Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” – Anita Desai

We wake in the morning and stay in bed longer than usual. We don’t have anywhere to go… nowhere to walk to today. It’s a strange feeling… there’s relief because I don’t want to walk anymore and sadness because I don’t want to stop walking. How can that make sense in any way?

I think I can confidently speak for both of us when I say our overwhelming emotion is immense gratitude. We are grateful that we completed this pilgrimage in relatively good health. We are grateful to all the amazing people we met along the way that enriched the experience. I am grateful that I had Anne to share this unique experience with me. And I am grateful that I am so privileged that we can do something like this… and I’m also so very conscious of how much we all need to do things like this. 

Because I think we are living in a system that is breaking our spirits. It demands constant productivity but denies rest. It glorifies material success but neglects emotional well being. The pressure… the disconnection… the endless rat race. For what end? It’s no wonder so many feel lost or broken or depressed or overwhelmed because we’re pushed since childhood to be in a constant state of fight or flight. Rush… compete… achieve… perform. Be busy. But our nervous system needs stillness… quiet… play… creativity… cooperation… sharing. We are humans, not machines. The Camino is like a perfect antidote… just a thought. 

They say the Camino is divided into three parts: the first part is a test of the body, the second part is a test of the mind, and the third part is a gift of the soul. I see the truth in this: the first part of the Camino was spent with our bodies trying to adapt to the unusual load: how to swing our trekking pole… I need to adjust my backpack… loosen my shoelaces… I’m hungry… I’m thirsty… I’m hot… I’m cold… I’m tired… it hurts (everywhere)… there is pressure… how long can I sleep… when can we eat… Anne needs to pee 😂… etc.  Then, after a few days, a rhythm is sort of established, and our body adapts to the new situation and the challenges become almost more mental. The long stretches of walking can become monotonous, and maintaining focus and motivation can be difficult. This stage is about developing mental strength, resilience, and the ability to persevere through challenges and even pain. Knowing that you are walking in the footsteps of hundreds of thousands of people over many centuries inspires you to keep pushing ahead. As do people you meet along the way. 

The final part of the journey is often described as a spiritual awakening or gift. As pilgrims approach Santiago de Compostela, the culmination of their physical and mental efforts can lead to a deep sense of purpose, self-discovery, and reflection. This stage is about experiencing a sense of accomplishment and finding meaning in the journey. 

And then suddenly it’s done and you kind of feel a little lost. But we did get out of bed as we have things to do today. Firstly to get our “Compostela”- the certificate that verifies our journey. Anne is emotional here at the Pilgrims office… we find we both are all day…  both crying at random times. Somehow it’s all a little overwhelming and there’s no way to explain it. 

There is a Pilgrims mass on at 12.00… a daily ceremony held to welcome and honor pilgrims who have completed the Camino de Santiago. And we had been advised to go an hour early to get a seat. This is the first time we have seen inside the cathedral… which is crazily busy with tourists doing tours and there are constant requests for quiet. We sit quite close to the front of the alter and just enjoy the time relaxing as the cathedral seats gradually fill until it is standing room only. Pilgrims even sit on the floor. The mass is in Spanish and as much as I would love to understand what is being said, it doesn’t really matter. It was beautiful and I felt very blessed.

We had been told that the botafumiero mostly only swings on specific religious dates and sometimes upon request for special occasions… so we were not expecting to see it in action… although we both really wanted to experience this. You don’t always get what you want I guess. 

So what is the Botafumiero you may ask? Well it is basically a huge incense burner… measuring 1.5m and weighing 62kg plus the charcoal and incense that is put inside. The rope that ties this enormous artefact to the transept of the cathedral and supports it during its flight, has a length of 65m and weighs almost 100kg.

The term comes from the Galician language and basically means “smoke thrower”. So when I realised it was happening, the tears flowed again and seeing it  swinging through the soaring Cathedral was definitely a highlight of our Camino… and we are both in tears of amazement because it was such an expected blessing. 

We wander through the old town which is an immaculately preserved UNESCO World Heritage Site… and it’s stunning.

Every step is a discovery with charming squares filled with amazing architecture…

… including the world’s oldest hotel…

amazing rooftop views… cobbled streets…

… countless restaurants and bars serving fantastic food…

and flowers everywhere… in gardens and spilling from balconies… and even growing out of the stone.

