Camino de Finisterre - Day 50: Santiago de Compostela - A Pena

Onward and upward! Why stop at Santiago de Compostela when you can walk to the end of the earth?

Finis Terrae - Fistera - Finisterre has, I suspect, always been the real draw.

Walk westward, following the sun by day and the Milky Way by night, until you can go no further.

New Camino, new credential!
The pilgrim office in Santiago placed their stamp in the last available spot in my (third) pilgrim credential. Nice coincidence! So here's a new one, designed specifically for the "bonus hike" of the Camino de Santiago to the Atlantic Ocean

Santiago skyline

Ponte Maceira

Ponte Maceira

Negreira

After Negreira, where most people stop for the day, I took what the sign described as a "bonita variante", a riverside path through the trees and ferns; everything was a bright, almost flourescent shade of green, and the river was as full of plant life as its banks. Half-expected to see Ophelia come floating down the stream at any moment! 

Crested the hill at Alto de Pena and arrived tired and hungry at Albergue Rectoral San Mamede de Pena, a newly renovated hostel in a historic building. I was assigned a bunk in a four-bunk room, which, however, I have all to myself! My very own room, for the second time in three nights!!

Update: I thought I had my own room, but at 10 pm it was invaded by two Spanish pilgrims in their underwear, bedding tucked under their arms as if they were going to a pyjama party, escaping a snoring roommate!

Dinner was a delicious lentil soup, followed by pasta, in the company of French, German, Italian, Korean and Canadian pilgrims. The interesting thing about the Camino de Finisterre is that everyone is coming off different routes! I was the only one who had come from the Camino Frances. Some had come from Portugal, others from the Camino del Norte, and three generations of Canadians had just done the Camino Ingles together in five days. The three French pilgrims had been walking for two months, from Brittany, and the Italian had walked all the way from Brescia a few years ago - this year he walked the Portugues.

In short, those who stop here, at 33 km from Santiago, are a tough bunch of walkers, and all have interesting stories to tell!

And we're already a third of the way from Santiago to the ocean!

Day 49: Santiago de Compostela

En esta iglesia, en fin, no se encuentra ninguna greta ni defecto; está admirablemente construida, es grande, espaciosa, clara... y está edificada doblemente, como un palacio real. Quien por arriba va a través de las naves del triforio, aunque suba triste se anima y alegra al ver la espléndida belleza de esto templo.

- Aymeric Picaud, Códex Calixtinus, 12th century

Unfortunately for me, this espléndida iglesia is currently undergoing restoration work in preparation for the holy year in 2021. But a passageway is kept open to allow pilgrims and other visitors access to the tomb of St. James the Apostle.

Before going to the Cathedral, however, I spent some time in the Pilgrims' Office, where I stood in line for forty minutes to request my Compostela and Certificado de Distancia, then attended pilgrim mass in the chapel in English and had a cup of coffee with other English-speaking pilgrims, talking and sharing our experiences.

When I arrived at the chapel for mass, it was just about full; the only free seat left happened to be next to the only familiar face in the chapel, Bill from LA, with whom I shared chocolate on the way down from O'Cebreiro!

The priest and deacon celebrating the mass were from the Philippines, and there were people from all over the world (but mostly Ireland!) in the congregation. We all introduced ourselves and said where we were from and where we had started walking, and as usual, my explanation was a bit more complicated than the others'!

We were all teary-eyed at various points during the service and while discussing our experiences over coffee afterwards, and continued to be emotional in the Cathedral, despite the scaffolding!

To return to a more composed state of mind I invested €1.20 in a ticket to the Museum of Pilgrimages, in an emotionally neutral modern building close to the Cathedral.

From here I went on to the Mercado de Asbastas, a fresh produce, fish and meat market that also has seafood restaurants, and sampled the local specialty, pulpo a feira. 

After lunch I ran into Marius and the group of young people I had been in León with, and had a chance to congratulate them and say goodbye. Some of them are walking on to Finisterre too, but not until Monday. I'll be long gone by then!

I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around town, and discovered that once you get away from the cathedral, it is a perfectly ordinary city with a life of its own quite independently of the Camino! Though shell symbols and references to Compostela do abound. Even in the name of the local football team!

At 6:30 I ventured back into pilgrim territory to pick up my backpack and meet up with Emily, a fellow couchsurfer who was also going to be staying with the same host as me. We met up with Yaiza in a bar, where we were joined by her PhD supervisor for beer and snacks before going on to Yaiza's favourite restaurant for nachos and veggie burgers. We talked about travel and Couchsurfing adventures and had a regular girls' night out before going back to Yaiza's studio flat. Emily took the air mattress and I took the couch, which was perfectly comfortable for a night's sleep.

