Santiago de Compostela (Spain) | The End? - Day 122 & 123

I passed this vibrant mural this morning. The red fox on the right side of the mural caught my attention and reminded me of my little friend I briefly saw on the morning I walked to Mondoñedo.

Day 37 takes me from Santa Irene to Santiago de Compostela. The stage is 22 km (13.5 mi) and is a series of undulating hills before I descend to Santiago de Compostela. All the climbs are < 100 m (300 ft). Day 38 is a rest day.

When I wake at a quarter past 6 am, it is pitch black in the Albergue. I can hear Jean-Marie, who is in a nearby bed, crying. It sounds like his emotions finally gave way. I am glad he finally decided to quit resisting and let things surface. He leaves quietly before I am out of bed, around 7 am.

As I am loading up my gear, Céline asks, "Do you want to start the walk together today, or do you need time alone?" I tell her it would be nice to walk with you this morning. We leave the Albergue around 8 am in complete darkness. When the night breaks, I notice there are already many Pilgrims on the trail. 

Céline and I start by catching up on our experiences. She met a lady from Holland researching the Camino for a book. According to Camino legend, the burden (i.e., backpack) a Peregrino chooses to carry is symbolic of the fear in their life. Effectively, Peregrinos have heavy packs because they are afraid to let go of the things they don't need. This resonates with me, based on my experiences on the Camino and conversations I have had with other Peregrinos. I started the Camino with a pack with many things I didn't need daily while walking. I am ending with a tiny day pack. It is filled with only the things I need for the walk. This parallels my journey when I decided to leave my job, rent my house, and started traveling. A friend once said, "You can't find the life that is seeking you if you are afraid to let go of the one you have."

The kilometers are falling away quickly this morning. I have yielded my rhythm and now follow that of the Camino. I find the pace much more enjoyable and am enjoying walking a bit slower with Céline today. I laugh as I think I am now a lemming too. However, unlike the Peregrinos in front of me, I often stop to take pictures. I enjoy the walk and this stone carving along the way.

Ahead of me, I notice the man in the white hat (below). I know he's an American but I haven't seen him since Santillana del Mar. After struggling to recall his name, I turn to Céline. Do you remember that guy? There must be a reason I cannot recall his name. I think he was someone I wanted to forget. "I am not wasting my time trying to recall his name. I didn't spend much time with him," she says. Then, I let go of the thought, and he slowly fades out of sight. It has been a rare moment that I do not recall a person's name on this journey.

This is a rare cairn. It is precisely 10.000 km (6.2 mi) to go. I tell Céline, let's stop here for a photo. We'll wait until someone can take the picture for us. It doesn't take long before we are joined by other Peregrinos. 

These bright purple Fuschias caught my eye this morning.

This is my first glimpse of the city of Santiago de Compostela. I heard it was a large city, and it feels enormous.

Shortly after passing this intersection, I see a candy store. I tell Céline, wait here. I dive inside, buy two lollipops and hand her one. "Thank you," she says. This is so we can savor the last bit of the Camino.

Just before 2 pm, I arrive in the square in front of the Cathedral. The sun is finally shining. I am unsure what to expect from my emotions. Instantly my eyes tear up, and tears fall down my face. However, it is not because I am relieved to be here. Instead, these are tears of joy, and I am overwhelmed by the love I feel in the square. People are hugging, screaming with joy. Some are lifting their bikes over their heads. I see strangers helping people that arrive solo to take pictures of themselves. It is quite a fantastic sight to see and experience.

As thrilled as I am to be here at the Cathedral, I know my Camino is not finished. For me, my Camino ends on the coast. I plan to walk to Finisterra and Muxia, where the Camino rejoins the Atlantic. The walk to Finisterra and Muxia is about 120 km (75 mi). My Camino would not be complete without it. But for now, I am done. It is time to enjoy, savor the moment, and relax. The picture below wouldn't be the same without all the people lounging around. 

Shortly after, I walk to the tourist office to get my Compostela (Certificate of Completion) and a document certifying the distance I walked (828 km [515 mi]). As I leave, I pause and take this photo of other Peregrinos waiting to enter. In June through September, Peregrinos can sometimes wait 3-5 hours before entering. I submitted all my information before arriving and only had to wait about 10 minutes.

