am becoming.
 |
| The skylight lit up the Butafumerio and the altar. |
We wanted to celebrate well
for dinner. From the suggestion of a
gourmet chef we met on the Camino, we ate at Casa Marcelo. We arrived at the doors fifteen minutes
before opening, beating the crowds and grabbing four seats at the only table in
the restaurant: a long, heavy wooden slab with twenty bar-style seats, forcing
strangers to bump elbows and share a meal.
Chris joined the three of us, a well-earned finish to his five-year,
2000-kilometer Camino journey that strikes a balance between family life, work
life, and personal adventurous life. Our
server briefly asked us if we trusted him, followed by an inquiry of food
restrictions. With these two questions,
he whisked the menus from our hands and brought four oysters to the table. The first taste was telltale of the rest of
this seven-course meal: the bold flavor captivated our senses, bringing the
table to wide-eyed silence. Although
each course was small, the sensations created by each bite necessitated slow
satiation, the quality a satisfactory substitute for quantity.
Amongst the four of us, we
shared two bottles of wine, one red and the other white, both trustworthy
suggestions from our server. As we
enjoyed the gustatory compliments of sips of wine between courses, Claudia
struck up a conversation with the woman next to her, offering her a glass of
her preferred white wine. Dale
proclaimed at the gesture: “That right
there! That is what Jesus would do. He
would offer a gift to a stranger because it brings people together. Right now, we have good food, good drink, and
good company. This is what church is
about!” We raised glasses with those
surrounding us, reveling in the bonds we have created in the courses of our
Caminos. “One of the most intimate
things we can do with other people is share a meal with them.”
I hope that it is true that my
arrival in Santiago has much to say about how I walked my pilgrimage. I could not imagine a more special
ending.
The Spirit of the Camino
Live in the moment.
Welcome each day, its pleasures and its
challenges.
Make others feel welcome.
Share.
Feel the spirit of those who have gone before
you.
Imagine those who will follow you.
Appreciate those who walk with you today.
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