It’s Day 14 of our Camino adventure: Sunday, our day of rest and celebration. We’re in Santiago de Compostella, relishing the end of this phase of our journey, and celebrating our wedding anniversary which was technically last Friday.
When we arrived yesterday, we were struck by the number of unfamiliar faces among the pilgrims arriving in the city. We walked the French Route of the Camino in 2019. That’s by far the most popular route—more than 50% of pilgrims journey that way. You get to know your fellow peregrinos by sight and by name. Walking into the Cathedral Plaza, you’re greeted by all your fellow walkers. It’s a wonderful experience.
The Camino del Norte, the route we chose this year, is the most difficult route (due to length and elevations). Only 6% of pilgrims choose this path. Hence, you meet very few travelers along the way, and you’re unlikely to run into them in Santiago amid the rush of humanity that you encounter at the Cathedral.
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| The Cathedral in the Afternoon Sun |
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| St James Atop of the Cathedral |
As we strolled passed the Cathedral Saturday evening, we heard voices calling out, “Hey Paco and Tina!” It was the 2 Spanish girls we walked with during the past few days. They had planned to stay in Arca/O Pedrouzo Saturday evening when they passed us having lunch in A Brea. Unfortunately, they couldn’t find a room in town. All the albergues and hostels were full. They had to backtrack to a preceding town where they snagged the last remaining campsite for the night. They made it into town Saturday morning, and were headed to the bus station for their overnight return to Madrid. It was so much fun to see them and re-connect. We plan to share stories over a glass of wine in Madrid when we return next week.
We continued into town for a light snack at a very popular (and very hard to access) dive-bar/restaurant, O Gato Negro (The Black Cat). Even if you kind of know where it is, it’s nearly impossible to find. It's only open four hours a day. But it’s always crazy-crowded. Check out this unassuming doorway.
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| The Most Obscure Entrance to a Popular Bar |
We got one of the last tables in the bar, near a fan (bonus!) and enjoyed pimientos de Padron (seared Padron peppers), Pulpo a Feira (Galician Octopus) and Navajas (Razor Clams.) I’d never been to this place, although Paco’s visited once before. It’s quite an experience of Spanish food, culture, and community. A great way to spend an early evening.
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| Galician Octopus |
We had breakfast at our hotel on Sunday morning, then went to run some errands. Walking past the Cathedral, we noticed three fellow pilgrims, backpacks in tow, standing in the Plaza. They were some of the group with whom we shared a snack break a few days back. They had just arrived in town this morning. We took a photo of the group in front of the Cathedral and shared hugs and congratulations.
Then we headed to the Cathedral for the 9:30 am Pilgrim’s Mass. There are many Pilgrim’s Masses every day, but especially on Sunday. Today was no exception. We got there very early and had wonderful seats. I even had time to light some candles before Mass started. The service was packed. There were 12 priests celebrating Mass. Many had led tour groups on the Camino and were there with their teams. It was a beautiful service.
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| Lighting Candles |
But the biggest surprise of all came at the very end: they raised and swung the Botafumeiro, a very large censer that envelopes the entire Cathedral with incense. In ancient times, pilgrims were housed in the alcoves of the Cathedral. The Botafumeiro was filled with incense (and cannabis) to cleanse the air—and calm down the anxious pilgrims. Today, it’s only used on special occasions and holidays. This is only the second time we’ve experienced it. Here’s a video of the event. It’s even better in person.
Walking out of church after Mass, we ran into our Camino friend Carlos from Sevilla. He had just arrived last night, attended Mass this morning, and was on his way to catch his flight home. We exchanged hugs, contact information and best wishes. How lucky to have run into him like this!
Santiago is a joyful cacophony of ancient sights and sounds: streetscapes, plazas, pilgrims, and the never-ending strains of the Gaitero (bagpiper).
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| Santiago Streetscape |
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| Santiago Views |
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| Ancient Plaza |
Every hour, more and more pilgrims—alone and in groups—pour into the plaza. Many arrive in matching T-shirts, chanting, singing, and dancing. The joy and excitement are infectious.
We made our way to the tourist office to collect information about the final part of our journey: the trek to Finisterre (end of the world) and Muxia. It’s about a 120 km walk that we plan to cover in the upcoming 4 days. We’ve never done this walk before, so we’re very excited about the upcoming adventure!
Paco arranged a wonderful lunch reservation for us at a top restaurant in town where we enjoyed an incredible tasting menu. It was just the right touch to celebrate the end of this part of our journey, and the start of another adventure just around the corner.
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| Open Kitchen at Casa Marcelo |
It's been a magical day in Santiago. We met so many of our Camino friends, enjoyed warm and sunny weather, relaxed, and thoroughly appreciated the specialness of this place and this moment.
Tomorrow, we walk again. The first stage is the shortest, only 22 Km. It's supposed to be hot and sunny again (highs in the 90's), so we plan on a 7:30 am start to beat the heat.
Paco will take it from here tomorrow.
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