Santiago

Yep. We did it. My Viking Vixen and me arrived in Santiago de Compostela at around 8:00pm wednesday.

It had been some day. From the moment that we left Azurua it poured with rain. Nothing for us Northern Europeans though. The Spanish and the Italians were putting on clothes like the next Ice Age was on the way. Meanwhile, Marita was wearing her evening dress (long story) and I was making a pain of myself by singing every song I could think of with rain, or sun, in the title.

We stopped for the best Peregrino menu we have had (top quality food why can´t the others do this?) then very slowly started to walk the last 11km to Santiago.

It was a strange, emotional time. There was a lot of silence and a lot of rememberences of the Camino. People, places and events. Marita particularly likes the time that a hostel owner took us for a English couple and kept on calling us ´Los Inglesos´. I, being Scottish, made a point shouting back that I wasn´t english everytime they said it. Marita just laughed.

Anyway, that and many others were once again discussed on the walk.

Then we came to Monte De Gozo. For those that don´t know, tradition says that you stop for the night there and make your way in to Santiago the next morning. I didn´t want to do that. The reason being that since Sarria, the camino had become a flood of ´Part-time´peregrinos. These are the people that do the minimum distance to do their compostela. Try as we might to love our fellow pilgrims they just bloody annoyed us. Especially the cyclists. Marita hates the cyclists.

So, I wanted to head in but there was something about Marita´s mood and quiteness that made me think that she was having second thoughts. She had already said that she was feeling sad that the camino was coming to end. We must have sat for around an hour in the warm evening sunshine (letting our clothes dry) just relaxing and looking down on Santiago. At around 7:15pm we decided that tonight was the night and set off through the massive alberque (sleeps 800 people) towards our final goal.

An hour later there we stood in front of the impressive Cathedral. There was no band playing. No-one to put medals around our necks. We only had each other to say well done to and hug. Anti-Climax? You better believe it.

Not only that we still had to eat, get our compostela and find a place to stay!

Santiago, the centre of it anyway, is a lovely, narrow streeted, cobblestoned maze of a place. Even with the souvenir stores etc. you can still, just about, hear the marching feet of the millions of peregrinos that have gone before. Of course, when walking the streets we meet many of the present pilgrims that we have met and shared experiences with along the Camino. We hug, congratulate each other, catch up on stories and enquire after others that we have left somewhere down the line. This is our fanfare. We peregrinos pat each other on the back. As I said to Marita last night, Shakespeare named it right ´We Band of Brothers´, for whomever has shared their sweat, skin, blood, taste buds, sense of smell, sore feet and damaged joints on the camino IS my Brother!

Anyway, I am at the airport waiting for Pauline to fly in. Can´t wait to see her after our longest separation ever, but I am still upset as I had to say goodbye to Marita this morning. NOT a good thing to do. We have shared the camino, time, histories and thoughts for a large part of this thing. She is an incredible lady and one that I am honoured and proud to have as my friend. I hope that that can continue. Does this sound a bit emotional? Tell you what, you do the same thing with someone and see how you feel at the end.

Don´t know if Arthur has posted that he has hurt his leg and is unable to complete the camino. I am gutted for him. Once I get Pauline off the plane I have arranged to meet him in Santiago for lunch at the very least. Think his going to head down to Finesttre.

So that is it. Finis. Done. Over. If you are looking for my thoughts and insights on the camino...too bad. I am afraid they are private and personal largely. If you want to know what happens On the Road to Santiago, go to St. Jean Pied du Port and put on your walking boots.

Later Dudes.