Padron to Santiago de Compostela

 

This wise old goat greeted us along the way to Santiago de Compostela.  By this time we were so close we could taste it and enjoyed his strange look at us.  This is the first day in the last 10 that it did not rain on us while walking!  We walked through high and low elevations, which really takes it out of you.  You can’t breathe going up and you can’t walk fast going down for fear of sliding down.

When we arrived in the city I was very disappointed because it was a big not impressive place at all.  I had been expecting Dorothy’s arrival in Oz.  However, once we got to the old town, I guess, where the cathedral sits my worries were gone.  These narrow streets and alleyways reminded me of the Left Bank in Paris and the Sacre Coeur all rolled in together.

While I had no spiritual awakening along the way I must admit that walking into that very large plaza with hundreds of other pilgrims coming in a the same time was a joy.  We saw folks with whom we had been walking for the past two weeks whom we had passed and who had passed us.

The Cathedral is very impressive also.  Very large and very ornate.

The sister of one of the Cheryls treated us to a celebratory lunch of pizza, salad, beer and wine.  We were so hungry and thirsty and it tasted super.

It is almost 10 pm here and still light outside.  Hard to sleep, but I’m signing off to try.

Buen Camino