Day 37 - Wednesday, 28th May, 2014 - 0 km
[Eila outside 'The last Stamp' Albergue - Santiago]
[Santiago rain]
Santiago is a permanent party city as yet another group of pilgrims traipse in to the square in front of the cathedral to stand slightly dazed that their two weeks, or two months, or more has finally come to a close. Those who are Pilgrims, who have walked a distance, feel that they have become a part of the history of the city. The tourists who wander around visiting Santiago buy their Santiago pilgrim sticks and shells, but as you wander around with your back pack on, your clothes that are probably a bit smelly, your weathered tan and in my case 'bed bug' scars, you do feel a bit like the real deal, a cut above your average tourist!
[Queues outside the Pilgrim Office issuing Compostelas]
We went to the Pilgrim office to collect our Compostela, our certificate issued by the church to recognise our endeavour. The queues had been too long the previous day. There was an old Australian volunteer marshalling the queue as pilgrims lined up to be seen. He was meant to be there for the smoother running of the operation, but as he started to chat to each pilgrim at the head of the queue he tended to frustrate the speed of the operation, but no one seemed particularly bothered.
Eila had bumped into Jo and Beth, the two ladies we had started with, who were from Australia; we had agreed to meet for coffee immediately afterwards and compare notes. We had set off from St.Jean and Orisson at the same time and this was us, just over five weeks later, having arrived in Santiago only a day apart.
[Jo and Beth from Australia at the end of their Camino]
[The coast of France from Ryanair]
Michael accompanied us to the bus stop for the airport. He was staying on to continue to Muxia and Finisterre over the next week. Eila and I returned home to catch the end of half term and children coming home briefly from 'gap years travel' and university, husbands and wives.
I don't think I found walking the Camino any easier a second time, although not having surprises like another hill, or how the day would end, uphill or down, made it quite predictable. The Way had been much more crowded and whether that was the warmer Spring or increased publicity, I don't know. We had walked as a 'three' for the whole journey baring the first week. We had each helped each other through blisters, problematic tendons, heat exhaustion, bed bugs and sore ribs (from a fall). Eila, who had found Alburgue dormitory life a bit of a trial surprised me in the latter stages by walking into a questionable dormitory and saying "well this is really quite nice", you could have knocked me over with a feather.
My brother Richard, who faithfully followed our progress through the North of Spain, followed my and Eila's RyanAir flight home with his aircraft 'App' on his iPad and matched it with my son Ruaraidh and wife's progress on the shipping 'App' AIS as they sailed out of Guernsey and noted that we flew directly above them in the Channel Islands.
Meanwhile Michael has continued to Finnisterre on his own and I hope that experience goes well. Jeff, who we had walked with is also making for Finisterre separately.
Will I walk the Camino again? Who knows!
Buen Camino.
[A welcome home meal with my brother Richard and cousin Matthew for a Camino debrief, in Balham London]
