Day 35: Final touches on my transformation back to"real life"

I am a Pilgrim.  Despite the shower and hair dryer, I still look like one too. My Pilgrim uniform is worn out.  Both t-shirts, good quality merino wool, have stood the test of time, hand washing, pack-wearing and overuse. Now they feature holes in identical places... In the middle of my back, thanks to a bra strap and at the front, where the pack clips together on the hip strap.

The shirts and the bra both meet their end in the trash bin of my room this morning. Next stop: shopping!  Not going to lie to you, I was looking forward to this for quite some time.

First I perused the stores inside the old city, then I ventured to the outside, where the Santiago residents might go.

By the early afternoon the only part of my outfit left from the Camino, was my underwear. Yay me! New bra, shirt, scarf, jeans and shoes.  New earrings too. Hahaha.

I felt less pilgrimy and, no big surprise, was being treated like a tourist who smells like shampoo and US dollars.  Uh-huh... better service (with a smile) from waiters and store owners!

Case in point, I went back to my favorite restaurant for lunch.  3rd time in 4 days. This time I got lots of smiles, quick service and generous explanations of menu items - in English! At the end of the meal I was served coffee and cake (normal) then treated to chocolate olives.  Of course they probably have a different name, but they were slightly sweet, coco-ish, vinegary, salty, olivey things with the faint odor of Pilgrim boots, IMHO. Not bad.  Not really my cup of tea though - and I'm almost partial to Pilgrim boots at this point.

Don't get me wrong., I'm grateful for the fantastic meal and service. Just noticing that either the waiter had LOTS of compassion for my "solo" status, or the pearl earrings and fancy-pants shoes, warranted the extra attention.

Check out the dinner:

Day 34: Getting Closure in Santiago

So, I walked into Santiago 2 days ago, stared out to the end of the earth in Finisterre yesterday and today hoped to watch them (in the cathedral) swing the flaming incense in the botafumeiro at mass.

Weirdly, all of this is what I need to close out my Camino... complete. Nope, not even catholic! And since I don't understand much Spanish, I don't get much of the sermon either.  But I get the gist of it... I know when pilgrims are being welcomed, recognised and blessed.  And you don't need to be catholic or Spanish to feel the overwhelming intensity of 5 guys hoisting the botafumeiro into the air and sending it flying over our heads. I viewed the fire inside and inhaled the sweet mild incense smell.

Ahhhh.... that, my friends, was the smell of the end of this journey. And the beginning of another journey, as a wise friend reminded me.

Day 33: Bus Tour to Muxia and Finisterre

And just like that, overnight Pierre and I became "bocadillos".

What's a bocadillo? Actually it's Spanish for sandwich and has been the nickname we gave to pilgrims who transported their luggage everyday, then walked with a tiny wee backpack.  All it seemed to contain was, you guessed it... a sandwich.

Today that was us!

We left everything in the albergue except the tiny backpack.  Inside was a light jacket, some money, the camera phone and chapstick.  The luxury tour bus left Santiago at 9am and our first stop was Muxia, at 10am. Definitely quicker than walking (4 days). Definitely.

Muxia is an unspoilt little village, tucked into a cove on the Atlantic shore. Every other person is a fisherman and the bay is dotted with sail boats.  The coast is rugged and rocky. Strong winds and storms deemed a little magical by the superstitious celtic folk, are frequent. The pagan settlers had handmade boats and legend has it that this place, rather than Finisterre, was the end of the world. If you sailed too far, you fell off the edge of our flat earth!

Muxia smells fresh, clean, oceanic! The road to and from, is winding, green, scenic. It doesn't feel well traveled. The village remains, to this day, primarily a fishing village.  Unspoiled, picturesque, quintessentially Spanish costal in flavor. 

The next stop was Cape Finisterre (in Galician they call it Fisterra). For Pilgrims who go further than Santiago, this is considered the end of the line... finished.  The cape is about 3km out of Finisterre town itself.  All uphill. Of course there is a stamp to be had here too and I'm still not feeling guilty that bus deposited me 100 yards from said stamp! I've put in my miles. 

From here, there are panoramic views looking out to sea and back to Finisterre. 

What is that I see? The Greek brothers, Konstantin and Danis, and Samantha! These three have been crossing paths with me for weeks and it feels good to visit with them one last time. 

