Distance: 29.0km (728.7km), time spent: 9:11.
Weather: Slightly overcast, rain in the evening.
Today is the day, the day the anti-climax of the Camino occurs. That is when I arrive in Santiago de Compostela, the end of a Camino, the end of a walk (except this is of course not the end). The last day on a Camino has always been somewhat of an anti-climax to me. Which has nothing to do with Santiago de Compostela itself, just the walk into it, and the abrupt feeling that it is over. At the point you are so used to be walking, gotten into a routine, that to stop feels almost not correct (good for me is that this time I will not stop after arriving in Santiago).
Idol in an altar outside the Herbón Monastery.
I slept well in the little cubicle in the Albergue 'San Antonio de Herbón', there are only two beds in each cubicle. A good communal breakfast is also provided by the albergue of the monastery. It does not rain anymore when we leave, but the marks left behind by the rain is clearly visible. Small or large pools of water carves a strangely path for us to follow. The light on the sky is special, it is almost purple, looking like the sun tries to break through the clouds, but are unable to.
Purple rain.
From Herbón we have to walk about 2.8km to get back to the Camino in Padrón (the walk to Herbón will add around 3.4km to your overall). Padrón is known for its peppers, the Pimientos de Padrón and in terms of Santiago de Compostela for the pedron Roman stone in the Igrexa de Santiago. The town is named after this stone, whose legend claims to be the stone that the boat carrying the body of St James moored up against. June and I of course goes to take a look at the stone, I cannot help but notice the cross of St James in the roof of the church too.
St James cross in a fance.
From the square outside the Convento do Carma there is a good view of Padrón, now under a dramatic sky. Another pilgrim sits in quiet contemplation on the bench overlooking the town. There is a steady flow of pilgrims leaving Padrón, some has like us walked a little bit already, not staying here. Of them are the old Japanese couple I met in Grijó, who gave me the Kumano Kodo amulet. I am so happy to see them again. If you decide to go to Padrón instead of Herbón, as the majority does, it is a good choice that too.
The cross of St James in the roof of the Igrexa de Santiago in Padrón.
As feared, we soon find ourselves on a busy road shortly after leaving Padrón. Thankfully the Camino does not go for very long next to the road, but we almost made a mistake following a group of pilgrims in front of us. If we did not become aware that something was amiss, we would have gone further away from where the Camino left the road. We are happy that we found out in time that we had walked too far and could now follow small roads through peaceful hamlets instead of noisy cars. On a short section of the walk, we get company from a Korean girl from Seoul.
Padrón with the Convento de Carme.
The square outside Convento de Carme in Padrón.
It is however not only the cars that are making noise upon the final stage of the Camino. Sitting down at a café for a coffee, we experience the other side of the Camino. The noise and sounds made by some few pilgrims. First off, I fear that these are pilgrims only doing the last 100km. Be aware that I do not attribute this to everyone of them, thankfully just a few, but some of them do make too much of a racket. And this is something I have only experienced during the last days on a Camino. Here, there is a group speaking overly loud, already some beers on the way.
A bird pattern in the dirt between the cobblestones out of Padrón.
Narrow walled Camino.
The Camino goes in turns next to the busy road, before leaving it again for the small hamlets and quiet woodland paths. It is better walking than expected, but far from the most interesting. Although, the dolls placed around at various places in Rua de Francos are quite interesting, reminding me of the Valley of Dolls in Shikoku. Here, they seems to be related to an environmental cause, one says 'Non vos deixaremos arruinar a nosa terra!' (We will not let you ruin our land!), another says 'Polo futuro dos nosos fillos, casalonga limpa de residuos!' (For the future of our children, clean homemade waste!).
June at a cruceiro.
Joan and Paige are in front of us. Good news, we will meet them in Santiago then later. I hope to meet Ciaran too. Looks out to be a busy evening. It certainly got a lot busier as we approach Santiago too, with a pilgrim at each corner. We reach the final hill before Santiago, where O Milladoiro is located. This place looks like a blueprint for a city planned town. We have to go a little off the Camino to find a place for refreshments.
Camino going underneath a grape arbor.
It is not far away now, the city of our destination. After a short stroll down through woods, we can see the spires of the cathedral at the end of the Camino Portugués, before it vanishes from our view when we descend further down. Normally, we would be walking through quite industrial and suburban areas all the time now, but instead we finds ourselves between trees. When we appear out of the trees, we are in Santiago de Compostela.
Dolls in Rua de Francos demonstrating, 'Non vos deixaremos arruinar a nosa terra!' (We will not let you ruin our land!).
First unfamiliar, as I have not been to this part of the city before, then it grows more and more familiar until we walk next to the Parque da Alameda. We are home in a way. Just the final walk through the busy, but loved, Rúa do Franco and we are there.
View of Santiago de Compostela.
We enter the Praza do Obradoiro from the south and the first thing to rejoice about is the now absent scaffolding. It is great to see the front of the cathedral again without them. As always there is a steady influx of arrivers and the view of happy pilgrims that has arrived. Nothing else to do but smile, sit down, watch the cathedral and take in that I have done it. About 730km and 26 days since starting off in Lisboa. Buen Camino, Bom Caminho!
A nice forest path before arriving in Santiago de Compostela.
Joan and Paige meets us at the square, both looking overjoyed. Time stops for a while, we are just there embracing the moment.
Walking through the streets of Santiago on the final approach to the tomb of St James (Rúa do Franco).
With the Compostelas in our hands we seek out our accommodations. We had agreed to meet later for dinner. Joan and Paige had found a place, Malak Bistro, which was recommended for vegetarians. They also have meat on the menu. With us are also a woman from Germany, Bettina, who I recollect having met before. I just cannot remember from where (later, back home, I remember that it was her that I met when I watched the sunset in Caminha). The food is very good. A recommended place.
Happy pilgrims gathered on the Praza do Obradoiro in front of the cathedral after finishing the Camino Portugués.
While we ate it started raining. Santiago is actually so beautiful in rain. We head for Café Casino, my mandatory liqueur de café joint. The evening ebbs out, it has been wonderful, a perfect end to the Camino. I had hoped to meet Ciaran again, but all the things happening tonight came in the way.
Celebration dinner at Malek Bistro in Santiago.
The entrance to Santiago on the Camino Portugués is not one of the worst ones, rather one of the better ones. Although, in fact, no matter how bad the entrance is, it matters not. Coming to Santiago de Compostela after doing a Camino is so great, that it is easily forgotten. Tomorrow I will have day of rest in Santiago, and then the adventure will continue. Stay tuned for more.
Praza da Quintana in the rain.
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