Day 27-28: June 5, 2016 Santiago to Vilacerio to O Logoso

 O Logoso, Spain

June 5, 2016
O Logoso
O Logoso Pension
15.7 miles, 36226 steps, 14 flights, 6:26 hr

I regret to report that my grand entrance into Santiago was a bit of a let-down. Somehow after such an epic journey, I expected more of a defining resolution. I was hoping the meaning would come when I entered the cathedral square, but it didn't .

The square in front of the cathedral is barren, without cafes, or any place to hang out and watch. As they arrive, pilgrims head for the center of the square and have their picture taken in front of the cathedral. I had envisioned finding a cafe to sit and watch the pilgrims enter and vicariously relive the elation with each new pilgrim. But reading the faces, it was an anticlimactic moment for most. The cyclists were an exception, particularly the Italian cyclists who raised their bikes above their heads and cheered. Perhaps the cycling route was less grueling, and less emotionally exhausting because of its brevity, and then the Italians are, well, Italian.

I spent the day performing the required pilgrim duties. I collected my Compostela certificate, somehow without setting off the naughty pilgrim alarm, and attended the noon Pilgrims' Mass. I was pleased to see the Botafumiero hanging, indicating a possibility that I would see it during the day (usually only at the Friday evening mass) and they did use it, because it was a holy day.

I was delighted to learn that the Pope had declared a special holy year, and the Puerto del Perdón was open. Normally, pilgrims only receive a partial indulgence (some, not all sins are forgiven) for completing the pilgrimage. If you pass through the Puerto del Perdón during a holy year, a pilgrim receives a plenary (complete) indulgence.

 

Holy Door/ Peurto de Perdon

I hugged the statue of St James, whispered in his ear, and took a look at his bones. I took some time for quiet reflection. But, to quote Shakespeare: "my words fly up, but my thoughts stay below, and words without thought seldom to heaven go." It wasn't fulfilling, or particularly meaningful.

The more meaningful experience for me has been the past couple of day so the road to Finisterre. The Lulu Lemoned tourists are gone, and the trail has been fairly deserted. The fellow travelers all carry backpacks and all have clocked hundreds of miles, usually from St Jean Pied de Port. Traffic on this segment is sometimes two-way, because some pilgrims do a loop out to Finisterre, and return to Santiago. Each is greeted with a " beun Camino!", but left to his own thoughts.

Camino Finisterre marker

My thoughts have now largely turned to a summer in 1982, when I traveled through Europe with my best friend Lisa. Like many of our generation, we had taken a summer to travel Europe with a backpack and a Eurail pass. The focus then was soaking up as much culture as possible, and seeing as much as possible. So our "two week trip through France" turned Into four months and 14 countries (excluding Mongolia, but only because Lisa couldn't name a city there). Now, the journey is different. It seems more about putting experience into perspective, staying in the moment, and putting life in context.

I am not sure I have succeeded. But the past two days of relative peace and solitude have been much needed to put this journey and experience in perspective. For me, the Christian end of the journey at the cathedral wasn't enough, I need the pagan rites at the end of the earth... which I will get to tomorrow.