There are pilgrims everywhere… constantly arriving, often with their own version of the Camino limp or shuffle. There is contagious excitement in the air and I love this place. I think it has to be one of the happiest places on earth. 

I, with my obsession with climbing high places, book to go to the cathedral rooftop and tower… offering a unique perspective of the city and the cathedral itself. Of course it involves many steps but the panoramic views and getting up close and personal with the stunning details of the cathedral make it all worthwhile. I really love visiting churches and cathedrals but this one will, I think, always remain the most special in my heart. 

Randomly wandering the streets we stop in to visit a small church and find that a small choir (Matrem choir) is about to sing so we stay and are completely blessed by the angelic voices. 

The day before we leave we decide to do a tour to the “end of the world”. It takes us  through beautiful countryside dotted with little old churches and hórreos, vineyards, hydrangeas and wildflowers with the coastline on one side. All these things we have become so familiar with as we walked but now we watch them by through the windows of a bus. 

We drive along the stunning Costa da Morte coast and stop at the Ézaro waterfall that plunges into the sea from about 40 meters high…

… and onto the fishing village of Muros where we walk through the historic centre and up to a church st the top of the hill. 

We visit the Muxía Sanctuary, also known as Santuario da Virxe da Barca, a significant pilgrimage site in Muxía, Spain, dedicated to Our Lady of the Boat. It’s a place where Christian and pre-Christian traditions intertwine, located on a rocky promontory overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The sanctuary is closely associated with the legend of the Virgin Mary arriving in a stone boat to encourage Saint James, and it’s a popular destination for those completing the Camino de Santiago. So many stories around St James in this part of the world but some believe that by a miracle of God, the body of the saint, after his beheading at the hands of the Romans, was carried in a boat back to Muxía where it was discovered many years later and taken to Santiago 🤷🏼‍♀️

The weather was pretty wild and I seriously struggled walking against the wind. 

We had a short break in the absolutely gorgeous little medieval village of Ponte Maciera which is the first stop after Santiago for those continuing their pilgrimage. I can just imagine the unexpected blessing of walking into this stunning but pretty unknown rural village… built around a magnificent bridge of Roman origin… full of legends…

… over the river Tambre, surrounded by a natural environment difficult to match, between the flow of the river and the green of the Galician forests that surround the area. A true haven of peace. And a gorgeous town with its ancient mills, hórreos and cobbled streets.

And of course, the ultimate destination… “the end of the world”… where the West ends… where the sun goes to bed and seems to be swallowed by the sea… the last point of Europe… the End of the Earth or the classic End of the World… many are the epithets that are and have been applied to Cape Finisterre. This cape is one of the most magical places in Europe, and while most believe the Camino ends in Santiago, many pilgrims say that the journey continues to Finisterre, the legendary “end of the world.”  

Early pilgrims would travel from their home to Santiago and onwards to Finisterre. Once they reached Finisterre, they would collect a scallop shell as proof they had walked the Camino de Santiago. Upon their return home, they would produce the shell to receive absolution of their sins from their priest. Some believe that a medieval pilgrim would use the scallop shell as a bowl for the food, wine, and water offered to them along the way.

However, from the 13th century onwards, a fraudulent practice began to emerge with the rise of the number of merchants selling scallop shells. The Compostela was introduced at this stage as proof of completion of the Camino de Santiago. 

I would love to have continued walking to this place… one last stretch of reflection , beautiful wild nature and pure emotion…. but it was not in our plan this time. Maybe next time… and yes I think there might be a next time. And Anne is already planning hers for next year. But sitting here… at the end of the world… with breath taking views of the endless horizon… alone with my thoughts and powerful emotions.. it felt like a perfect ending. I threw a couple of rocks… with all they symbolise… that I had been carrying since the beginning and felt peace come. What will be will be. I didn’t want to leave but sadly the bus was waiting. 

I am sad as we say our goodbyes to beautiful Santiago de Compostella and its magnificent cathedral… so much emotion tied to this place that will forever remain special to me. But as per my quote in the beginning of this blog, it is now somehow a part of me. And perhaps it is not goodbye… just farewell. 

And just because I’ve been posting so many pictures of Anne’s back for the last few weeks… here’s one of her front (notice the socks with the sandals- her new style).