One thing I have learned from Couchsurfing: it's the people who live in the smallest spaces that are most generous about sharing them!

Ringraziamenti - Merci - Gracias - Thanks

There are a number of people I would like to thank for their role in my Long Walk between Chiavari and Santiago.

First of all, I wish to thank my walking guru Luca Gianotti for his inspiration, wisdom and essential advice on choice of footwear! My feet are really happy about it!

Then I'd like to thank all the volunteer hospitaleros who have welcomed me with open arms along the way, and especially Jeannine who took me into her home that night in Muries when I could find nowhere to stay. (I kept my promise, Jeannine!)

I thank Aldo for keeping me company for my last three days in Italy and inviting me to stay with his brother in Imperia. And of course his brother and sister-in-law, for having me over at Le navi nel cielo! 

Thanks to Philippe "lo scaccia-can" for introducing me to France the easy (bilingual) way.

Thanks to Anne and Marie Hélène for teaching me the French pilgrim song, and lots more French besides, between St Gilles and Gallargues le Monteux.

Thanks to Jiheun for three weeks of great company between Montpellier and Toulouse.

Thanks to Peter for bringing together the fellowship of the baguette between Toulouse and Oloron-Saint-Marie, c'est obligatoire! 

And to Suzanne, Rolande and Elianne for taking over right where Peter left off and seeing me through the Camino Aragones.

Above all, I wish to thank the two Mari-s who walked such unimaginably long distances with me: Mariella, who walked with me practically all the way across France and on through the Camino Aragones, all the toughest parts of the Chemin, and Marius, who kept me company for more than 850 km between Toulouse and Léon.

And, last but not least importantly, thanks to Silvio and Davide for holding the fort without me!

Camino Frances Day 48: Os Penedos - Santiago de Compostela

E dissi 'peregrini' secondo la larga significazione del vocabulo; ché peregrini si possono intendere in due modi, in uno largo e in uno stretto: in largo, in quanto è peregrino chiunque è fuori de la sua patria; in modo stretto non s'intende peregrino se non chi va verso la casa di sa' Iacopo.

- Dante Alighieri, Vita Nuova

Today: Os Penedos - Santiago de Compostela, 37 km

April 27 - June 13 2019: Toulouse - Santiago de Compostela, 1200 km

2016-2019: Chiavari - Santiago de Compostela, 2756 km

Rest at Monte de Gozo.
View of Santiago Cathedral (right) and soundcheck on the O Son do Camiño festival stage (left) 

Gotta arrive refuelled!
The mother of all sandwiches

Walking into Santiago

Well there it is. 

Seminario Menor, a frighteningly large pilgrim hostel: my home for the night.
A room of my own - for the first time since April 25!

Santiago skyline, as seen from Seminario Menor

Camino Frances Day 47: Palas de Rei - Os Penedos

Another 36 km day walking through the mists, forests and farming villages of Galicia.

Horreos for drying corn

We always come up to churches from the back.
I never noticed it before, but all Christian churches face west! 

Walked through the town of Melide, where the Camino Primitivo joins the Camino Frances.

After Melide the trail passed through a eucalyptus wood, crossed a stream and continued through the forest. Here I sat down for five minutes just past the 50 km mark and Barbara came along, walking with a Spanish boy; I set off again chatting with them, and then Jesper and Alysson caught up, the Danish/Canadian pair I have been running into since Ventosa, way back before the Mesetas. They were speeding along at their usual rapid pace, and so I huffed and puffed to keep up with them for the final ten kilometres into Arzúa, where I stopped for lunch to recover!

Palas de Rei, Melide and Arzúa are all largely modern cities, and Spanish twentieth-century cities are just as graceless as Italian twentieth-century cities, if not more. So I haven't been taking many pictures in the cities lately! But the forests of Galicia are truly enchanting, as are the tiny farming villages with their stone huts, slate roofs and horreos. 

Ventured just under one kilometre off the trail to stay in a quiet spot tonight, away from the last-100 km hordes: Albergue/Pension Camiño das Ocas in Os Penedos, five kilometres past the classic end-of-stage town of Arzúa, where I spent the evening darning my socks and polishing my boots in preparation for the big day tomorrow!

Only 34 km to go! I hope to manage it all in one day.

Ultreya!