And now Finisterre.  Holy crap! I stepped into a picture postcard! Stunning colors, quaint and perfect in its simplicity... smelling just like you'd expect a coastal village on the Atlantic should.  Forging distinct, wonderful, surreal memories that I hope will last to the end of my days. 

Some things I always knew would signify closure to my Camino... walking into Santiago, watching the Botafumeiro (swinging incense urn) and the feeling that Finisterre promised me in my dreams. 

I'm almost ready to go home. To reclaim my wonderful life and infuse it with the sweet gratitude and sun-filled memories of beautiful souls and magical places I have found in France and Spain this year. 

Day 32: Arriving in Santiago!

We only had 20km to go... and an easy 20, comparatively speaking.  But boy, was it hard!

After 4.5 weeks of getting up early and hiking, my feet were telling me they needed a break.  The last two nights I had awoken to pain in my arches and the overwhelming desire to wriggle my legs in the wee hours. I had promised them I would stop in Santiago... no more carrying a backpack everyday, the choice of shoes, sitting in a bus to go to Finisterre and some quiet time to appreciate their efforts and to heal.

I'm not catholic but did want to attend the 12 noon mass for Pilgrims. I had earned my blessing!!! That meant an early morning. Pierre and I were out the door at 6:25am and were joined by Marcelo and Neel soon after.  The woods were dark and the hills, rolling.  Intermittently, we happened upon souvenir sellers and more frequently, solicitations... accommodation, tours, taxi, stamps (Pilgrim credentials) etc.

Pierre and I:  Shadows cast by the headlights of a souvenir van at 7:30am in the woods!

At one coffee stop, a mini bus pulled up out front, a woman got out and stamped the passports of 20 people, before driving off. The van was empty. I thought the Camino in itself made us better, less judgemental people, until I see stuff like this.  At the end of the day it matters little to my journey and doesn't change my accomplishment that some people "skip the boring or difficult parts", but it does make me realize 2 things: Some "pilgrims" don't want the journey, just the certificate, for whatever reason.  And secondly, I'm still the same, flawed human being I was at the beginning.  Working on being less judgemental will be a lifelong effort. Go figure! 😀

It was another gorgeous Galician day and I'll never tire of being grateful for our weather these last 2 weeks.

The first sign of Santiago was the airport at 10km. On short final, a jet cruised in just over us.  We were literally at the end of the runway! My first tears came here. So familiar.  So close to completion.  Soooo incredibly tired. Today was my big day and I was ready.

As you enter Santiago, you first walk through 5km of newer city.  People are going about their business like normal. They don't know I've walked 800km over the last 32 days. They have no time or inclination to hear about my achy feet, now healed blisters, tooth issues, sleep deprivation and fatigue. To them, I'm probably just another smelly Pilgrim.  I may have walked 2000km to get here, or just the last 10km - it doesn't matter.  And if you are a Pilgrim who didn't walk for strong personal reasons, this ambivalence could be shocking or disappointing. (After all, we live in the Facebook era... And have been trained to notice and care when people "like" our accomplishments, lunch plate, new haircut etc!)

Bagpipes played as I walked under a bridge into the old town and main square with cathedral. Those tired feet almost did a jig. It was 12 noon and the pilgrim mass was about to start.  No backpack allowed!  We stashed our packs for €2.50 near the church and hustled in.

Inside the cathedral, it was standing room only.  It was less bright and a bit cooler.  My feet were really aching and I hadn't eaten much all day, so 25 minutes later when Pierre and I both couldn't take one more minute of stone underfoot, and needed a snack and a place to sit, we snuck outside to eat chocolate in the square. Our friends joined us 30 minutes later.  They broke the news to us that the flaming incense ball had been swung. Crap!!! I needed to see that to complete my journey and it seems to be hit and miss when it happens... I'll have to go to mass again to catch it!

The afternoon, spent exploring Santiago slowly, was full of reunions. Pilgrim friends we had not seen in days, weeks or even a month, began arriving or were spotted roaming the city.  The evening culminated in a group tapas and wine event that was nothing short of chaos! Much of this city seems to be a little frenzied.  Or maybe I'm just used to sleepy Galician village villages now?

Anyway, unlike a lot of people, I already find the charm and history of Santiago compelling.  I'm looking forward to a bus tour to Finisterre and Muxia tomorrow though.  A complete change to the way I have traveled the last 4.5 weeks. Then a few days of rest and relaxation in Santiago.

I need some time to transition back to my non-Camino life. And to really take in all the events of the last few weeks....