Santiago!!!

What a great day!  It was dark and cold when we started out at about 7:30 this morning.  The batteries on our flashlight are getting pretty weak so we had only a little light.  Fortunately it was a good path, but through very dark thick forest.  We missed the large crowds leaving early, wanting to get there in time for the noon mass.  They were all ahead of us, so it was a fairly quiet walk through woods, up and down hills, around the Santiago airport and through the suburbs.  We stopped once for a snack in a fairly new and quite nice cafe, Porta de Santiago in San Payo.  

High on a hill there is the first marker for Santiago, so we got a picture there and saw our first glimpse of the city off in the distance.  Just out of town there is a huge monument to Pilgrims and to Pope John Paul II from his visit to Santiago some years ago.  Then you head down and at the edge of town pass the El Templario Peregrino satute - figures of notable historical figures connected with the Camino.

It was about 11:30 so we stopped at a very nice little upscale cafe and had a wonderful lunch.  Andy had eggs, grilled chicken, salad and a huge pile of French fries.  I had a wonderful chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes - big enough for two people - chips, and a coke.  Well fortified, we started the trec up up up into the city.  There was a steady stream of Pilgrims all the way to the top.  The old section of town was bustling not only with Pilgrims but with tourists and locals as well.

We ran into friends from the Camino almost immediately...walked by the cathedral and headed to the Pilgrim Office and waited in line to get our passports stamped and receive our Compostela.  Took 45 to 50 minutes to get through the line, I think.  

We were ready to lay our packs down, so we got some maps and directions at the Tourist Info center and headed off to Pension Pumar.  If you are ever in Europe, www.booking.com is a great place to arrange accommodations while traveling.  Easy and very dependable.  We rested, took showers, and made arrangements to meet up with Faith Walter who has been so much help to us.  She came over to the Pension with our box of everyday clothes and we had a coke together and got acquainted in person for the first time.  (The Pension was willing to wash and dry all of our clothes so we gladly paid them 6 Euro to do just that - what a gift!).  We are meeting her again on Sunday and going to the Walters home for more fellowship and conversation about the Camino and their ministry.  www.pilgrimhousesantiago.com. Looking forward to that!

We snacked on an ice cream bar and went to the Cathedral about 75 minutes early to get seats for the 7:30 mass.  Andy saved seats while I walked around the church.  Relics of Saint James are buried in a crypt in the church.  You can also go to the High Altar and ascend the steps to hug the Apostle or lay your hand on his shoulder.  You are no longer allowed to place your hand in the a Tree of Jesse like Martin Sheen did in the movie.

The service was nice...some singing, a reading of all the countries resprested today when Pilgrims signed in at the Pilgrim Office, a sermon of sorts, communion, and at the very end the swinging of the giant incense burner Botafumeiro.  Originally it was used to fumigate the Cathedral as sweaty and dirty Pilgrims stayed in the church overnight at the end of their journey.  The ritual takes six attendant tiraboleiros to get it swinging and keep it going.  Was very cool to see it happen!  There was a wonderful organ in the church but only one song was played at the end of the Mass.  The pipes were right above us and just magnificent.  Such a pity they don't play it more.  The church seats 1,000 people and many were standing as well.  The singing and chanting is quite pretty in a stone building like that.

After the service we met up with a group of friends and went out for something to eat.  Was fun to share one last meal together.  Was 11:00 when we got back to the Pension.  The lights out/door locked at 10:00 rule from the Albergues was not in force, so this was the latest we had stayed out in weeks!

So, it was a day of finishing and rejoicing!  Everyone seemed to be happy to have made it safely through the journey.  Stories galore.  Abundant laughter.  Lots of 'remember when' sharing.  The square in front of the cathedral was full.  People took off their packs, laid down with their heads on the packs and just stared at the cathedral.  Everyone wanted their picture taken in front of the church.  Laughter.  Tears.  Rejoicing.  Emotional sobbing in the weariness.  A little bit of every emotion imaginable.

I slept quite well...didn't wake up until 7 and didn't get out of bed until 8.  Felt great...we didn't have to walk today!

Our first glimpse of Santiago!  There was a party like atmosphere at this marker.

For miles these large shell markers showed us the way though the outskirts and suburbs of Santiago.

A monument commemorating the visit of Pope John Paul ll stands sentinel atop Mount Joy.

A prominent monument to notable historical figures connected with the Camino.  

From this point it was pretty much  hill all the way to the Cathedral.

We walked by the Cathedral and made our way to the pilgrim office.

We went to the service for pilgrims on Friday night at 7:00.

We got to,the Cathedral early to get good seats so I walked around a bit and went to see the casket containing the relics of St. James.

We spent a few days with Briget from Germany as well as Barb and Dave from Canada

along The Way.  It was fun to have some together in Santiago as we all finished about the same time.