Lavacolla to Santiago - destination reached!
Trip Start
May 14, 2008
1
13
14
Trip End
May 30, 2008
Santiago de Compostela,
Galicia,
Spain
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
We had another yummy breakfast at 8:30 (Judy says it's the best breakfast served in Spain). Pepe gave us postcards of Palas de Rei, where he lives, with his home address on them, when we said goodbye to him. I guess he wants us to keep in touch!
We were all packed up and on the mini-bus by 9:15, driving to Lavacolla to take to the trail one last time. Within minutes it started raining (sigh), and it just wouldn't let up. We stopped at a bar in Villamaior for a bathroom break and a coffee for those in need, just as the rain came down even harder
One of the last markers
. Julia is on the bus again, but she's with us in spirit. We decided to walk the last 5 km as a group, to commemorate this journey we have shared together. Our meeting place was at the Chapel of San Marco on Monte de Gozo (Mount Joy), at the end of our last hill climb, where we got our last passport stamp. It was pouring at this point, and we had 4 km to go. Tradition claims that if you're the first one in your group to sight the Cathedral towers in the distance, you can officially change your name to "King". Jim was the first one to the top, but John was the first one to spot the spires. We took some group pictures at the enormous sculpture there, with the wind billowing our rain gear and the rain pelting down, and thought of Julia. Brad is using two walking sticks to support his weight, as both of his Achilles are hurting now, but he's determined to make it to the end.Judy walked with us from there on in, and we left the scenic countryside and suburbia for the city of Santiago. We passed a sculpture with statues of pilgrims and Popes who have passed this way through the ages, and we rested our right hand in an imprint of a hand which I'm sure thousands before us did also. We had a brief reprieve from the rain for about 2 km, but by the time we were within a couple of blocks of the Cathedral it started again, with a vengeance. We arrived at the cathedral with our group intact - Julia and Martha were waiting for us and we walked the last few hundred meters with them
Waiting for an hour for our "Compostela"
. When we got to the zero kilometer mark, Brad bent down on hands and knees and kissed the scalloped shell while the rest of us applauded, cheered, and dashed for cover.We had missed the pilgrim's mass at noon, so Judy suggested that we go and get our passports verified and get our "Compostela", the certificate confirming that we finished. So we lined up and, one hour later, it was official! During the wait we were entertained by the "Line-Up Nazi" - a French woman who forbade anyone to butt into the line-up, even going so far as to put her umbrella across the stairs so nobody could walk by. It wasn't very pilgrim-like of her, we thought.
After that we met Julia, Jim and Tina (who didn't get the Compostela because they didn't walk the entire 100 km - they're very strict about that) at a restaurant for lunch. It was, unanimously, the worst lunch we've had in Spain. I had the pilgrim's lunch which was seafood soup (couldn't eat it), breaded hake (came with french fries - it seems this is the only way they know how to cook potatoes in Spain!) and ice cream cake for dessert (the best part). Jim and I stayed behind to sort out the bill while Nancy, Sandi, Lynne and Brad checked into their hotel, Tina went shopping, and John & Julia checked into the Parador
Atop Monte de Gozo, smiling despite the rain
.At 5:00 we all met Judy and Martha at the bar at the Parador. They introduced us to Marguerina, who was going to give us a tour of the Cathedral, and said their goodbyes. Martha is starting her journey across Spain next Sunday, doing the entire 500 miles of the Camino, all by herself. Judy seemed to be in a bit of a flap and was eager to be on her way!
Marguerina is a lovely woman who has been a tour guide for 12 years. She took us on a tour of the four cloisters of the Parador first, which used to be the hospital until 1954. One of the cloisters has a fountain in it which used to house the leeches used for bloodsucking. Then we went to the plaza/square in front of the Cathedral, where she took some group photos of us. From there we went inside the Cathedral, where she told us the history behind the Holy Door and the four traditions that pilgrims follow when they reach their destination. One is placing your hand on the pillar where St. James' handprint is (you can no longer do this as the marble is wearing down from millions of people touching it). The second tradition is banging your head against a statue (I didn't catch the meaning of this). The third is hugging St. James from behind, and the fourth is visiting his tomb. We did the last two, and also saw a side chapel with intricate carvings and an elaborate chandelier
Kilometer Zero, at the Santiago Cathedral!
. Marguerina then took us outside to see the building where 38 nuns live and who have never left the building; she showed us part of the building that used to be a monastery and is now part of the university; and she gave us a recommendation for a good place for dinner. She was outgoing, exuberant, and obviously loves what she does!It was 7:00 by this point, and raining - again. The Parkers are leaving tomorrow, so they headed off to do some shopping. Lynne disappeared too, presumably with John and Julia. The rest of us went to the bar at the Parador where Tina treated us to a pitcher of Sangria. Boy, did it pack a punch! By 8:00 the others hadn't returned, and as Jim and I hadn't checked into our hotel yet, we decided to head out. We told the others that if we weren't back by 9:00, we weren't coming back and we'd see them tomorrow.
We caught a taxi with Tina (since it was raining and she's staying at the same hotel). She's leaving first thing tomorrow morning, so we said goodbye to her. She told us that she really enjoyed travelling with us Canadians. Jim had a shower and then we went downstairs - there's a room where they offer complimentary yogurt, croissants, juice, coffee, tea and fruit until 10:00, so we decided to have a light dinner and an early night. Jim chatted with two ladies who were on Judy's Budget Tour and finished yesterday, while I used the complimentary computer to check my e-mail. Our hotel, the Rosa Rosae, is a boutique-type hotel, about a 10-minute walk from the Cathedral. We turned out the light at 10:30 - I am one tired puppy!
