Pedrouzo to Santiago

Our last day on the Camino.  It’s a short one, just under 20 km, or about 12 miles.

Here is the pensione where we spent our final night.

After walking a short distance from the pensione, we were in a eucalyptus grove.

Some old friends joined us for part of the walk today.

Although the walk was pretty flat, there were several steep climbs, including this one just outside Pedrouzo.When we left the pensione in Pedrouzo, the woman running it told us that we could look forward to an easy walk with no more hills.  We have heard some version of this description of the Camino since Sarria, and it’s always wrong.  

After a few hours of walking, we reached the outskirts of Santiago.

Below is our first view of Santiago.  We are standing on Monte del Gozo, which is several miles outside the center of the city.

We then walked down the hill into Santiago.  Here is our first view of the cathedral from the old quarter of the city.

And here is Anne in the square in front of the cathedral.We arrived in Santiago at around 2 in the afternoon, well after the Pilgrim’s Mass, which is held at noon.  

Since we missed the Pilgrim’s Mass when we arrived, we went this morning (Tuesday) to a English Mass at 10 in one of the side chapels at the cathedral and then to the Pilgrim’s Mass at noon.  Both were packed.  And where two or more pilgrims are gathered, it smells like someone needs a shower.

Although the Pilgrim’s Mass was in Spanish, I caught a little of the homily.  The priest pointed that we had come all parts of the world to walk the Camino.  He said that what we had found on the Camino, we must take back home with us. 

After Mass, Anne and I walked to a park on a hill just outside the old quarter.  Here is the cathedral from the park:Later, we went to the Pilgrim’s Office where we had picked our Compestellas shortly after arriving in Santiago.  The Compestellas are a document certifying completion of the Camino.  We went back to the office today to add our poles to a large pile the pilgrims had deposited there, having no further need for them.  When we got to the office, we bumped into an Australian woman who we had met our first night in Orisson. She was picking up her Compestella.  We have seen her off and on for the past several weeks, traveling alone, and keeping to herself.  This time we talked, hugged one another, and said goodbye.