Day 26: June 3, 2016 Santiago Compostela
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
June 3, 2016
Santiago
Smart Boutique Hotel Litereria San Bieito
16.06 miles, 35750 steps, 43 flights, 4:22 hr
I made it to Santiago!
Twenty six days ago I started from St Jean Pied de Port, and this morning I walked into Santiago and literally had a few words with St James himself.
In the cathedral there is a larger than life statue of James on the alter, and pilgrims are allowed to climb up behind him, hug him and whisper in his ear.
According to my phone, the 717.86 km (445.88 miles) from St Jean Pied de Port represented 1,050,084 steps. I climbed the equivalent of 1124 flights of stairs, and spent 171:20 hours walking. I did take a train for part of the journey, but will make up this distance on the way to the ocean: so the totals are still running. There were some blisters involved and several moments when I didn't think my feet would make it. Certainly, there was frustration, but also moments of elation, and inspiration.
The first sight of the cathedral
I learned early on that I wouldn't have completed the journey without the kindness of strangers. While I walked into the Cathedral Square with new friends Kevin and Nicholas, I miss all my Camino friends and all those who helped me along the way, but who weren't with me to celebrate this moment. Today I wanted to have them all with me to celebrate as I completed this part of the journey: Josephine, the hostess where I stayed in St Jean, who packed me a huge lunch for the trail that day and wished me my first "Bon Camino", Martin who carried his own and his wife's pack up the Roncesvalles Pass while holding her hand, and who gave me water when the promised fountain didn't appear; Carlos who sold me the now ragged straw hat and wished me "buen Camino Peregrino!", the lovely Anja who offered me half her breakfast when I couldn't find an open coffee shop, stayed with me an extra day in Los Arcos when I couldn't walk and had a healing ceremony for my feet; Linsey and Ben, whose hearts are as big as the Camino itself and who offered me hours of great company (I forgive them for the Donativo incident); the Canadian Ladies who joined me for drinks in Logroño; the Italian woman who did my laundry, just because she had space, Will, the farmer farmer/Geography professor who drained the blisters that I couldn't reach on the bottoms of my feet; Josh, from Holland, Peter and Nikki, whose email address I appear to have lost when I got soaked on O Cebreiro, the man who put his heart and soul into making a cafe con leche, Jose who carved me a scallop shell out of a chestnut wine barrel, the German group who patiently let me practice my German for hours, the woman in Viana who sold me the sandals and gave me a special scallop shell charm for good luck, the Italians who yelled at me when I made a wrong turn, and the truck driver who pulled over to tell me the same; Martin the poet who shared his poems with me, Yves who spoke not a word of anything but French and for whom I translated through two very tedious dinners; Pauline the Irish girl who helped when I was wet and hypothermic; Simon and the group of Spaniards who were on the same schedule as me for days, Sir Ara who dropped everything and found a way to send me cash when I was in need, and of course Mike, who has supported me every step along the way. There are so many, some seemingly chance and meaningless encounters, which aren't meaningless at all. Maybe that's the point: these interactions, regardless of how small, are meaningful and deserve our full attention and appreciation. I need to learn to be present in the moment.
My path continues tomorrow to the end of the earth, Finisterre, which I should reach in three long hiking days. I'll try to make some more meaningful comments along the way. For now I am tired but energized, happy but sad.
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