This is the south side of the Cathedral and the main entrance for the Peregrino mass. 

Another view of the Cathedral. People gather in the square and await the arrival of their friends. Invariably, they also find Peregrinos they haven't seen in days or weeks.

A common sight. People don't shed their packs before hugging. It is as if Peregrinos don't know what to do without a pack. Some have been carrying their bags for months, like Stefan and Soskia.

My surprise was José Ramon. I walked the early part of the Camino and haven't seen him in 20 days. He was just as thrilled to see me as I was him. After a big hug, we take this picture together. He spent the last 10 days walking with three French girls, one of which was Fanny. After that, José Ramon introduces me to his son and fiancé while he awaits his wife. 

Some people are simply gased and lay in the square cuddling without moving. They enjoy the moment in silence. Others stare at the immense Cathedral.

The rain returns in the evening, and Sierra, Cami, Céline, Emilio, and I all go out for dinner to celebrate. After dinner, I head to a small bar and meet up with José (Ecuador) and Petra. Petra leaves for home in the morning, and seeing her before she goes would be nice. It feels like I have known José a long time, yet we just met 4 days ago. It never ceases to amaze me how strong bonds can be between people, even in a short period. The actual celebration will be when Ivo and Lap return to Santiago tomorrow night. They finished on Friday. Lap walked to Finisterra, and Ivo went sightseeing. Tuesday is Ivo's birthday. I know many other Peregerinos I shared the last half of my trip with will arrive tomorrow, too, like Sergio, Stefan, and Soskia. 

I get up around 8 am and find Cami already in the lobby. "Want to get breakfast with us," she says. Emilio has his pack and is ready to go. He plans to walk to Finisterra in one day, 90 kilometers (56 mi). He started walking from Italy (near Nice, France) four months ago. When I ask him why do it in one day? He responds with, "I wanted to challenge myself. I think I can do it in 27 hours." That is Emilio as he leaves town.

After seeing Emilio leave, I return to the hostel for my rest day. It is essential to not do much on rest days except relax, especially the first half of the day. When the afternoon arrives, I spend a little time wandering around the city in the rain. 

Around 5 pm, Stefan asks to meet in front of the Cathedral. They arrived earlier today. "Can we take a photo with you?" Stefan asks. Sure thing, I would love a photo with you guys. He takes off his hat and puts it on my head. Stefan and Soskia have walked > 2,500 km (1,553 mi) to get to Santiago de Compostela.

Around 6 pm, Ivo texts us the location of a very scenic bar to meet up at. The view below is stunning. Cami, Céline, Stefan, Soskia, Timo, Lap, and Sierra are all there. After a couple of beers, we decide to head for dinner. Stefan and Soskia left earlier to rejoin a group of other Peregrinos. My phone pings me. "Come on over to the Bar Tita. There are people here that want to see you. Sergio has a hug for you," writes Stefan. Tell Sergio I have a hug for him, too, I reply.

On the way over, I take the group on a minor detour to rejoin Stefan and Soskia. I love introducing good people to each other. My friends from the first half can now meet my friends from the second half of the Camino. As I approach, I can see Sergio, and I yell at him. He gets up, and we run toward each other with open arms. Also sitting with Stefan and Soskia are Julia, Angeles, and José. Everyone is happy, hugging and congratulating each other. Angeles can't walk because she is in so much pain. José tells me I have an open invitation to Ecuador, a place I want to visit in the future.

After a brief engagement, we go to the restaurant and have a blast. As we leave, Ivo says, "You're like the Ricky Martin of the Camino, Man!" We all laugh! I don't know how to take that Ivo. "You are a popular guy, Man," he says. "You made strong bonds with people even in short periods, which is evident. You wear it well," Céline says. I frequently told my friends on the Camino, "You wear it well," when I noticed a change they were trying to make. Hearing these compliments tonight makes me smile.

I have told people from my first day that the Camino is my dessert. I didn't choose to make this journey because I wanted to make changes or needed to reflect on things. Of course, there are always those moments, but for me, they were minor. For me, the Camino was about living the things I spent years reflecting on. I looked my skeletons in the eyes. It wasn't easy. It took time, but in the end, I was able to make friends with them. And now, I am blessed to have made fantastic friendships on this journey that will serve me well into the future.